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The research examined the opportunities and barriers related to contact between parents experiencing homelessness and their minor children living separately from them. Its aim was to explore how homelessness affects the maintenance of the parent-child relationship, and what role contact rooms may play in supporting this process. The qualitative research was based on semistructured interviews conducted with parents experiencing homelessness and professionals, as well as on a focus group discussion. The results showed that contact is limited by financial, logistical, emotional, and institutional difficulties alike. A safe and private meeting space is an important condition, but it is not sufficient in itself: maintaining the relationship also requires preparation, supportive work aimed at strengthening parental competencies, and cooperation between child protection and homeless service institutions.

Our study examines the specific characteristics of pregnancy among women experiencing homelessness and the challenges faced by social workers supporting them. Both international and Hungarian literature highlight that factors such as extreme poverty, abuse, housing insecurity, and childhood trauma significantly influence how women experience pregnancy, the construction of maternal identity, and decisions related to childbearing. The paper reviews existing knowledge on pregnancy among homeless women and other vulnerable groups, outlines the Hungarian protocol for prenatal care, and, through two case studies, analyses the difficulties of meeting these women’s specific needs within the context of homelessness and the institutional framework of homeless services. Our aim is to explore the unique needs, barriers, and decision-making dilemmas faced by pregnant women experiencing homelessness, while also proposing professional recommendations that could contribute to the development of more needs-sensitive forms of support. Our findings may be relevant not only for homeless services but also for other professionals and organizations working with  pregnant women affected by intersecting forms of disadvantage.

The case study examines how access to housing for people experiencing homelessness becomes possible through the Housing First based programme of the From Streets to Homes! Association. The analysis focuses on a methodological description of the programme through a client pathway: cooperation with outreach services, the selection process, preparation for the move-in, as well as the practical experiences of social work throught the entry into housing. The analysis highlights that a client’s entry into housing is neither an isolated event nor an endpoint, but the outcome of cooperation among institutional actors within a social welfare system shaped by resource and capacity constraints. The practice-based insights of the programme demonstrate that, while the Housing First approach constitutes a solid professional foundation, its adaptation in the Hungarian context is accompanied by resource scarcity that enforces implicit selection mechanisms. Therefore, the realisation of housing as a fundamental right requires the scaling up of the model programme, as well as enhanced responsibility of state and municipal actors, alongside the development and expansion of the service network.

The study presents a methodological opportunity made possible by adapting the “two chairs” coaching technique, which can be used to support the experience of narrative‑based work, kick‑start non‑routine case discussion groups, and foster the development of professional identity. Drawing on experiences from practical social work and training, the author describes how the technique can be applied in a short‑story based role‑play exercise: parallel to the helper’s two ego states, group members also explore their own feelings and professional responses while embodying the roles of the foster parent and the placed child. Alongside a practical description of the method, the study outlines typical impasses that emerge in the process (such as literary analysis, taking on fictional roles, talking about rather than to the other characters, and a weakening sense of safety) and the facilitator’s responses, highlighting that these “re‑centering” interventions are best understood not as failures of the process, but as learning points.

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West European Politics (WEP), a leading journal focusing on Western European politics, governance, and public policy, has produced a thematic special issue entitled “The Radical Right and Welfare Politics: Causes and Consequences.” This issue examines in detail the social dimensions of the rise of radical right parties, with particular emphasis on the role of welfare systems. Several contributions address the social policy attitudes and perspectives of radical right political formations and their voters, as well as the resulting welfare measures. The Review section presents an overview of the topic and briefly summarizes the articles included in the special issue.

At the beginning of the development of the social professions in Hungary, there was a strong belief that the establishment of education and institutional systems supported by the European Union would lead directly to professionalization. However, opposing tendencies soon began to emerge. In more developed countries, the crisis of the profession and its gradual marginalization had already become apparent. This article presents a series of snapshots that had already signaled processes - and particular aspects of them - that can be clearly understood through the conceptual dichotomy of professionalization and deprofessionalisation.

The study examines the relationship between social work and power in Hungary in light of the processes of professionalization and deprofessionalization. Through an overview of various theoretical approaches to power, the author highlights that power is both a capacity and a social relation, fundamentally shaping the functioning of social work. The relationship between social work and power is interpreted through the concepts of the dual and triple mandate, emphasizing the importance of balancing state, client, and professional interests. The study presents the main stages in the institutionalization of social work in Hungary, as well as the structural problems - such as excessive regulation, dependence on state funding, labour shortages, and limited professional autonomy that contribute to the process of deprofessionalisation. The author also addresses the decline of empowerment, the lack of political participation, and the differing role of the civil sector. These domestic developments are placed within a broader international and political context, with particular attention to the effects of neoliberal and illiberal trends, as well as the emergence of care policy. In conclusion, the study proposes ways to reclaim the power of social work, emphasizing the role of professional knowledge, ethics, and community, as well as the necessity of active political advocacy.

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