Senate's Labor and Social Development Committee briefed on NCFA's programs
06-14-2017
The Senate's Labor and Social Development Committee visited NCFA offices to gain a closer look at NCFA's various programs and activities. The committee was welcomed by NCFA Secretary-General Fadel Al-Hmoud who highlighted the significant role of the Senate's various committees and the importance of the complementarity among all institutions in protecting the Jordanian family.
On her part, head of the committee Senator Hala Lattouf stressed the important role of NCFA and its programs particularly the National Framework for Family Protection against Violence and the National Strategy for Senior Citizens, emphasizing at the same time the significant role also undertaken by the National Team for Family Protection against Violence which works under the umbrella of NCFA embracing all entities concerned with the protection of the family and its well-being.
NCFA Deputy Secretary-General Mohammad Miqdady indicated that as a policy think-tank NCFA seeks to enhance the status of the Jordanian family in realization of its key role in developing policies and legislation through the adoption of a participatory approach that combines all governmental and non-governmental institutions working in the area of the family and through its vision of an enabling environment for the family to attain its stability and well-being.
Miqdady explained further saying that through its mission, NCFA concentrates on the formulation and steering of general policies and support of all efforts that work in the direction of enhancing the Jordanian family's status, roles and inherited values and culture.
In this regard, it is to be noted that NCFA contributes to the formulation and follow up of policies, strategies and development plans relevant to the family and the enhancement of the family's roles, quality of life and ability to meet and guarantee its members' needs and safety. It also helps support and coordinate the work of society's public and private institutions and bodies concerned with family affairs and the advancement of the family's safety, stability and maintenance, emanating from the provisions of Islamic Shariah, Jordanian constitution, international and Arab signed agreements, national legislation, NCFA Law, royal directives and Jordan's positive social heritage.
Moreover, NCFA works on reviewing and analyzing legislation and their effects on the family, and in this regard has prepared Jordan's third and fourth periodic reports on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the draft of the Protection against Family Violence Law in addition to the Child Rights draft law.
In the area of childhood, NCFA developed the Early Childhood Development Strategy for the year 2001, the National Plan of Action for Children 2004-2013, and the Jordan Country Study on Disadvantaged Children. It has also prepared an analysis report on the situation of children in Jordan and the instructions for the establishment and accreditation of child daycare centers. Moreover, NCFA has worked on the child budget analysis for the ministries of Education, Health, Social Development, Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Justice, and Public Works and Housing and the Higher Council for Youth, Jordan's first Children Report (views, experiences and perspectives of children and adolescents on the CRC) and the Workers with Families at Risk Manual.
As for the area of protection, The National Framework for Family Protection against Family Violence was prepared by NCFA in 2006 and updated in 2016, in addition to the strategic action plan for family protection against family violence.
Also among NCFA's work was the institutionalization and development of procedures for handling family violence victims within the ministries of Health, Education and Justice and the Judicial Council. An accreditation and quality assurance manual was prepared for the services provided for family violence victims (including educational, health, social, and shelter and police services) in addition to the signing of an agreement with concerned entities to automate the procedures for dealing with such victims.
Further achieved by NCFA was the development of accreditation and quality assurance criteria for the services provided in the different shelter homes in Jordan (juveniles, elderly, family violence victims, orphans and beggars), as well as the preparation of an executive national action plan for the enhancement of institutional response towards family violence cases for the coming three years.
With regard to family counseling, NCFA has been extremely active in this part as it has released a study on the situation of family counseling in Jordan and the national strategy for family counseling. It has also prepared a scientific reference book on family counseling in addition to a training manual to enhance the skills of workers in this field. In this aspect, 10 family counseling centers were opened in several Jordanian governorates to provide counseling services to those in need.
The elderly had their share of NCFA's concern as it prepared the National Strategy for Senior Citizens in 2008 and worked to update the strategy during 2016. Furthermore, it formed a national committee to follow up on its implementation during 2012.
Currently, NCFA is working on the preparation of the second analysis report for the situation of the Jordanian family in a follow up of its previous one in 2014.
