The late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a law establishing the Family Care Authority (FCA) as an independent entity with full legal autonomy. It Is an affiliate of under the Department of Community Development (DCD) and is tasked with advancing the quality of life for families in Abu Dhabi.

The Authority was established in Abu Dhabi to provide specialized and centralized services in response to families’ needs in the emirate. It achieves this by consolidating efforts after studying the circumstances of Abu Dhabi’s families and the services distributed across several authorities relevant to the social sector and related to family care. By creating a single point of contact, FCA builds an integrated governance model to manage family cases, thus shortening the time needed for beneficiaries to complete the process of obtaining social services provided by various taking into consideration all family members and relevant stakeholders interests and status . Through this model, FCA achieves the social sector’s ambitions.

The authority will replace Dar Zayed for Family Care, and it will exercise the functions of the Abu Dhabi Police Social Support Centres, and the social function of the Social Care and Minors' Affairs Foundation. The centralization of work by FCA will enhance capabilities, foster integration, and build a strong and sustainable ecosystem for knowledge exchange. FCA will be responsible for creating a unified database and record for all beneficiaries.

The establishment of FCA follows an evaluation of the existing processes of the beneficiaries’ journey in Abu Dhabi, and is based on services distributed across several relevant authorities in the social and public sector in the field of family care. It aims to achieve the highest quality standards in line with previously adopted policies, thus ensuring access to the governance model while managing family cases and providing them with proactive services after studying and identifying their needs.

The Objectives

Through the establishment of FCA, the Government of Abu Dhabi seeks to achieve the following objectives:

• FCA shall act as the relevant Authority and a single point of contact providing integrated services for all family-care beneficiaries in Abu Dhabi.
• Developing and updating a unified database and record for all beneficiaries of family- care programs.
• Advance the family care services provided to beneficiaries and managing cases, including families, children and youth, and to socially empower them.
• Supporting social entities in achieving their goals through coordination, case management, and providing necessary data.
• Providing high-quality family care services to Abu Dhabi’s community, in line with the emirate’s policies, laws, and regulations.
• Improving the existing family care model to encompass operational coordination and providing services to beneficiaries.

The importance of establishing the Family Care Authority to the Abu Dhabi social sector

FCA will support the social sector and assist in achieving DCD's aspirations as the Authority responsible for shaping and implementing the sector's agenda. DCD seeks to build cohesive family bonds at the heart of a tolerant and inclusive society. Establishing FCA will also contribute to positioning the UAE in general, and Abu Dhabi in particular, as a role model in advancing families’ quality of life and providing a dignified life for every member of society.

Family Care Authority's main Mandate

• Proposing general policies and strategic plans and submitting them to DCD in preparation for approval by the Executive Council.
• Setting FCA’s operational plans and policies, including family care plans and services provided to beneficiaries, while linking its outcomes to improving families’ quality of life.
• Providing family-care services in accordance with policies and regulations.
• Conducting research and studies related to family care, identifying challenges, and proposing necessary legislations to improve and enhance family-care services, that can raise the quality of family life, in coordination with DCD.
• Developing necessary programs to enhance family-care and case-management services that can empower beneficiaries in the community, in accordance with the applicable legislations.
• Raising community awareness on family’s role in society, in coordination with the relevant authorities.
• Providing counselling, psychological and social support to family-care beneficiaries in various cases, while protecting them from abuse or mistreatment.
• Handling cases related to family care referred to FCA by police stations or directly reported by parties of a conflict, while providing advice and guidance and sponsoring reconciliation when necessary.
• Securing healthcare, social, and educational requirements for minor orphans and other similar cases.
• Securing the needs of children who lack family care and managing their custody in general.
• Securing custodian families to provide health, psychological, social, recreational, and educational care for children who lack family care, following up on children under custodianship, and supporting custodian families.
• Instilling noble values, principles, ethics, and strengthening national identity and patriotism in children who lack family care.
• Managing and organizing the process of parental care and raising parents’ awareness of suitable methods to raise and treat children in coordination with relevant authorities.
• Coordinating with relevant authorities to develop and implement social programs that contribute to rehabilitating individuals with a troubled past, such as previous residents of corrective and medical rehabilitation centres or residents of shelters, then following up on their cases and reintegrating them into society.
• Participating in local and international events, forums and conferences related to family care.