Volunteering as a component of social work in the area of child welfare

The subject of this study is the investigation of the volunteering activities on the basis of the fundamental principles and universal ethical values of social work profession and discipline, via the active volunteers in the area of child welfare carried out by non-governmental organizations. The main focus of the study is to see whether the social work activities carried out by the volunteers coincide with the universal ethical principles and values of the profession and to assess the basic knowledge needed by the volunteers to carry out their activities according to the standards of practice. The study aims to describe and examine this relation. The survey is conducted in Istanbul with volunteers working in non-governmental organizations carrying out activities in the area of child welfare. In accordance with the problem and the aim of the survey, in terms of the scanning method with quantitative data, a quantitative and descriptive design is preferred. By way of questionnaires designed in this context, 106 non-governmental organizations were contacted, with positive responses coming from 36 of them, 150 volunteers are reached. According to the socio-demographic results of the study, it turns out that the volunteers are generally composed of women, young and early middle-aged adults, well-educated individuals, low-income earners, students, retirees, and private sector employees. Their main motivations for volunteering are "(that it is) a necessity of humanistic ethics" and "for feeling good". Among the expected returns of voluntary work "acquisition of knowledge and skill" and "fulfilling a civic duty" are of top priority. In general, volunteers' awareness on the principles and values of the social work profession and their basic knowledge about the field are limited or partial. Keywords: volunteering, social work, and volunteering as a component of social work, child welfare, volunteering in the area of child welfare, to volunteer, volunteering activities.