The rate of removal of children from their biological families is above average in our country; the Lighthouse Project aimed at prevention should be of help

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According to an analysis by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, there are about 28,000 children in foster care in the Czech Republic, which is an above-average number in the European Union. Every year, the number of children who grow up outside their biological family, whether they are in institutional care or in foster care, increases. Financial difficulties are a common reason for removing children. The number of people experiencing financial difficulties and living on the poverty line has recently increased. This has been influenced by the COVID pandemic, rising energy and food prices and inflation. For this reason, the Lighthouse Project was launched by the Tereza Maxová Foundation for Children together with ING Bank. The aim is to help socially vulnerable families and single parents; the long-term goal of the project is to support parents in need and prevent the unwanted removal of children from their families. Since the start of the project in 2022, 124 families have been helped.