Türkiye's foster family program provides care to over 10,000 children

ANKARA

Some 10,657 children benefit from Türkiye’s foster family program under the Family and Social Services Ministry, according to official figures.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on June 30 took to social media to extend his greetings “to all the esteemed families who provide a protective wing for our children in need of care,” marking a national day for foster families.

“We will continue to stand by and support the families who provide our children with the peace and warmth of a loving home,” Erdoğan wrote on X.

First lady Emine Erdoğan also expressed her gratitude to foster families for their sense of responsibility, stating, “With your decision, you have turned every day for a child into a celebration.”

In her message, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş emphasized that all parents wishing to become foster families are warmly welcomed.

Through this model, foster families share with the state the responsibility of educating, caring for and raising children who cannot be cared for by their biological families. This initiative helps children prepare for life in a family environment.

The earliest foster family services in Türkiye date back to 1961, but the model gained greater momentum with the “Volunteers of the Heart Project,” launched with efforts by Emine Erdoğan on Dec. 19, 2012, aiming to ensure every child deprived of family care is given a loving home through a collaborative effort between the state and families.

Within the scope of family-centered social services, the foster family model has grown substantially. While in 2002 there were 515 children under the care of 500 foster families, as of May this year, 10,657 children are being nurtured in the warmth of 8,917 foster families, a data by the ministry said.

The system has also transformed the lives of children with various disabilities under state protection, as 1,191 children with special needs are currently living with foster families.

The highest number of foster families nationwide are found in Istanbul, the western province of İzmir, the capital Ankara, the central city of Kayseri and the southern province of Adana, respectively.