Minority and foreign families and children in modern Greece
THEANO KALLINIKAKI

After a brief presentation of the significant social change, which have been stimulated in Greece since the early 1990's and recent developments concerning families, policies which have an impact on families and children living there, are presented.

As a result of the absence of a cohesive family policy, despite its increasing fluidity Greek family remains the most important provider of welfare and the mechanism of the redistribution of resources.

Even though the principle of the best interests of the child permeates the reformed legislation and important developments of support the minorities' particular needs and social rights are foreseen, the implemented policies are not sufficiently effective.

Greece has recently been faced with immigration and emigration and it still lucks of a comprehensive and coordinated immigrant policy. Easily identified are the gaps concerning social rights of children, who are born of foreign and immigrant mothers and for refugee/asylum seekers or unaccompanied children and minors who enter in the country. The first don't take any nationality till the age of 18s, and the second are sheltered under pour, improper conditions.

The paper focuses on the accessibility of these "other children" in educational system, the unique clearly universal system, highly important for social integration and acceptance of all children.

It supports the urgent need of establishing social and psychological services in all educational units, and the first line's social services, responsible to apply a human rights strategy in them and in their networks with parents, services and the local societies. Encephalos 2009, 46(4):174-181.

Key words: Social policy for families, minority children, asylum seekers.