Koç Üniversitesi minik yürekler projesinin kurumda kalan korunmaya muhtaç çocuklar üzerindeki etkileri

Although institutions are one of the most common ways to look after needy children, the children in institutions often experience socio-emotional deprivation and even material deprivation in some institutions (MacLean, 2003; Smyke et al., 2007). Early deprivation that the children in institution experience may have effects on five different areas of development which are social development, language development and communication, emotional development, fine-motor coordination, and cognitive development (Giese & Dawes, 1999).The goal of the present study is to assess the trajectory of change of the social, emotional, motor and language development of the institutionalized children visited weekly by the volunteers of Koç University Minik Yürekler Project (KUMYUP).The sample of the present study consists of 16 children between 12 and 36 months old currently residing in the Bahçelievler Child Protection Center. The control group consists of 12 children in the same age group currently residing in institutions in Kocaeli and Bursa.In order to analyze children?s development, Ankara Developmental Screening Inventory was administered two times as a pre and post test. Also systematic observation for three months in each institution was made by the researcher.The results indicate that children who were weekly visited by the volunteers scored significantly higher in general development and social development areas of Ankara Developmental Screening Inventory. There were not statistically significant differences between the pre and post test scores for language development, fine motor development and gross motor development.Based on the findings of the study, some policy recommendations about institutionalization are made.