Essentially a prevention program to forestall the disintegration of families and prevent children at risk from engaging in risky behavior, the goal of the FDP is to build the capacities of parents to care for children, provide for their needs and protect them from harm.
The mass migration from rural to urban centers like Cebu City has led to the breakdown of traditional family support systems. The shift from close family ties that serves as a source of cohesion and identity for its members to one whose support systems are weakened and fragmented has made the situation difficult, particularly for children. The family development program targets families at risk to work with family development workers on identifying strengths, addressing challenges and looking at resources within the community to help solve problems and achieve a sense of stability. It is based on the following principles:
• The family develops a partnership with the family development worker (FDW);
• The FDW helps the family assess its needs and strengths on an on-going process for a six-month period;
• The family sets its own major goals and smaller targets to reach their major goals, and identifies solutions for reaching them;
• The family learns and practices skills needed to become resilient and more self-reliant;
• The family uses basic services available within the community as stepping stones to achieve little successes and eventually reach bigger goals
The Family Development Program of the Share A Child is implemented in partnership with InterAide, a French non-government organization, and its local office STEPS which provides technical support to the Share A Child team of workers.
