ABSTRACT
This chapter describes to account for family centres in Greece, which are run by the National Welfare Organisation of Greece, a quasi governmental organisation to which the Greek Government delegates much of the responsibility for delivering services in the field of child and family social work. Local resources and energy are sought in order to develop and support the centres’ activities and increase effectiveness. There is an emphasis on strengthening user participation. The National Welfare Organisation’s family centres developed out of two different traditions in the Organisation’s service provision; the ‘Children’s Houses’ in the rural areas and the ‘Urban Centres’ in the urban areas. The Family Centres of Polichni and Toumba are located in Thessaloniki, the second largest city of Greece. The Family Centre of Polichni, set up by the National Welfare Organisation in 1962, constitutes the main social welfare service in the area.
