To protect the rights of orphans and abandoned children by developing alternative types of care.
Objectives:
To build the technical capacity of regional partners to develop alternative types of care for orphans and abandoned children;
To develop new types of care for orphans and abandoned children;
To provide assistance to local guardianship agencies in counseling and supporting foster families.
Sponsors:
Philip Morris Kazakhstan, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Altria Group Company.
Partners:
Women’s Union of the Ural Region Umit (Uralsk), Public Association Center for Initiative Support (Shymkent), Public Association Women’s Club Tomiris ( Pavlodar), Public Foundation Perekrestok (Kostanai), Public Association Center for the Social Adaptation of Children ( Astana), Women’s League of Creative Initiatives (Almaty), Youth Media Souz of Kazakhstan (Almaty), Children’s Rights Protection Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (MOESc of RK).
Results:
On the basis of partner organizations, regional centers were established to support the development of alternative types of care for orphans and abandoned children in four cities of Kazakhstan – Uralsk, Pavlodar, Kostanai and Shymkent. Centers provide assistance to local municipalities in the selection and training of foster and adoptive families as well as in providing psychological support to these families.
A memorandum of understanding was signed with the Committee for the Protection of Children’s Rights of the MOESc of RK.
A Web site (www.bala.os.kz) was created to inform the general public about alternative types of care for orphans and abandoned children.
Last year, each regional partner organization provided more than 1,000 individual and group consultations to foster and adoptive families and families considering foster care or adoption.
Each partner developed guidelines for families on various issues including family relations, foster care, caring for an adopted child, psychological preparation for becoming a foster parent, the role of the family in the life of a child, and others.
Regional centers have active hotlines that provide psychological consultations.
In 2006-2007, 97 children were placed in foster care (long and short term). During this period, partners provided assistance to 68 foster families.
For further information:
Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia
Stampa Articolo
