Reform example: Micro- or mezzo level planning for de-institutionalization

1. Reform example: Micro- or mezzo level planning for de-institutionalization Viktor Yakzhik Head of the Department of Social and Educational Work of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus 25 November, Chisinau

2. Residential care institutions network for children without parental care (status on 1.11.2009) • Health system 10 infant homes for children of 0-3 years of age (1,040children, out of them 751 are children without parental care) • Social Protection system 9 residential care institutions for children with disabilities (1,527 children, out of them 597 are children without parental care) • Education system 33 children’s homes (2,267 children) 28 boarding schools (7 specialised schools) for children without parental care (2,982)

3. Institutionalised children 3

4. Strategy of de-institutionalisation at micro- and mezzo level • Prevention of institutionalisation • Planning of the residential care institutions network on the basis of assessment ofneeds in services • Transformation and closure of residential care institutions • Work with specialists

5. Mezzo level of the deinstitutionalisation planning At mezzo level the following work is planned: • Optimisation of the residential care institutions network • Realisation of the State programmes on prevention of the institutionalisation of children • Training of specialists

6. Micro level of the deinstitutionalisation planning The following strategies are planned and implemented at micro level: • Monitoring of the situation of children • Early intervention • Development of support services for families in place of their residence • Inter-agencies collaboration on the work with children and families in social danger

7. Micro level of the de-institutionalisation planning • Raising the responsibility of parents on their children upbringing • Development of inter-agencies plans on protection of children’s rights and legitimate interests whose parents were restricted in parental rights • Extension of alternative family based schemes for orphan children and children without parental care • Restoration of children-parents relations and return of children to their parents • Aftercare support to residential care graduates

8. Indicators illustrating the reform implementation Downsizing and optimisation of the network of residential care institutions for children without parental care 8

9. achievements • Sustainable process • High tempo of the process • Inclusion of all target groups into the process

10. Indicators illustrating the reform implementation Number of children whose parents were deprived of parental rights 10

11. constraints • Late identification of children living in dysfunctional families • The period provided for closure of the residential care institutions is insufficient • Frequent turnover of child protection agencies staff requires a constant work on professional training of specialists

12. constraints • Children of teen-age and children with disabilities are difficult to be fostered by substitute families • The system of respite for families caring for children with disabilities is not established • Not enough efforts are applied to arrange the placement of children under 3 in substitute families for the period up to 6 months while the rehabilitation programme for parents is being implemented • Non-availability of social workers at health care establishments is still actual

13. perspectives • Development and formalisation of standardised algorithms of inter-agencies actions of specialists on: • Identification of families in crisis • Early intervention and prompt response on protection of the rights of the child in social danger, on assistance to the family to deal with the crisis and keep the child • Adoption of the regional plans on residential care institutions closure and the standardised algorithm on closure/re-profiling of institutions • Development of unified requirements and professional training programmes for candidates in foster parenting, standardised procedures on selection, training and supervision of foster parents

14. Thank you!