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Family Like Care

Children without parental care grow up in a family feeling safe and dream about their future

 

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Strengthening Families

We strengthen care in Children's own families to prevent separation of children from their own families.

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Quality Care

We work with responsible authorities and partners to ensure that suitable care is provided to children in need.

 

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Protecting Children in Emergencies

We protect children and their families who are particularly vulnerable during the humanitarian emergencies.

 

Long Term Care

Building Stable, Loving Families for Children in Need

SOS Children’s Villages leads the world’s largest family care movement. We build families for orphaned, abandoned and other vulnerable children throughout the world. We work to ensure that all children, together with their siblings, have a loving family and an opportunity to reach their full potential. We nurture that essential feeling of belonging while looking after each child’s needs and aspirations.

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Prevention

Family Strengthening Programs

Our family strengthening programs empower families to overcome hardships. We strengthen families at risk of falling apart, giving them the support they need to grow stronger, stay together and keep their children safe. This comprehensive approach builds resilient families that go on to better their own lives and strengthen their communities.

Support a family

Quality Care

Every child deserves to grow up in a loving home

We promote and ensure quality alternative care. We work with governments, care professionals and other partners to help ensure that children's rights are fulfilled and every child has the best, most suitable care for their individual situation and needs.

SOS Children's Villages has provided quality alternative care in a family environment for almost 70 years. We always put the needs, individual development and best interest of each child at the centre of our work.

 

Pillars of SOS family care

 

  • We provide care and education to equip each child to face life’s challenges in the future.

  • ​We nurture a secure, loving and reliable relationship between the child and their parent or a primary caregiver.

  • We work with community partners to develop strong social support systems for children and families to develop, grow and learn in a positive, supportive environment.

  • We aim to provide the most appropriate care for each individual child.

  • We focus on the long-term development of each child. We listen to them, and encourage them to participate fully in their own personal development plan.

  • We aim to keep families together. Where this is not possible, we try our best to keep siblings together and to maintain connections with parents and relatives so long as those relationships are safe and supportive for the child.

 

Advocate for children's rights

We stand up for children and help to inform communities and decision-makers about children's rights. We encourage children to actively take part in the decision-making processes that affect their lives and, when possible, speak up for themselves and be heard.

 

The right to quality alternative care

For almost 70 years, SOS Children’s Villages has worked to help children who have lost parental care, or who are at risk of losing it. The UNCRC recognises that these children have special rights to protection and quality care under articles 20, 21 and 25.

Children who have lost or are at risk of losing parental care are among the most vulnerable people in our communities to violations of their human rights. We promote and are guided by the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care for Children to which SOS Children’s Villages made key contributions. The guidelines were adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2009 and serve as international standards to ensure that children without parental care, or at risk of losing it, are adequately protected and supported.

Protecting Children in Emergencies

Children are particularly vulnerable during humanitarian emergencies. In such situations, we put the protection of children and their families at the centre of our actions.

 

 

Emergency relief in humanitarian crises

In situations of war and disaster, children need specific protection and care. With our established global infrastructure, network of partners and trusted recognition as a reliable partner in quality care, we launch emergency response programmes for children and families who need urgent assistance. Our emergency response teams have helped children at risk in more than 160 humanitarian situations around the world.

 

Our principles

SOS Children’s Villages takes action in emergencies according to international humanitarian law and the Humanitarian Imperative. Our conduct in all aspects of emergencies is guided by the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. Learn more about our approach in our Emergency Policy.