Families Open Doors and Hearts to Parentless Children
Project moves children from institutions to foster homes
It’s the middle of the night and 5-year-old Amel is calling frantically for his mother.
“Please help me find a place to hide my shoes,” he begs when she arrives.
His mother sits on the bed and explains to him that he is no longer in the orphanage where children take each others possessions.
“You’re in your own home now and all your things are safe,” she reassures him.
 |
| Amel finds comfort with foster father, Esef Jusic |
Amel is one of four children who have been placed with foster families in the last six months through a project titled “Development of Alternative Forms of Care for Children Deprived of Parental Care in BiH”. Save the Children UK is implementing the initiative with the support of USAID/Bosnia-Herzegovina.
It is universally recognized that a family environment provides the best opportunities for the child’s full emotional, physical and intellectual development. No matter how good an institution might be, it cannot replace a family. Children who have grown up in institutions are more likely to show developmental delays, to fail educationally and to be ill-prepared for the outside world. Institutions do not help children become attached to a significant adult, which can have lifelong benefits in terms of their ability to develop trust in others.
Fortunately, Amel has found a home with foster parents who welcome his need for security and affection. According to his foster mother, Fatima Jusic, 48, Amel bonded instantly with her husband Esef, 56.
“Wherever his father is sitting, Amel is either in his lap or leaning on his arm,” she says.
But Fatima rejects the social workers’ teasing that she is jealous.
“When he wakes up at night, it’s me he comes to for a hug,” she says proudly.
Back to Top ^
|
