The “Foster Family” initiative is a nationwide digital reform led by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of the Azerbaijan, transforming child protection through a fully integrated, end-to-end foster care management system. Launched in 2022, the project digitises the entire foster care lifecycle from application and eligibility verification to assessment, placement, and post-placement monitoring amd replacing fragmented, paper-based procedures with a transparent, data-driven model.

Connected to more than 80 state and non-state institutions via Digital Bridge (national data exchange platform), the system enables automated verification of identity, family composition, household, health, income, and criminal records. This integration has significantly reduced processing times, improved accuracy, and strengthened transparency and accountability. Since its launch, 56 children have been placed in foster families, including children transitioning from institutional care, while 505 monitoring visits have been conducted to safeguard child well-being and ensure placement stability.

https://sosial.gov.az/az/ovladligagoturme-himayedar-aile/himayedar-aile

• Azerbaijan

• Youth
• Indigenous and nomadic peoples
• Remote and rural communities

The Foster Family initiative is replicable in countries seeking to modernize child protection and shift from institutional to family-based care. Its modular, end-to-end digital architecture covering application, verification, placement, and monitoring can be adapted to different legal systems, provided there is secure data-sharing infrastructure and digital identity integration. Governments can implement it gradually, starting with digital case management and expanding toward automated verification.

The project ensures long-term sustainability through its full integration into national digital infrastructure, full automated technology, and a strong legal foundation. By reducing institutionalization and promoting family-based care, it generates lasting social and economic value while upholding and protecting children’s rights.

By digitizing child protection services, the project delivers secure, rights-based, and people-centered support to vulnerable children and families, while reinforcing digital trust through strong data protection and coordinated inter-agency collaboration across more than 80 institutions. Besides, by prioritizing family-based care, it demonstrates how technology can strengthen human dignity, social inclusion, and sustainable development within the community.