Minister Göktaş emphasized the importance of the Volunteer Ambassadors Project

Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş attended the Foster Family Awareness Program with Volunteer Ambassadors held in Istanbul. In addition to Minister Göktaş, Istanbul Deputy Governor Serap Özmen Çetin, Governor Davut Gül's wife Gülden Gül, female muhtars and foster families were also present at the program.

Speaking at the program held at the Neslişah Cultural Center in Fatih, Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said, "Every child deserves to grow up with love and in a safe family environment. Foster family service is one of the most important solutions for our children who cannot experience this with their biological families for various reasons. This model actually dates back to very old times in our culture. The spirit of 'taking care of the neighbor's child' is a systematic form of the tradition of 'taking care of the orphan of a relative'. Thanks to foster family, our children who are far from their biological families are given a warm home and loving hands. We receive the greatest support on this path from Honorable Emine Erdoğan."

"With the "Heart Ambassadors Project" today, 8,876 families have become homes of compassion for 10,617 children."

Providing information about the number of foster families, Minister Göktaş said, "With the 'Heart Envoys Project' carried out under his auspices, today 8,876 families have become a home of compassion for 10,617 of our children. While 515 of our children were in foster families in 2002, this number has now reached 10,617 thanks to this heart mobilization. Istanbul is our source of pride because 1,164 families in Istanbul are fostering 1,282 of our children. The Heart Envoys Project was evaluated as a promising project by UNICEF. We introduced this project to the entire world at the 79th United Nations General Assembly in September. We introduced this project to our heart envoys, First Ladies, and other ministers from all over the world, as well as to the host UNICEF. UNICEF cites the Turkish model as an example of good practice. And we called for mobilization on a global level in this regard. In addition, our foster family model has been implemented in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. "It is a model that is directly implemented today. These countries have begun to implement our foster family model in their own countries. In this sense, your efforts have become a universal message that touches not only the children's but also the common conscience of humanity," he said.

Minister Göktaş, who also mentioned the issue of peer bullying that has been on the agenda recently, said, "One of the risks is peer bullying, which has been on the agenda frequently lately. I would like to use this program to create some awareness about peer bullying for you. According to TÜİK data, approximately 14 percent of children between the ages of 6-17 are exposed to peer bullying. This rate is 27 percent, especially for children who have difficulties in areas such as seeing, hearing and learning. This is a very serious picture that worries us all. As the Ministry, we are working to create safe spaces for our children at school, at home and in the digital world. On the other hand, we are addressing needs ranging from family relationships to economic difficulties, from education to psychosocial support from a holistic perspective."

"We aim to increase the number of foster families we reach in Istanbul by 25 percent."

Addressing women, Minister Göktaş said, "The population density and diversity of Istanbul imposes on us the responsibility of developing more innovative models. We aim to increase the number of foster families we reach in Istanbul by 25 percent by 2025. I sincerely believe that we will reach this goal with your efforts and our foster family network. Are you in?" A foster mother who spoke at the program could not control her emotions and cried. Şeyma Danışman, 28, who grew up in a foster family, drew attention to the importance of foster families by talking about her life. İHA

Editor: News Center