Emotional Intelligence in the Service of Care
By the time a child reaches age seven, they’ve often been guided, corrected, and cared for in countless ways. But how often have they been asked how they really feel—and how often have caregivers been supported with the tools to truly hear the answer?
That’s the question that sits at the heart of a new project we’re working on—one that begins not with a technology or a textbook, but with a conviction: that children in institutional care deserve not just services, but connection. Not just routines, but relationships.
In May 2025, we began a 16-month Erasmus+ small-scale partnership titled “Empowered by Empathy – Emotional Intelligence in Caring for Disadvantaged Children.” This project brings together organizations from Türkiye, Poland, and Portugal, all committed to a shared vision: transforming care by putting emotional intelligence at its core.
This isn’t a pilot, a policy paper, or a top-down intervention. It’s a collaborative effort to co-design tools, trainings, and systems that allow caregivers—from institutional workers to foster families—to meet children’s emotional needs with skill, sensitivity, and awareness.
🟡 The Problem We’re Addressing: A Gap in the Heart of Care
Across Europe, thousands of children grow up in state institutions, foster homes, and temporary shelters. But many of these systems are under pressure. Staff are stretched thin. Training is often limited to compliance, safety, and logistics.
And while children may receive food, clothing, and shelter, their emotional needs often go unmet.
- Many are trauma survivors.
- Many have difficulty forming secure attachments.
- Many exhibit emotional dysregulation because no one has modeled how to name or manage feelings.
Caregivers—often underpaid, undersupported, and emotionally burdened themselves—are rarely equipped to handle this reality. And yet, the science is clear: emotional intelligence isn’t just beneficial—it’s vital. It shapes brain development, social integration, and long-term resilience.
🔵 Our Vision: Caregiving Rooted in Emotional Intelligence
Our goal is simple, but ambitious: to embed emotional intelligence into the everyday routines of care.
We’re not proposing therapy programs or expensive interventions. We’re proposing a shift in mindset and method—a move from instruction to interaction, from control to connection.
To achieve that, we’re building:
1. 🧠 A Modular Training Program
A flexible, multilingual curriculum co-developed by educators, psychologists, and frontline caregivers.
It will include:
- Foundations of emotional intelligence
- Emotion coaching techniques
- Role-play scenarios and group discussions
- Trauma-informed communication tools
- Guidance on intercultural sensitivity and inclusion
The training will be delivered in both online and face-to-face formats, ensuring accessibility even in under-resourced areas.
2. 🌐 A Digital Education Platform
An open-access, OER-based learning environment where caregivers can:
- Access course modules and video tutorials
- Download practical resources (checklists, journal prompts, guides)
- Connect with other professionals across countries
- Track their own development as emotional support providers
Developed by REDEFINE (Portugal), the platform will be mobile-friendly, multilingual, and designed for real-world usability—even by caregivers with minimal digital experience.
3. 📘 A Guidebook for Trainers
Training the trainer is essential to sustainability. This guide will:
- Outline how to facilitate sessions
- Provide ethical frameworks for emotional learning
- Include group dynamics management strategies
- Suggest adaptations for various care contexts (institutional, foster, family support)
- Ensure quality and consistency in delivery
4. 🌍 An International Conference in Türkiye
In July 2026, the project will culminate in a major public event.
We’ll:
- Present the curriculum and platform
- Share results from pilot trainings
- Host workshops with international experts
- Highlight stories from caregivers and children
- Invite ministries, NGOs, and educators to adopt and scale the model
But this isn’t the end—just the milestone where the network grows wider.
🟣 Who This Project Is For
We are starting with several high-priority groups:
- Care personnel in the 19 Children’s Homes in Kırıkkale, Türkiye
- Foster families and recipients of Socio-Economic Support (SED) in Türkiye
- Polish and Ukrainian families receiving psychosocial support via Instytut Family Center
- Portuguese caregivers and professionals working in children’s services
- And eventually: any educator, trainer, or caregiver across Europe
Our approach is inclusive, culturally sensitive, and multilingual by design, honoring the diverse realities of caregiving across different contexts.
🔴 Why We Chose to Begin with Empathy
You might ask: why start with emotional intelligence? Why not more facilities, or technical upskilling?
Because empathy is infrastructure.
It is the invisible scaffolding that makes all other services meaningful. It’s what transforms a checklist into a conversation, a task into trust.
In too many systems, emotional support is still treated as a “bonus” rather than a basic need. We aim to change that narrative. We aim to prove that when caregivers are trained in emotional intelligence, children not only feel better—they grow better, learn better, and belong better.
🔘 Where We’re At: The Beginning
We’re in the early stages. Meetings are underway. Needs analysis tools are being refined. Our Digital Education Platform is in planning. The curriculum is still taking shape. But the vision is clear.
We’re not rushing. We’re listening first—to caregivers, to children, to data, and to each other. Because empathy, as we teach it, must also guide how we work.
⚪ Let’s Build This Together
Over the next months, we’ll share updates:
- Reflections from caregivers
- Prototype modules
- Digital previews
- Open calls for feedback
- Behind-the-scenes snapshots from Portugal, Poland, and Türkiye
If you’re a caregiver, educator, policymaker, or simply someone who believes care can be more human, we invite you to walk with us.
This isn’t just an Erasmus+ project.
It’s a blueprint for a different kind of care.
A care that feels.
A care that understands.
A care that connects.
Because every child deserves more than protection. They deserve presence.
And that starts with us.
