“Most of the children who come to us have parents who are alive but cannot raise them. 98% of the sick are social orphans”, says Mr. Giorgos Protopapas “K”.CEO SOS Children’s Villages and a member, as announced yesterday, of the new board of directors”Ark of Peace“.

Having worked in the field for over 35 years child protectionhas knowledge of the needs of the child housed in the structure, since his biological family cannot raise him, but also protect him.

With regards to the operation of the juvenile accommodation facilities, which has been of concern lately, especially with what has come to light about the Ark of Peace, Mr. Protopapas elaborates that the facilities should be a stage. in the lives of children, and not in the center of their lives forever.

“Children, when they grow up, should go out, live their own lives and not return to the one who raised them. Is it healthy for a man to stay with his mother all his life?

He also strongly disagrees with the use of volunteers in guest care structures. “Children should be able to develop bonds and feel safe. Someone who works as a volunteer cannot make a commitment to provide what a child needs.”

According to Mr. Protopapas, children in SOS Villages live in much the same way as the rest of their peers. They have friends from school they can visit, in their first year of high school they get their first cell phone, they go to parties, and when they are old enough they hang out with their peers. “On the one hand, you can’t set limits, and on the other hand, you need to give things according to age,” he emphasizes.

underwriting

The CEO of SOS Children’s Villages also believes that the foster family is a tool for deinstitutionalization. “It is still early, but if the state supports it, things will go well. In addition, there are not so many children in children’s institutions. About 1,500 and half of them can’t go to underwriting for various reasons.”

We ask him if he also believes in professional fostering. “This is a lifesaver because you can protect the kids and control the system. At SOS Villages, each child costs 15,000 euros per year. Professional underwriting costs less. So it’s better for social workers to look after families and support them than to give money to institutions,” he concludes.