Families at risk and child protection in time of crisis

Children rearing and wellbeing in Greece has been deeply affected by the bailout program agreed between Greece and the IMF-EU-ECB, which causes dramatic growth of unemployment, poverty, inequality, racism and of social... [ view full abstract ]

Children rearing and wellbeing in Greece has been deeply affected by the bailout program agreed between Greece and the IMF-EU-ECB, which causes dramatic growth of unemployment, poverty, inequality, racism and of social disorganization.
Considerable numbers of the traditional middle-class strata (self-employed, small entrepreneurs, public sector employees) decimated and sunk into the ranks of the new poor. In 2014, official unemployment is 27%, and between youth it is 60,4% (Hellenic Statistical Authority, 2014), while only about 20% of the unemployed get a slim benefit for a period up to 12 months maximum, depending on the time worked before unemployment. Health, insurance and welfare provision has collapsed under the acute pressure for the public cost reduction, while pensions reduction and massive youth immigration has weakened the existed "family based" welfare.
Complete overthrow of the life conditions and social values affect mental health by weakening the protective factors that contribute to its development and maintenance (accessibility to adequate resources, safety, dignity) and by increasing the high risk factors (job insecurity, unemployment, increasing social inequality, poverty, social exclusion, criminalization about the situation, particularly of vulnerable groups, the inability to control one's life and uncertainty about the future) for the occurrence of interfamily violence, child neglect and abuse, and mental disorders. Last three years there is a dramatic increase of out-home care provision.
This paper traces pressing priorities for specific clinical-family crisis, and foster care interventions, and community interventions in schools and neighborhoods and for particular action recommending and policies targeted to preventing children vulnerabilities and to compacting poverty and educational, health inequalities.