Prevention

Loving and caring family is crucial for a child’s physical, psycho-emotional and social development. The absence of a stable, protected family exposes children to multiple risk factors, making them vulnerable to violence, abuse, neglect, and discrimination. The main goal of the Family Strengthening Program is to help parents take responsibility and care for their children, so children can grow up in the most suitable environment - their own family.

The first Family Strengthening Program in Armenia was initiated by SOS Children’s Villages in 2006 in Gyumri, the center of Shirak region. Currently, FS programs are implemented in Yerevan city, Tavush, Kotayk and Shirak regions. The target group includes families with children under 18 years old in difficult life circumstances due to various risk factors which may bring to child abandonement. Annually, Family Strengthening Programs implemented by the Foundation provide services to approximately 3000 children and families.

In family strengthening, we work directly with families (direct family empowerment) and communities, local municipalities and national government to implement measures that prevent children and young people from losing parental care (community empowerment for family empowerment).

In our direct work with families we offer a range of services, such as:

Parenting workshops,
Psychological counselling and therapy,
Support in accessing social & health care service,
Providing parents with entrepreneurship and vocational training to help them become financially independent and get a stable income,
Access to education, including school fees, uniforms, learning materials, tutoring and after-school help,
Livelihood support (food, clothes, hygienic items etc.).

In community empowerment, we work with communities to strengthen existing social networks and structures for appropriate response to the needs of children and families in difficult life circumstances.