Today, social workers from Azerbaijan shared the results of a successful study tour to Turkey organized by the Consolidated Action for Sustained Changes (CASC) program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Save the Children. The goal of the tour, which took place from 15 to 19 August, was to strengthen collaboration between the Ministry of Education and local communities by developing stronger support for vulnerable children in Azerbaijan by observing best practices in Turkey in the sphere.

The study group of ten social workers was chosen from among 22 successful participants in a nine-month course for the re-qualification of professional staff of public children and family support institutions. They are now prepared to provide higher quality family support services.

Munavvar Ashrafova, Director of the Alternative Care and Monitoring Office of the Department of Deinstitutionalization and Protection of Children at the Ministry of Education, participated in the tour, and met with the General Directorate of Social Services and Boarding Schools of the Republic of Turkey. “This study tour for social workers who succesfully completed courses on Social Work is an important step towards learning the neighboring country’s experience in the field of child protection and its development in Azerbaijan to address the needs of vulnerable children and youth.,” noted Ms Ashrafova.

During their time in Ankara, group members visited several institutions providing child protection services, providing the opportunity to study firsthand Turkish child protection services and models. Participants also learned about services for people with mental disabilities and the Café Below project, which employs youth with disabilities. Overall, the study visit allowed child protection specialists from Azerbaijan to better understand the success of child protection services and the social welfare system in Turkey and to apply useful strategies in social work in their communities in Azerbaijan, ultimately allowing for better service provision to Azerbaijani children in need.

Implemented by Save the Children, the USAID CASC program has so far provided support to improve the lives of approximately 30,000 children and 8,000 families in Azerbaijan. One of the goals of the program is to provide technical assistance in the capacity-building of state residential care institutions to independently replicate and administer quality community-based child protection services.