Alternative Care of Children without Family in Hungary

This study examines the current Hungarian child protection system and its future challenges, also presenting the most important qualitative results of the research entitled “Is the state a good parent?” It explores the function of this system to satisfy needs in relation with the legal changes of recent years; it highlights the way how the system can respond to children’s needs; it examines the extent to which structural problems and functional deficiencies impede the processing of traumas experienced by children within their family and when taken away from their family; and the extent to which it provides support in developing children’s resilience and in becoming successful adults. Research results show that for increasing efficiency in the working of the Hungarian child protection system it is important to rethink the functions of the system and to thematize the children's needs. Results show the need for a much reflexive and goal oriented planning and service providing in the Hungarian context.

Keywords: Hungarian child protection system, individual needs, processing trauma and supporting resilience, system hiatuses and future directions