SPECIAL LABOUR LAW PROTECTION FOR FOSTER PARENTS AND THE CHILD IN THEIR CARE

The labour law implications of establishing foster care are reflected in the special protection granted to foster parents in employment. This protection is designed to ensure, with additional and intensive support from society, that a child without parental care, or a child under parental care who has developmental disabilities or behavioural disorders and is temporarily unable to live with their parents, can achieve optimal development in a family environment. The ultimate goal is the child’s return to the biological family, preparation for independent living and work, or the adjustment of protective measures. On the other hand, for the foster parent who directly cares for the child based on the decision of the guardianship authority, it is necessary to facilitate the reconciliation of family responsibilities with obligations towards the employer. This entails occasional leave from work for child care, as well as leave for special child care, job protection, and protection within the framework of working time regulations. This paper is based on the application of legal-dogmatic and comparative-legal methods, and aims to reaffirm the special protection of foster parents in employment, with an overview of the most important aspects of its regulationn at the international and national levels.