26/07/10

Children’s NGOs convinced the authorities not to strengthen the residential system in Ukraine

There will be no new internat in Kyiv region, moreover Ministries are to report about the progress made in reformation of residential system for children, these and other decisions were made at special working meeting devoted to reformation of residential care for orphans and children deprived of parental care held on 23rd of July by Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports and headed by Minister Ravil Safiullin.

"We shouldn't make children and parents hostage to the economic situation in Ukraine, or to our incapacity to foster the reforms of residential care system, or to undeveloped social services for families with children, or to other reasons, the Minister noted in his opening remarks. - Let's be honest: I would not like to be a defendant in the European Court in the "Children of Ukraine against residential system in Ukraine", - he said.

Full text of the Minister's Speech can be found here (in Ukrainian) >>

The meeting was attended by representatives of Ombudsman of Ukraine on Human Rights on the protection of child rights, equality and non-discrimination, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Ukraine, Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, UNICEF, NGOs working in the field of children's rights.

The interagency working meeting was organized as a response to Order of Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov (from 08.07.2010 № 34243/3/1-10) on the issue of reformation of institutions for orphans and children deprived of parental care. This decision was made taking into account a series of open letters from NGOs and a letter from the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports who protested against the decision to introduce measures aimed at strengthening residential system in Ukraine. EveryChild Ukraine along, for instance, collected signatures from more than 25 NGOs and some individuals.  

Read more on this here >>

As EveryChild Ukraine informed before, on the June 23, 2010, Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov commissioned ministries and regional administrations to send children from poor families to study in institutions for orphans (the Order "For results visit May 27 Prime Minister of Ukraine orphanage comprehensive specialized" baby "(Kiev region Kyiv) "), implementing order also suggested: 

• to establish child care institution of new type for orphans and children deprived of parental care in Kyiv oblast (decision on place to be made by September 1, 2010) and to allocate funds for building this institution;
• request to oblast state administrations to facilitate the placement of children from low-income families for studying in established institutions and to re-establish by January 2013 functioning of pre-school departments at educational institutions for orphans and children deprived of parental care;
•  to set up separate institutions for education of talented orphans and children deprived of parental care.

During the meeting it was decided to analyze budget spending for the maintenance of the network of boarding schools for orphans, children deprived of parental care in the system of Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy within five years (2005/2006- 2009/2010 academic years). Including analysis of the dynamics of fill rate in these institutions (2005/2006- 2009/2010 academic years), for example reasons why children stay in these institutions and legal status of the child.

Development of alternative forms of state care for orphans and children deprived of parental care (patronage to: foster families, family type homes) for the period 2005-2009 will be ananlysed too: funding, the reasons for departure of children.

Moreover, for the first time it was decided to analyze the dynamics of deprivation of parental rights and separation of children from families without depriving parents of their parental rights.

Among other suggestions - to examine situation with the care-leavers from residential institutions and analyze the existing network of institutions, their technical conditions, staffing, and etc.

The Minister also recalled that during May-November 2011 Ukraine will chair the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and thus has to develop a program to protect children, a successor to Swedish program 2008-2011 "Building a Europe for and with children".

"We think that to develop a strategy and tactics of further system of children's rights protection in Ukraine, we need to know the current situation better. I am talking about the current situation with the whole child protection system, not only the residential care. We need to know existing resources and opportunities to use them more adequately", - Ravil Safiullin summed up.

The participants also agreed to submit proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers to establish a working group on development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to reform the state system of childcare in Ukraine.

Participation in the meeting were representatives of Ombudsperson of Ukraine on Human Rights on the protection of child rights, equality and non-discrimination, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Ukraine, Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, UNICEF, NGOs working in the field of children's rights.

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