'Promise for Companionship'... Gyeongnam Province Develops Reunification Program for Abused Children and Families

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Ju-cheol In] Gyeongsangnam-do announced that it has developed the Gyeongnam-style family reunification program "Promise for Companionship" to support the recovery of families of abused children and will implement it starting from the 2nd.

The number of reported child abuse cases in Gyeongnam has reached 1,784 as of the end of July, increasing every year. In particular, the proportion of re-abuse cases among abused children is also rising.

Accordingly, the province developed its own family reunification program based on the Ministry of Health and Welfare's home return operation guidelines, providing education on child abuse prevention for abusive parents, proper parenting methods according to the child's age characteristics, and emotional counseling.

For abused children, the program aims to raise awareness of their rights and improve self-defense abilities so they can wisely cope with crises such as re-abuse.

This program focuses on ensuring that abused children successfully reunite with their families and do not re-enter the institutional care system.

To this end, based on psychological test results of children and parents, the program was developed as a case management program that includes sufficient preparation for returning to the original family, changes in parental parenting attitudes, practicing not letting anger lead to abuse, fostering positive attitudes toward family (emphasizing family strengths), and providing professional services for children and families.

Children and parents undergo mutual adaptation exercises such as visits, family outings, and overnight stays, progressing through stages of family function recovery.

Lee Sang-hoon, Director of the Women, Family and Child Bureau, said, "Successful reunification of abused children with their original families is not an easy task, but it is important to prioritize the child's right to be protected by their parents," adding, "We will ensure this program becomes established as one that supports the recovery of families of abused children by bringing about changes between parents and children."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.