Alžbeta Brozmanová Gregorová, Danka Žilinčíková a kol.

INTRODUCTION

“A child abandoned by parents after birth is not a charity object, but a citizen of the Slovak Republic and the European Union with full rights like everyone else, and therefore also with the right to life in a family, in a loving environment, with the right to equal opportunities for a quality life.” The World Health Organization considers child abandonment after birth to be the first violence committed against a child. Therefore, it should be prevented, and if it happens, therapeutic help in the form of individualized personal care by a child-sensitive person should be provided to the child immediately.

The presented publication is the result of collaboration between several experts providing social, psychological, and therapeutic services for children and families at risk. Its aim is to increase awareness among both professional and lay audiences about selected aspects accompanying child abandonment and risk of pregnancy and thereby contribute to the prevention of child abandonment and improve services and interventions in this area, directed toward women in danger during pregnancy.

The publication covers selected social, psychological, and legal aspects related to child abandonment, presents information on European and Slovak perspectives on this topic, presents the results of research findings and a model of service networking for pregnant women in danger in the city of Banská Bystrica—the Network of Help for the Pregnant Woman in Danger (Za)chráňme Kukulíka. It is supplemented with examples from practice.

The publication is intended for professionals, students and students of helping professions, but also for the general public. We believe it can serve as an inspiration and guide in the development of services in this field.

Editors

CONTENTS

  1. The importance of the mother-child relationship in the early stage of development (Jana Gottierová)

  2. Child abandonment and vulnerability of young children as a topic for the social sphere – inspirations from Europe and Slovakia (Danka Žilinčíková)

  3. Child abandonment and its prevention – selected findings from European research (Vladislav Matej)

  4. Measures of the social and legal protection authority and social guardianship in the interest of the abandoned child (Alexandra Kubaliaková)

  5. Abandoned child in the city of Banská Bystrica – analysis of research findings (Alžbeta Brozmanová Gregorová)

  6. History and causes of the development of the Banská Bystrica Network for Help to the Pregnant Woman in Danger (Za)chráňme Kukulíka (Danka Žilinčíková)

  7. Case studies from practice of the Banská Bystrica Network for Help to the Pregnant Woman in Danger (Za)chráňme Kukulíka (Katka Paľovová and Danka Žilinčíková)

Editors: PhDr. Alžbeta Brozmanová Gregorová, PhD. Mgr. Danka Žilinčíková

Authors: PhDr. Alžbeta Brozmanová Gregorová, PhD. PhDr. Jana Gottierová Mgr. Alexandra Kubaliaková Mgr. Vladislav Matej Mgr. Katarína Paľovová Mgr. Danka Žilinčíková

Reviewers: prof. PaedDr. Anna Hudecová, PhD. doc. PaedDr. Tatiana Matulayová, PhD.

Language editing: PaedDr. Zuzana Bariaková, PhD.

Published by: Pedagogická fakulta UMB, Návrat, občianske združenie a Sieť pomoci tehotnej žene v ohrození (Za)chráňme Kukulíka

Year of publication: 2012

ISBN 978-80-557-0389-3 (print version) ISBN 978-80-557-0390-9 (electronic version)