Abstract
The article deals with the issues of family assistance from the perspective of working with the biological family of a child placed in foster care. Family support, implemented by assistants, consists of helping to overcome difficulties in order to prevent children being taken away and placed in a foster care environment, and when this happens, focusing on seeking change and creating safe conditions for their return. Studies cited in the text indicate that biological parents face many problems, among which alcohol addiction is the most common. The assistant, working with the family, needs to perform many tasks, the effects of which depend on the involvement of parents, cooperation with other entities responsible for supporting families experiencing difficulties, and continue supporting parents after the child’s return. The article also attempts to outline the factors that increase the child’s chances of returning to the family, considering the most important aspect that is to say maintaining contact between parents and children in foster care, and cooperation between assistants and biological families, foster families, persons running family children’s homes or representatives of care and educational institutions, and all other entities within the assistance system.