Problem addressed
Families with experience of forced migration often live under conditions of prolonged stress, uncertainty and emotional overload, which affect family relationships, parenting roles, the well-being of children and adults, and their capacity to adapt to new social and institutional environments. Experiences of trauma, loss and disruption of previous life structures impact the family as a system, with difficulties faced by individual members reinforcing one another.
At the same time, existing support systems are often fragmented, sector-based and focused on individual problems, which limits their effectiveness in working with the family as a whole. There is a lack of integrated, flexible and trauma-informed solutions that strengthen family resources, support the rebuilding of safety and agency, and facilitate long-term social integration.
Innovative solution
The FAMILY solution represents a social innovation as it introduces an integrated, systemic support model in which the family – rather than the individual – is the central subject of intervention. The programme combines biopsychosocial, systemic, resource-oriented and trauma-informed approaches into a single, coherent framework, addressing the complex and interrelated needs of families with experience of forced migration.
The innovativeness of the solution also lies in its modular and flexible programme design, which allows support pathways to be tailored to the specific situations, resources and readiness of families. FAMILY integrates activities addressed to children, adults and families as a whole, avoiding the fragmentation typical of existing support systems.
An additional innovative element is the iterative model of programme development, based on piloting, implementation research and the systematic use of data to refine the solution. As a result, FAMILY is not a static programme but an adaptable model that can be transferred and replicated across different institutional and national contexts.
Key results and benefits
A key result of implementing the FAMILY programme is the strengthening of the capacity of families with experience of forced migration to adapt, recover and function sustainably in new social conditions. The programme contributes to improved emotional well-being of children and adults, increased feelings of safety, and greater stability in the functioning of the family as a system. Family relationships, communication, parenting competencies, and skills related to emotional regulation and coping with stress are strengthened, helping to reduce the escalation of crises and psychosocial overload.
Another important outcome is the increased agency of families and their ability to identify and use their own resources, as well as improved navigation of health, education and social support systems. As a result, families become less dependent on ad hoc assistance and better prepared to cope independently with future challenges.
At the professional and institutional levels, FAMILY provides a coherent, flexible and evidence-based model for working with families that can be integrated into existing social, educational and health services. The programme supports professionals working with families facing complex challenges by offering a clear intervention structure, a shared interdisciplinary framework, and tools that enable the individualisation of support without fragmenting interventions.
An additional benefit is the strengthening of cross-sector cooperation and improved coordination of actions at both local and system levels. Thanks to its modular design and iterative development model, FAMILY can be adapted, transferred and scaled across different institutional and national contexts, creating lasting value for both beneficiaries and support systems.
Potential for mainstreaming
The FAMILY programme has strong potential to be mainstreamed within social service practice due to its systemic, flexible and evidence-informed design. The model can be integrated into existing social, educational and health services as a coherent, family-centred and trauma-informed approach to working with families experiencing complex challenges, including forced migration.
The modular structure of the programme allows institutions to implement selected components or the full model depending on local needs, resources and organisational capacities. Clearly defined roles, processes and intervention logic facilitate implementation within public and non-public services and in cross-sector cooperation, without the need to create parallel forms of support.
The iterative development model of the programme, based on piloting and evaluation, supports its continuous improvement and adaptation to service delivery standards. As a result, FAMILY can be sustainably embedded in the regular activities of organisations providing social services, professional development programmes for practitioners, and local family support systems.
