Derya Yanık, Minister of Family and Social Services, stated that 1362 unaccompanied children in the provinces affected by the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş were registered in the Ministry system, and 369 of these children were identified, matched and delivered to their families.
Minister Yanık visited 15 earthquake survivors who were brought to Ankara by plane belonging to the Presidency and treated at Etlik City Hospital.
Making statements to the journalists after the visit, Minister Yanık said that 0 earthquake victims, aged 1-15, from Adana and Mersin, were brought to Ankara, and that there did not appear to be any problems with the children who were in safe hands.
Burning information about the unaccompanied earthquake victims under the control of the Ministry continued as follows:
“Currently, we have 1362 children registered with us as the Ministry, they are unaccompanied. Of these, 1362 of our children registered in the system so far, 369 of these children, their families were identified, matched and delivered to their families. This work is important to us. We hope to deliver our children to their families in the coming period. We are working for this. The number of children followed in the hospital is 792. The number of children we recruited to the institutions of our Ministry is 201. We have identified the identities of 1071 of these children.”
Minister Yanık stated that after the applications they received, they tried to determine the identities of the children in unity with the Ministry of Health.
Stating that the identities of 291 children have not been determined yet, and the studies on these are continuing, Minister Yanık said:
“First of all, our first sensitivity, the first condition we try to provide, of course, is the provision of their health or health services regarding the children who are treated in health institutions and hospitals from the earthquake zone, as well as those we take to our institutions. Afterwards, we already provide care and surveillance services in our institutions, and then, if their identities are unknown, identification is made, and if there are families or relatives, if there are family relatives who can undertake the care and supervision of our children, we immediately transport our children to their families and bring them together with their families. If not, we continue to provide their care and supervision in our institutional care.”
“We are facing an enormous shower of compassion”
Minister Yanık stated that he wanted to share some information about foster family and adoption in order to avoid some misunderstandings or incomplete information.
Pointing out that the desire for foster family or adoption is quite intense at the moment, Minister Yanık said:
“As I have always stated, it is a matter that I have determined by being very impressed and very emotional, it is a matter that we all know in fact. Our nation puts into practice a truly extraordinary performance, an extraordinary support mechanism when solidarity is needed. As a matter of fact, we are faced with a tremendous shower of compassion for our children in the earthquake zone. As a citizen of this country and as a member of this nation, I am really impressed by this support and intensity. We are extremely happy to know that our children are in this social protection shield. However, I have to share this. The foster family system is, of course, a mechanism that we, as the Ministry, highly encourage, highly recommend, and bring to the attention of the public again in this process. However, there are certain processes related to our children coming from the earthquake zone.
First and foremost, children should be identified once if their identities are not known. Two, to reunite with family members if they are alive. In other words, it is not possible for us to take any action without identifying our children without calling their families, finding their families. Secondly, as of this period, we do not have a practice of taking care of it, taking care of it, taking care of it in the acute period of 3 months, 5 months, 1 month, and then directing it back to institutional care or various alternative care models. Sometimes, our citizens make periodic care offers on the assumption that maybe there is a need in this acute period. We thank them very much. However, we, as the Ministry, as institutions and organizations, have the means and infrastructure to ensure the care and supervision of all our children. Therefore, we do not, and cannot, choose to transfer a periodic maintenance obligation to our citizens. I would like to express this by emphasizing it.”
“Our children are in safe hands”
Minister Yanık said, “As the third stage, if we have identified the children, there are no family members, and our children that we should take into institutional care and state protection, including our children from the earthquake zone, have entered into the normal foster family system, where necessary examinations and follow-ups are carried out. And of course, we can bring our children together at the point of fostering with our families who are approved to be a foster family. But for this, first of all, we need to determine whether all of these children have families and whether it is possible for them to return to their families.” said.
Pointing out that it is not possible to meet the demands of the citizens, no matter how well-intentioned and how much their desires are, Minister Yanık said, “Our children are in safe hands. They are in safe hands both in our hospitals and in our institutions and organizations. Our children are the trust of this nation. Therefore, we will look at that trust as our own eyes, and we will continue to look at it.” he said.
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