The role of children's homes in the social development of children in need of protection (Sample of Sakarya)

The issue of children in need of protection is a significant problem having existed within social policies from past to present. A child needs to be provided with physical, emotional, social, moral, academic and spiritual necessities to develop properly and become a healthy individual in future. Since man is a social being, family is the first institution which a child communicates with and whereby he/she gets supplied with basic needs. In case of a family's inability to take care of its child for various reasons, the problem of children needing for protection arises. The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services operates to let the child stay with his/her family in the first place and, if that is not possible, with foster parents; however, if that is not available either, the child is taken to the institution for care. The service of children's homes is practiced in order to contribute to the rapid socialization of children under protection and care and to let them move away from dorm life, feel the sense of belonging to a home and a district by learning neighbourhood relationship at apartments and localities. The children's dormitories and nurseries all around Turkey were closed down by year of 2018 and children's homes and sites of these homes were opened. This study investigates the influence of the model service of children's homes on the social development of children in need of protection through Sakarya sample. Quantitative and qualitative methodological techniques were employed in the study. The surveys applied on the children comprise quantitative part of the study. Analyses regarding the interrelationship between data were carried out by using SPSS 22.0 package programme. As for the qualitative part of the study, some interviews with the caring staff were performed and interpretations based on observation were made. With the obtained data, the opinions of children, who need protection and stay at children's homes, regarding these homes, as well as their peer relations, academic situation, psycho-social states and relationship with the neighbourhood and society were investigated; thereby, contribution of children's homes to children's social development and their processes of socialization was evaluated and some advices for the enhancement of the service were presented.