More than 20 thousand children live in state child protection today in Hungary. A part of family break-ups could be prevented by getting help in time. Illness, death, loss of work or housing can easily stagger a well-functioning family, sometimes the parents are temporarily unable to take care of their children.

The family supporting programme of SOS Children’s Villages offers help for families in this period, aiming to reduce the number of children taken to child protection.

„We put children in temporary family homes if necessary, while we are helping their parents, for example, handling their conflicts, addiction, searching for job, elaborating daily routine for child care, or ameliorating housing conditions.” SOS professional manager, Léna Szilvási said about the programme.

During the campaign period in October up till 15th of November, SOS collects virtual handprints on the website of the foundation. Dr. Oetker gives 500 Ft for each handprint to foster the family supporting programme of the organisation.

„I see disintegration anywhere I look in our world. The world around us lacks axle for a lot of things we believed in cannot give enough support and safety in our lives any more. What else could remain as a point of reference, a kind of nurturing well in our lives, than family? As a family venture, we believe in the holding force of family. That is why we gladly support again the campaign of SOS Children’s Villages.

In the short fims, Iván Kamarás is talking about how one can lose his child because he suddenly lost his housing. Dénes Száraz and Ildikó Csizmadia are portraying a married couple who had to arrange their lives before they could reunite as a family. The face of the campaign is Győző Szabó.

SOS Children’s Villages offer family for about 400 children through its network of foster parents and children’s villages. The particularity of the children’s villages is that the children can grow up with their siblings and foster parents as a family.

Supporters of the programme can give their virtual handprints until the 15th of November on the website of the foundation: https://www.sos.hu/keznyom

Photo: Egyed Péter (BFZ) and Tóth Milán (Polgár Judit)