Samaher Saif Al Yazal
The charge in charge of overseeing the work of the Child Protection Center, Mr. Shabar, confirmed that social welfare institutions are one of the fundamental components of the social protection system, especially with regard to the care of children at risk, whose family, environmental or legal conditions threaten their physical, psychological or social safety, as these institutions constitute a safe haven for children. According to the definition of the organizational regulations of social welfare institutions, the Foundation is concerned with “sheltering children at risk, in which deposit or reservation decisions were issued in accordance with the provisions of the law and the executive regulations”, as it is committed to protecting, qualifying and integrating them, and achieving these goals depends on the efficiency of the institutional and administrative organization, which represents the backbone in ensuring the quality of care.
She explained that the organizational regulations of social welfare institutions represent an executive tool for the application of the provisions of the law of reformist justice for children and their protection from ill -treatment, and aims to set clear criteria for institutions management, define the responsibilities of their employees, ensure the achievement of the principles of protection, dignity and justice for children who are deposited and achieving the best interest for them. The regulations stipulated the competencies of the Foundation in the care and rehabilitation of children who were decided to deposit, and provide integrated services that include protection, psychological support, educational and vocational rehabilitation, and societal integration. It also defined the responsibility of the ministry in supervision and evaluation, which reflects the importance of the organizational structure in achieving the humanitarian and social goals of the law.
Based on the responsibility of the Kingdom of Bahrain in continuing to provide protection for these children, the organizational regulations of social welfare institutions, issued based on the law of reform justice for children and protecting them from ill -treatment and its executive regulations (Law No. 4 of 2021), stipulated a set of provisions and procedures regulating the work of these institutions.
She pointed out that the Ministry of Social Development, in its capacity as the competent authority, plays a pivotal role in implementing these regulations, through direct supervision of institutions, determining their competencies, and ensuring the application of professional and procedural standards in caring for children with them, as it plays a central role in organizing and managing care institutions. The ministry’s tasks include developing public policies, adopting organizational structures, monitoring performance, and providing the necessary human and technical resources to ensure the quality of care. The Ministry also takes responsibility for coordination between the concerned authorities, and monitoring the extent of the institution’s commitment to the rights of the child and protection standards, as these roles contribute to creating a supportive organizational environment, which enhances the quality of services provided by children at risk. Consequently, the effectiveness of social welfare institutions in protecting children at risk, rehabilitating and integrating them, depends on the efficiency of the institutional and organizational frameworks sponsored by the ministry, and works to develop them, which makes the analysis of “institutional and organizational impact” is a vital matter to understand the quality of the care provided and the areas of development in the light of legislation and national policies.
She stated that the institutional culture and the internal environment of the institution is not just a place to reside, but rather represents the alternative world in which the child lives in a sensitive period of his life. Therefore, an institutional culture based on respect, protection, and empowerment must prevail, rather than authoritarianism or punishment, and the values of participation must be enhanced, and the child is encouraged to express his needs and feelings, which contributes to building confidence between him and the institution.
She explained that the organizational regulations of social welfare institutions in the Kingdom of Bahrain reflect a profound understanding of the institutional role in continuing to promote the protection and qualification of children at risk, by emphasizing the organizational, technical, and humanitarian aspects of care, where the experience confirms that institutions that have a clear administrative organization, fair policies, qualified cadres, and rehabilitation programs based on continuous evaluation are the most able to achieve the positive impact And sustainable in the lives of these children. Accordingly, strengthening the institutional structure of care institutions must be at the heart of any policy or social reform to protect childhood.
Noting that the quality of care provided for children at risk in social welfare institutions depends mainly on the effectiveness of the institutional and organizational construction sponsored by the Ministry. The implementation of the organizational regulations and the activation of its provisions through administrative and professional frameworks is a major worker in protecting these children and ensuring their rehabilitation and integration into society. Therefore, the development of institutional performance is not only a legal necessity, but a national and moral commitment to a group of children in the sense of real and comprehensive care.
