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This article describes the changes in institutional care in the Czech Republic that were ushered in with the acceptance of the law on the execution of institutional or protective upbringing in 2002. Particularly, it describes the new types of care that emerged after the adoption of this new law, including diagnostic institutions, children's homes, children's homes with school, educational institutions, and more. The article also describes efforts underway in the country to help youth aging out of care to transition to independent living. This includes halfway houses and…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Experiences of abuse and violence have devastating consequences for children, and in some cases, these consequences are lifelong. Loss of trust, feelings of rejection and abandonment, trauma, fear, anxiety, insecurity, and shattered self-esteem are just some of the impacts of ill-treatment on the wellbeing of children. Consequences are far-reaching, extending well into adulthood, and they include increased prevalence of mental health issues, a higher likelihood of experiencing violence from a wider range of perpetrators and high socio-economic impacts and costs. Further,…
Abstract
In the event of the breakdown of the original family, institutional care has for many decades been the preferred alternative to family substitute care or aid to the original family. The origins of this practice can be traced to the 1950s, when foster families were cancelled by the communist regime and the ideology of collective upbringing triumphed. The objective of this essay is to determine how substitute child care in the Czech Republic has changed in the last ten years. The unfortunate practice of giving preference to institutional care in the event of the breakdown of the…
Despite the development of alternative forms of care, international and domestic pressures for change, and over 20 years of efforts at deinstitutionalization, the Czech Republic has one of the highest rates of institutionalization of children in Europe. The continuing reliance upon residential care for children by the child protection system, particularly for children who are disabled or of Roma descent, demonstrates a case of "path dependency" in which a solidification of the system’s response is rooted in its past. This article aims to provide an understanding of the historical…
Over the past five years, the number of children in the Czech Republic returned from institutional care to their biological parents has increased by one-third.
Czech bishop calls government's preference for foster care "completely unrealistic".