ANDREA GYARMATI - ANDREA RÁCZ
Expe iences o se ice and ca e planning in he child
p o ec ion sys em
Resea ch epo
Basically, he pe sonal needs o he child en de e mine wha kinds o se ices a e
needed and how hese se ices can p o ide adequa e answe s o he child’s p oblems.
As o he local ope a ion, i is based on less es ablished p o essional p inciples; he
se ice planning and p o ision has an ad hoc na u e and he e is no conscious
planning in he child p o ec ion. I is also unknown exac ly how he needs o he
se ice ecipien de e mine he ype o he se ices ha hey a e accessed o. Howe e
i is well known ha inden i ying di e en child en a ge g oups, and hen
de e mining adequa e answe s in hese cases a e he only e ec i e way o educe he
ex emely high a e o p ima y and seconda y e o s in social policy which is cu en ly
p esen ing in he domes ic sys em.
In he case o child p o ec ion sys em i includes how p o essionally es ablished he
p oposal o he placemen is; whe he he u iliza ion o he child p o ec ion se ice is
he adequa e answe o he child en’s need o he child en ge emo ed om he
amily only because he e is no a ailable se ice locally which can mee hei speci ic
needs.
Resea ch1, ha suppo he planning o he child p o ec ion sys em’s se ices and he
e ec i e alloca ion o he se ices, aims o wo k ou a amewo k which s a es on
wha p o essional p inciples and wi h wha me hods can he need o ca e and capaci y
assignmen be de e mined. The e o e he s udy p o ides a si ua ion analysis o
es ablishing a possible u u e capaci y moni o ing sys em. In o de o do i we had o
assess how planning o capaci y ha o de ed o he needs and de e mina ions o he
conc e e se ices esou ces a e done.
1 The esea ch made o he Na ional Ins i u e o Family and Social Policy TÁMOP 5.4.1-12. p ima y
p ojec . The esea ch in opic o : ”C ea ing su eys on he planning o social se ices and child
p o ec ion se ices and on he implemen a ion a mo e e icien alloca ion o se ice and ca e
p o ision.” is made in he wo kshop o Rubeus Associa ion
And ea Gya ma i, And ea Rácz: Expe iences o se ice and ca e planning in he child
p o ec ion sys em 259
The main ques ions o ou esea ch a e he ollowing: Wha de e mines he
de elopmen o he cu en capaci y? Is he planning o long- e m ca e conscious?
Wha a e hose needs o he child en which he sys em canno p ope ly deal wi h? I is
wo h es ablishing a capaci y moni o ing sys em?
Ou esea ch is based on ou pilla s: We examined he s a is ics made on child
p o ec ion on mac o le el, he concep ions o se ice planning made by he coun ies;
using ques ionnai e su ey we asked he main aine s and also we made indi idual
in e iews wi h ou decision make s and 3 g oup in e iews we e made wi h child
p o ec ion p o essionals.
In he ollowing we summa ize he main assignmen s o he inished esea ch.
S a is ics on child p o ec ion
Conside ing he child p o ec ion sys em as a whole, i has dual unc ion. Fi s ly, by he
basic se ices i p o ides se ices o child en and amilies in o de o p e en
endange men and o p omo e child en’s a ailabili y o be aised in hei own amily.
Secondly, h ough he child p o ec ion sys em i ies o p o ide amily-like ca ing
which can subs i u e amily o hose child en who we e emo ed om hei own
amilies.
The s uc u e o he child p o ec ion sys em consis s o wo le els: he child
p o ec ion is esponsible o he ecogni ion o endange men , on he second le el he
Coun y Child P o ec ion Agency’s ac i i ies aim o manage o keep he child in he
amily (o de s a amily ca e o he amily), i i is no possible, i ini ia es empo a y
placemen o he child. The Coun y Child P o ec ion Agency decides on he
empo a y placemen , decides he inal s a us o he child and also on he mos
app op ia e placemen , - o he la e he Regional Child P o ec ion Agency p o ides
assis ance.
In he ollowing, we highligh ed some ele an na ionwide ends in ega d o se ice
de elopmen adjus ed o he child en’s needs (du ing he pe iod o 1999-2010). These
ends can be ound in he Child p o ec ion s a is ics Guide (2010).
Among he da a ha ha e been collec ed abou he Child P o ec ion Sys em’s
ac i i ies, he e a e wo inpu indica o s which p esen he p ocess o needs: Child en
who we e egis e ed as endange ed and aken unde p o ec ion in he e e ence yea .
Since he dec ease ha had been up un il 2007, he numbe o hose child en who a e
endange ed o aken unde p o ec ion has been inc easing con inuously. The mos
p ominen causes o endange men a e inancial and beha iou al p oblems. As o he
la e , because o ha , he numbe o child en who became endange ed doubled
be ween 1999 and 2010. Howe e , i is impo an o emphasize ha he e is a la ge
a ia ion in he coun ies ega ding he de elopmen he numbe o child en who a e
endange ed o aken unde p o ec ion.
260 METSZETEK 2014/2. szám
In con as he numbe o ins i u ions and hei capaci y has been dec easing
con inuously, beside he change o he in e nal p opo ions. As o he in e nal
p opo ions, he e is a dec ease in he numbe o child en’s homes including a
ema kable dec ease in he numbe o special child en’s home. The e also a dec ease
in he numbe o mul i- unc ional ins i u ions and o he a e ca e homes. In con as
he numbe o apa men homes, special child en’s homes o disabled child en and
os e ca e ne wo k has been inc eased.
The o al o child en and young adul s who a e in long- e m ca e was 20999 in 2010,
9583 o hese child en and young adul s li ed in child en’s home and 1216 o hem
we e placed a os e pa en s. The numbe o child en who we e placed in child en’s
home has been inc easing con inuously. Th oughou he examina ion pe iod, he
numbe o placed child en was sligh ly below he pe mi ed capaci y.
The numbe o child en who we e placed in os e amily had been inc eased om
1991 o 2009, bu in 2010 i s a ed o decline. I s easons can be he gene al dec ease
in he numbe o child en, he change in he composi ion o he child en’s needs and
ha dship o mee ing he legal c i e ia o becoming os e pa en , which is – connec ed
o he economical decline – becoming inc easingly di icul . Vas majo i y o he
child en (80%) a e placed a adi ional os e pa en s. This hasn’ changed in he las
10 yea s.
As ega ds he dis ibu ion o he child en’s need o ca e, he e is di e ence be ween
hese child en who we e placed in child’s home and a os e pa en s. In os e ca e
gi ls, child en wi h special need and child en wi h men al disabili ies a e
o e ep esen ed, while he e mo e child en in child’s home who ha e special needs
(addic ed, psychia ic).
Rega ding he dis ibu ion ends acco ding o he child en’s age, he e is di e ence
be ween hose who a e aised in child en’s home and hose who we e aised in os e
ca e. The numbe o hose child en who a e aised in child’s home and unde 14 is
dec easing yea by yea , howe e he numbe o hose who a e be ween 15 and 17 is
inc easing con inuously i.e. child en ge in o child’s home a olde age inc easingly.
Howe e he numbe o child en who we e placed in os e ca e a younge age has
been inc easing s eadily.
Concep s o se ice planning
The concep s o social se ice planning is a documen , which es ablish he long- e m
de elopmen o se ice planning, de e mines he de elopmen al pu poses o he social
se ices and also de e mines hose guidelines which a e needed o he elabo a ion o
he de elopmen al p og ams.
Since 2001 he Social Ac obliges local au ho i ies o d aw up his documen and o
e iew i in e e y wo yea s. In he analysis we sea ched o he answe s o he
ollowing ques ions: Wha de elopmen al p io i ies appea in he a ailable se ice
planning concep ions? (...) A e he p o essional aspec s aken in o conside a ion
And ea Gya ma i, And ea Rácz: Expe iences o se ice and ca e planning in he child
p o ec ion sys em 261
du ing he planning? A e he child en’s needs explo ed and a e he de elopmen s
adjus ed o hese needs o a e o he aspec s ha e mo e emphasize?
A e analyzing he documen s we came o he conclusion ha he child p o ec ion, as
an indi idual ield o de elopmen , appea ed in mo e han he hal o he examined
coun ies (Budapes , Fejé , Vas, Ba anya, Tolna, He es, Nóg ád, Szabolcs-Sza má -
Be eg coun ies). Conside a ion o he local needs was mo e o less done du ing he
planning p ocess. The e a e local cha ac e is ics o example in Szabolcs-Sza má -
Be eg coun y, he special needs o oma child en was aken in o accoun ; and in
Budapes he impo ance o p omo ing Medical Child en Homes de elopmen .
Howe e only Vas coun y has de elopmen plan which is de ailed and ein o ced wi h
needs. I is exempla y how he child en’s needs we e aken in o conside a ion du ing
he se lemen o de elopmen al p io i ies.
Acco ding o he concep s i can be gene ally old ha he coun ies a e s uggling wi h
sho age o esou ces and i cause p oblem in he e e y-day main enance. In his
si ua ion he p ima y aim is o mee he s a u o y equi emen s, de elopmen is ha dly
possible.
Se ices adjus ed o he needs can only p esen whe e he e is a need-assessmen .
Howe e we didn’ mee any need-assessmen . A he same ime, he e’ e some
a emp s o es ima es, o example he membe o people wai ing, ends, o hey
calcula e he numbe o po en ial ecipien based on some kind o o mula. I we look
a he ends o u iliza ion, in mos coun ies he e is a decline in he long- e m ca e o
Child P o ec ion Sys em.
The esul s o he ques ionnai e su ey
Wi h a ques ionnai e su ey, ha was sen o he main aine s, we summa ized he da a
ega ding he headcoun o child p o ec ion ca e acco ding o he ypes o ca e. In
addi ion we ied o disco e he a i udes o he main aine s ega ding he capaci y
planning.
In he p epa a ion p ocession o he s udy plan we de e mined he collec ion o da a
o be na ionwide and o include all he main aine s ( inanced by he s a e, ci il
o ganiza ions o chu ches). Howe e we managed o succeed pa ly due o easons
beyond ou con ol. In addi ion he ques ions o he su ey e ealed ha o he
esponde s i was di icul o in e p e he e m o sibling line.
As o he headcoun da a, he ollowing conclusions we e made. The o al numbe o
allowed capaci y is 16261. The go e nmen al main aine s ha e 71% o he o al
capaci y. Howe e in case o he ypes o ca e, he capaci y dis ibu ion o he
main aine s is une en. Almos exclusi ely he s a e akes pa in he main enance o
special Child en’s home and also in unning special child en’s home o disabled
262 METSZETEK 2014/2. szám
child en place, while he chu ches a he un adi ional Child en’s home and os e
ca e places; and he ci ilian a e o e ep esen ed in unning ex e nal places and places
whe e he e a e p o essional os e pa en s; i ela es o he S.O.S. Child en’s illage
we e only p o essional os e pa en s a e employed.
Gene ally, all he ypes o ca e need a 30% enla gemen . In he cases o ce ain ypes
o ca e he necessi y o enla gemen is way bigge . The bigges demand o
enla gemen appea s in he cases o Special Child en’s home, Special In eg a ed
Child en’s home in a e -ca e, ex e nal places and in he numbe o places a
p o essional os e pa en s.
Wi h ques ionnai e on a i ude we would like o ind ou why he siblings a e placed
sepa a ely. Acco ding he ecei ed esponses, indeed he e a e some cases when he
siblings canno be placed in he same place o ca ing. E.g. i he child en’s ages a e
e y di e en ; i he e is a sho age o capaci y, o when he commi ee o expe s
decides i would be he bes in e es o he child en.
Acco ding o 2/3 ds o he esponden s, some imes i occu s ha he child en canno
be placed in he mos app op ia e om o ca e whe e hei indi idual needs could be
sa is ied en i ely. Only 2/3 d o he esponden s claim ha he e is consciousness in
he capaci y planning, only 1/3 d o hem ind i acciden al. In ela ion o he
es ablishmen o long- e m ca e, as he as majo i y old, in he las 5 yea s he
p ima y c i e ia was he de elopmen o os e ca e ne wo k due o some p o essional
and economic easons. Acco ding o he as majo i y o esponden s, mainly
commi ee o expe s decide on he placemen p ima ily, he cu en di ec ion o child
p o ec ion as in luencing ac o s seconda y as well as he opinion o long- e m ca e.
Financial aspec s ha e he leas in luen ial powe , acco ding o he main aine s.
Capaci y egis a ion is done elec onically in he 70% o he cases. Howe e one- hi d
o he main aine s do only pape -based egis a ion. A he same ime 82% o he
esponden s conside i o be impo an o es ablish a na ional egis a ion sys em o
capaci y, o which o he wise all he in o ma ion echnological and he a i udinal
condi ions a e me .
Opinions o decision-make s and p o essionals
A e o e iewing he cu en si ua ion and he p elimina ies ha lead o he cu en
si ua ion, he decision-make s who we e in e iewed highligh ed he gene al inancial
p oblems i s ly. In he cases o hose ins i u ions, which we e un by he go e nmen
be o e Janua y 2013, he unc ionali y o p inciples was es ic ed signi ican ly due o
he lack o inancial esou ces. Because o he e o s o each ope abili y he p essu e
o mee he p o essional c i e ia was pushed in o he backg ound. All he in e iewed
decision-make s ag eed on he iew ha a high-g ade di e en ia ion is equi ed in he

And ea Gya ma i, And ea Rácz: Expe iences o se ice and ca e planning in he child
p o ec ion sys em 263
long- e m ca e. De elopmen o os e ca e ne wo k is a bea i ic p ocession because i
c ea es oppo uni y o di e en ia ion o he sys em o apa men ’s home and
child en’s home, which is a p econdi ion o p o iding a mo e e icien way o mee
he needs o hose child en who ha e complex p oblems.
All he esponden s ag eed on ha moni o ing he capaci y o he ca ing sys em is
e y impo an . Collec ing and e alua ing he da e as p ecisely as possible a e essen ial
in o de o wo k ou a p o essional and conscious planning. A he same ime hey
also ag eed on ha his wo k would be ex emely complica ed and would equi e
signi ican esou ces which a e pa ly o no a ailable. One o he esponden s added,
in many cases o he ques ion line da a collec ion, he e isn’ app op ia e cul u e o
da a e ie al ha is a ailable; some imes he ques ions a e in e p e ed o ally
di e en ly and his makes he p ocessing o da a mo e di icul .
Abou he ela ionship be ween he pe mi ed and needed capaci y, he majo i y o he
esponden s ha e he opinion o ha he si ua ion is complex, he e a e ou s anding
di e ences egionally, bu o e all he main p oblem isn’ he lack o alloca ion o he
places, a he he u iliza ion. Se e al in e iewees also poin ed ou ha wi h he yea s,
he e a e mo e and mo e child en in he sys em who ha e special o dual needs, so
mo e places would be needed because aking ca e o hese child en would be isky i
hey a e among child en who ha e no mal needs. Acco ding o he esponden s, he
desi ed de elopmen di ec ion is he di e en ia ion o he capaci y in he os e ca e
ne wo k and in he ins i u ional ca e in o de o p o ide ca e as p o essional as
possible o hose child en who ha e special and unique needs. In cases o child en
wi h dual needs, he mos u gen issue is he lack o place which could p o ide
adequa e se ices. F om he answe s i u ned ou ha in he decision-make iew he
p ima y di ec ion o de elopmen could be he de elopmen (and di e en ia ion) o
os e ca e ne wo k; and because o i he e would be an inc ease in capaci y o
ins i u ional places so hey could be specialized.
The e a e signi ican di e ences be ween he op imal ope a ion (based on p o essional
p inciples and appoin ed by s a u o y egula ions) and he ac ual condi ions. As he
esponden s claimed, i occu s ha du ing he p ocess o placemen and he se ice
p o ision a he place o ca e he pe o mance doesn’ mee he expec a ions. Se e al
o hem men ioned he lack o heal h ca e and emphasize he need o a egula co-
ope a ion wi h child en’ psychia ic and addic ology o child en, o which he
p esen es ablishmen is insu icien .
When i comes o de e mine he di ec ion o de elopmen i ’s absolu ely necessa y o
econside he issue o quan i a i e and quali a i e alloca ion o he places also he
logic o capaci y managemen and inance. I ’s an impo an p inciple ha he sys em
shouldn’ ha e only he su icien quan i y o places, a e an assessmen o he needs
and demands; i also should be able o assign special, di e en ia ed se ice con en s.
264 METSZETEK 2014/2. szám
The sys em shouldn’ use i s capaci y 100%, because i is impo an o ha e places in
o de o a c isis si ua ion and o hose placemen s ha canno be p edic ed in o wa d.
Summa y
Based on he esul s o he esea ch i can be concluded ha he capaci y in he long-
e m ca e on child p o ec ion is dec easing, he in e nal p opo ions a e dis o ed, and
he e a e la ge inequali ies egionally and also he ype o main enance. The planning
becomes complica ed because o he con inuously changing legal amewo k and he
anomalies a ising om he logic o inancing. The ques ionnai e-based esea ch
showed ha each ype o ca e need an a leas 30% enla gemen . In cases o ce ain
ypes o ca e he si ua ion can be called c i ical ( he placemen o child en who ha e
special and unique needs is no sol ed).
We summa ized he esul s in i e main poin s, using quo es om one o he
in e iewee:
1. The planning o he child p o ec ion sys em’s capaci y is cu en ly
acciden al. The inancial amewo k o en o e ide he p o essional
p inciples: “All ypes o inancing a emp s /ini ia ed by he local au ho i ies/ i.e. how o
pu oge he ce ain se ices o en o e ide he p o essional p inciples. And hese ha e bee
un a ou ably a ec ed he local se ices.”
2. The exis en capaci ies a e no in consonance wi h he child’s needs.:
“... when a child ge s in o ca e, he Child P o ec ion Expe Commi ee
decides wha ype o place would be he mos op imal o ha child. I would
be a lie o say ha he placemen only up o his. Nowadays, a lo o
comp omises ha e o made, ha ype o place will he commi ee sugges
which is a ailable.”
3. The es ablishmen o ca e is une en egionally. “The e a e coun ies,
whe e almos e e y ype o ca e can be ound, and he e a e coun ies whe e
he numbe o ce ain ypes o ca e is e y small.”
4. The e isn’ enough place o child en who ha e special and unique
needs. The e’ e mo e and mo e special needs so we need mo e and mo e
special place. (...) Nowadays, one o he bigges challenges is o mee he
needs o child en wi h dual needs, because hese child en (o en disables and
wi h se e al psychological symp oms) o en p y apa he ins i u ional
bounda ies.
5. The e is a g ea need o a capaci y moni o ing sys em. “we should see
exac ly ha whe e, wha can be ounded and wha kind o need we ha e o
mee .”
And ea Gya ma i, And ea Rácz: Expe iences o se ice and ca e planning in he child
p o ec ion sys em 265
Re e ence
Gye mek édelmi s a isz ikai Tájékoz a ó, 2010. (sze k. Papházi, Tibo ) Budapes ,
Nemze i Család- és Szociálpoli ikai In éze , 2012. ( [Child p o ec ion s a is ics
Guide, 2010]