Foster Families Meet in Cologne: A Home, A Hope

Foster families' experiences were shared, and a call was made for loving homes for children.

In Cologne, Germany, the importance of foster families was discussed at a special program held for June 30 Foster Family Day. At the event organized by the Family and Social Services Attaché Office of the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Cologne, foster families shared their experiences, and more families were called upon to undertake this meaningful responsibility.

The program, led by Rukiye Sancar, Attaché of the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Cologne, was attended by Cologne Consulate General Attachés Rukiye Sancar and Ferhat Sayın, DITIB Cologne Regional Union President Adem Onur, representatives of non-governmental organizations, foster families, and numerous guests.

The program began with a recitation of the Holy Quran

The program, where guests were welcomed with flowers, began with a recitation of the Holy Quran. At the event, a video message prepared by Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş for Foster Family Day was shown to the participants.

In her message, Minister Göktaş thanked foster families for providing children with love, trust, and family warmth, emphasizing that foster families play an important role in the formation of strong societies.

Göktaş stated that thanks to the Ambassadors of Goodwill Project, carried out under the patronage of Emine Erdoğan, foster family services have transformed into an important social solidarity model, and expressed her wish for more families to join this movement of kindness.

“Strong family is the foundation of strong societies”

Speaking at the program, DITIB Cologne Regional Union President Adem Onur greeted the participants, drawing attention to the importance of the family institution in society.

Cologne Consulate General Attaché Ferhat Sayın, in his speech, stated that the family is one of the most fundamental institutions of society.

Sayın, conveying the message “Strong families create strong societies,” stated that the Himaye-i Etfal (Child Protection) understanding, established in the early years of the Republic with the aim of protecting children, continues today with the foster family system.

Sayın stated that the Turkish community living in Germany makes significant contributions to the country with its strong family structure, and that being a foster parent means not only touching a child's life but also investing in the future of society.

“Being a foster parent is rebuilding a child’s life”

Rukiye Sancar, Attaché of the Consulate General of Cologne, who organized the event, reminded in her comprehensive presentation that Foster Family Day was declared with a Presidential Circular published in 2021.

Sancar stated that social awareness regarding foster families has increased with the Ambassadors of Goodwill Project, launched in 2012, and that many children have found safe and loving family environments to date.

Emphasizing that foster parenting is not just a care service, Sancar said that children's basic needs are trust, love, belonging, and feeling valued.

In her speech, Sancar made the following assessment:

“For a child, trust, love, a sense of belonging, and feeling valued are among the most fundamental needs. Foster families offer children not just a home; but also trust, hope, and the opportunity to believe in the future again. Being a foster parent is, in fact, rebuilding a child's life.”

Sancar also called upon Turkish citizens living in Germany, drawing attention to the importance of societal support for the greater recognition and widespread adoption of foster family services.

Foster families shared their experiences

The “A Home, A Hope: Foster Family Experience Sharing Panel” held within the scope of the program attracted great interest from participants.

During the panel, foster families shared how they made this decision, the initial bond they formed with the children, the challenges they faced, and the spiritual changes that becoming a foster parent brought to their own lives.

In the panel, which saw emotional moments, participants expressed that becoming a foster parent not only changes children's lives but also adds great meaning to the lives of the families themselves.

The program concluded with thanks to the panelists, a group photo session, and conversations among the foster families.