Abu Dhabi Caregivers to Support Abuse & Trafficking Victims

In an important move to improve support for vulnerable children, caregivers in Abu Dhabi will now undergo more extensive training to help children who have experienced domestic violence and abuse. This initiative follows an agreement signed during the inaugural edition of the Social Care Forum 2024 held earlier this week.

Rigorous Training to Provide Better Care

The new training program will see 40 caregivers complete an 18-month course, with the last six months spent on-the-job at shelters across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Upon completion, caregivers will be accredited with a professional diploma from the National Academy for Childhood Development, equipping them with the skills they need to provide top-tier care.

Several shelters in Abu Dhabi care for abused and abandoned mothers and children, serving as temporary homes for victims of trafficking, domestic violence, and abandonment. Marriam Al Zaabi, acting executive director of shelter and care services at the Family Care Authority, emphasized the importance of ensuring the quality of care: “We call them care homes where they stay until we can reintegrate them into society or their issues are resolved, and it is safe for them to go back,” she said. “We need to ensure that the quality of services we are providing to children is of the highest standard.”

Currently, the shelters have 33 caregivers, with 20 already starting the new training program. However, as Al Zaabi pointed out, the number of caregivers needs to double to meet the rising demand.

Challenges Facing Social Care in Abu Dhabi

Fatema Al Hosani, section head for licensing the third sector and places of worship at the Department of Community Development, highlighted the challenges in the sector: “The biggest challenge is closing the gap between the supply and demand of social care workers and the absence of standardised skills and competencies in these workers.”

To address these issues, the forum also discussed using AI, new trends, and the latest technologies to attract and retain social care workers. Al Hosani explained, "Unfortunately, the sector has been losing many professionals due to factors such as a lack of incentive and capacity-building opportunities. One of the main themes of this year’s edition is how we can attract people to social care professions and retain them by offering incentives, capacity-building programs, and other forms of support."

Steps Toward Progress in Child Protection

The agreement signed this week is just one of several steps taken in recent years to combat abuse and trafficking. In 2021, the UAE played a key role in a major Interpol operation to fight human trafficking. An operations room in Abu Dhabi helped coordinate efforts against trafficking gangs, leading to 286 arrests globally and the rescue of 430 victims.

In 2022, the Ministry of Community Development launched the "soun" system to support domestic abuse victims, and in July 2023, the UAE introduced comprehensive legislation against all forms of human trafficking, including sexual exploitation and forced labor.

Mubarak Al Ameri, executive director of Social Licensing and Control at the Department of Community Development (DCD), spoke about the forum's impact in his closing remarks. “Our global vision for social care is to build sustainable and inclusive communities where everyone can thrive,” he said. “This means offering high-quality care services that support the most vulnerable while ensuring a balance between social development and economic growth.”

A Strong Step Forward for Abu Dhabi's Caregivers

With a renewed focus on caregiver training, the Abu Dhabi government aims to bridge the gap in social care, ensuring that caregivers are well-equipped to handle the challenges they face. These efforts are part of a broader push to improve social care standards across the UAE, with the ultimate goal of providing safe and nurturing environments for all those in need.