Religious Education of Children Staying in Child/Love Houses Accord-ing to Religious Officials: The Case of Sivas Province

Child/Love Houses are institutions where children who are separated from their families for various reasons are sheltered under the supervision of the state and their education needs are met. The quality of the religious education given in these institutions, the methods of delivery and the solution of the problems encountered in the education process are of great importance in terms of preparing these children in need of protection for the future. Because it is only possible with education not to make these children who are deprived of family education feel the absence of family as much as possible and to prepare them for the future in a healthy way and to reintegrate them into society. In addition to general education, religious education has an important role in the process of preparing these children for the future in an equipped way. Because religious education is extremely important for the individual to know himself, to have knowledge about beliefs and values, to make sense of life, to have the necessary maturity to adapt to moral development and society. The need for religious education of these children makes the quality of the religious education given to them and the competence of the religious officials giving this education even more important. The purpose of this research is to examine the opinions of religious officials on the religious education of children who have been separated from their families for various reasons and need protection and have to live in Child/Love Homes, and to make some evaluations to increase the quality of religious education given in Child/Love Homes by making use of these opinions. Within the scope of the research, the data of the research were obtained by the semi-structured interview technique from the religious officials working in Sivas Children's and Love Houses. The sample of the research consists of 18 religious officials working in Sivas Children’s / Love Houses. These religious officials provide education and guidance services to a total of 108 children living in 17 Children’s Houses, 5 Love Houses and 1 Children's Houses Complex. Religious officials whose identity information is kept confidential in the research; Face-to-face questions were asked about their competence in the education given in these institutions, the difficulties and contributions of religious education given to children, and their suggestions for a better religious education. As a result of the research, it has been determined that the religious officials who give religious education to the children living in these houses are professionally experienced but do not have enough equipment in child education. Another important result reached within the scope of the research is that the religious education given in Children’s/Love Houses has a positive effect on children, changing their false beliefs and thoughts on religious issues, enabling them to look to the future with hope, and creating awareness of living in accordance with religion in worship and moral issues. As can be understood from these determinations, it is of great importance that the administrators, specialists, educators, housewives and other officials working in Child/Love Homes are carefully selected and the efforts to increase the quality of education provided in these homes are continued.