Social Services in the Field of Child Welfare: International and Local Practices, and the Necessity to Establish a Social Work Institution for Child Welfare in Azerbaijan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15678/PG.2025.72.2.01Keywords:
child welfare, social work, early intervention, child protection, family support, AzerbaijanAbstract
Objective: The aim is to compare Azerbaijan’s child welfare architecture with selected international practice (Canada) and to assess system gaps, producing actionable policy proposals for institutionalising social work in child welfare.
Research Design & Methods: Comparative qualitative content analysis of national/international laws, strategies, and administrative reports (UNICEF Azerbaijan, 2023; Social Services Agency Azerbaijan, 2024a, 2024b; TABIB/ UNICEF patronage model files; Ministry of Education “Social Work in Education”) with basic descriptive statistics compiled into tables/figures. Coding covered 5 themes: protection; prevention/early intervention; family support; alternative care; institutional capacity.
Findings: Coverage remains narrow: e.g. “home-visiting patronage” has reached ~2,000 families; “Schoolchild’s Friend” flagged 3,494 crisis cases with 2,712 referrals completed; 11,872 initial assessments in 2024 identified 1,035 children at risk; repatriation since 2018 totals 544 persons (the majority being children). Preschool enrolment gains (+17 pp ≈ +94% relative) still leave most 1–5-years-old children outside early education.
Implications / Recommendations: Addressing the challenges in Azerbaijan’s child welfare system requires a systemic and sustainable reform strategy centred on the institutionalisation of social work. Integrating professional social workers across education, health, and social protection under a unified legal and policy framework is crucial for effective service delivery. Expanding early childhood and preschool services through nationwide home-visiting and inclusive education programmes will enhance equitable access and early intervention. Embedding social workers in schools can shift the focus from crisis response to prevention, fostering stronger family engagement. Reforms should also prioritise the modernisation of case management and risk assessment through digitalised systems and the development of specialised services for vulnerable children. Adopting a comprehensive Child Welfare and Social Work Law – aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child – as well as strengthening professional education and training will ensure a competent and sustainable workforce. Stable public funding, transparent monitoring, and strong accountability mechanisms are vital to achieve long-term effectiveness. Overall, institutionalising social work is both a strategic and moral imperative for building an inclusive, rights-based, and sustainable child welfare system in Azerbaijan.
Contribution / Value Added: We propose a staged institutionalization of social work: (1) nationwide ECD-SW (0–5) teams; (2) statutory school social work; (3) integrated case management across SSA–health–education–justice; (4) community foster care expansion; (5) data & M&E ba
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