News
- Large new project Strengthening Child Care Services and Systems Launched
- Georgian Foster Care Organisation established
- New Report launched!
- First Case of Emergency Foster Care
- EveryChild launches new project
- Opening of Small Group Home in Dusheti
- Closing Conference of EU Funded “Support to Child Welfare Reform Project”
- New Small Group Home Opened in Dusheti
- Georgian Youth and Adults Trained in Participatory Advocacy
- Graduation Ceremony for newly trained Social Workers
Georgian Foster Care Organisation established
The much-anticipated Georgian Foster Care Organisation (GFCO) – the first of its kind in the country - was registered on 28 February 2011 within the framework of the new EU-funded Advocacy for Participation to Protect Children’s Rights project, implemented by EveryChild Georgia.
As of now, GFCO has over 90 members nationwide.
The founders signed the GFCO statutes at the National Registry in Tbilisi in the presence of a legal expert and EveryChild representative. They have also elected four out of seven Board Members and the Chairperson, Ms. Tea Kiria.
According to Ms. Kiria, who has served as an EveryChild foster carer over the past few years, the main purpose of creating this Organisation is to protect the interests and rights of the foster carers and the children in their care nationwide.
GFCO aims to contribute to the development of Georgian civil society and will support a wide range of activities aimed at enhancing the capacity for advocacy. Key areas of work will include; development of research and assessment of needs, planning and implementing advocacy campaigns, development and promotion of foster care in Georgia, promote the advancement of skills of foster carers, contribute towards improvement and implementation of modern foster care standards, as well as conducting charity and educational work.
“GFCO will become the main driving force in efforts to advocate improvements in the levels, variety and quality of support to children in FC and their foster parents. Foster Care has proved itself as the best care alternative when living with biological or extended family is not an option. We hope that GFCO with support from EveryChild and other partners will be able to achieve real and sustainable changes to how the government supports and promotes foster care, amongst other family support and family substitute services,” said Andro Dadiani, Director of EveryChild Georgia.
EveryChild Georgia and GFCO organized several meetings with ver 100 non-kinship foster carers in Tbilisi and Kutaisi. These meetings served as a forum for conveying the purpose, aims, structure and membership terms of the GFCO to its prospective members. Member recruitment and outreach efforts continue to date.
