Examining the influence of law 4538/2018 on foster care and child mental health outcomes within the greek child protection framework

The implementation of the Greek Law 4538/2018 concerning the social institution of children's fostering is examined. It is based on a doctoral thesis aimed at identifying the best practices in promoting the de-institutionalization of minors to improve their mental health. A mixed-method approach was used, beginning with a quantitative survey to the 59 Directors in Children’s Homes across Greece. 4 Children's Homes were found to be the exemplary child protection agencies in terms of fostering. The second phase of the quantitative research was carried out on their ongoing foster care cases. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 9 social workers who had undertaken these 16 children’s fosters care cases. The research revealed that long-term foster care for children between the ages of 4-6 is widespread and often foster care leads to adoption and contact with biological family remains rare. Overall, the research argues for the urgent need for designing a unified foster care protocol across Greece to ensure consistency and effectiveness in child protection services.