Current Situation
Alternative Care System
The concept of “Alternative Care” is used to refer to different types of short-term or long-term care, informal or formal, that children benefit from.
Children in Turkey are protected under law 5395 and enjoy various rights under law 2828. A child raised under protection refers to a child whose care and protection are provided by the state as these can’t be provided by his parents for various reasons.
Children under protection in Turkey benefit from institutional care and family-based care models. Institutional care organizations are referred to as foster homes, love homes, children homes; family-based care models include support for biological families, foster care and adoption practices. However, under informal care that is not registered, there are also children who are cared for alongside relatives or acquaintances.
Children who are under protection for at least 2 years and who benefit from the social service models of the Ministry of family and Social Services, are employed as civil servants in the public sector. They can also be employed in the private sector with government support for 5 years and can benefit from social economic support for 2 years after the protection decision is lifted.
When the child turns 18, the protection decision is removed when it is considered that there is no situation that requires the continuation of the protection decision. According to the legislation, the abolition of the protection decision at the age of 18 is not a mandatory practice. Young people who do not feel ready for the transition to individual life also have the right to request protection after the age of 18. Decisions to protect individuals who attend higher education continue throughout the educational processes.