All news

Most orphanages to be closed in Russia, children to be adopted

Most orphanages and boarding schools will be shut down in Russia in next 5-8 years

KRASNOYARSK, February 28 (Itar-Tass) — Most orphanages and boarding schools will be shut down in Russia in next 5-8 years, their inmates will be adopted by foster families, Russian presidential commissioner for child rights Pavel Astakhov, who is currently on a visit in Krasnoyarsk, told Itar-Tass on Tuesday. He is holding a training seminar for children’s ombudsmen in Siberia and the Russian Far East. The seminar is entitled “Family and Home for Each Child”.

“The funds, which will be saved from the maintenance of orphanages and boarding schools pending a shutdown, should be allocated to foster families. On the one hand, this will give a fresh impetus to foster parents to adopt a child, on the other hand, this will make it possible to make additional allocations for the life and education of adopted children,” Astakhov said.

The main problem for most orphanages is that their graduates enter ‘the big life’ socially non-adapted. “In this situation only the upbringing in the family will allow to make them full-fledged members of the society.  Russia without Orphans slogan should become one of the top priorities for the government and public servants,” Astakhov pointed out.

The children’s ombudsman is convinced that the Russian government should form a ministry of family affairs. “Presently 28 federal agencies work on the problems of children. The ministry of family affairs should pool efforts of public servants for the social security of children and should make this work systemic,” he said with confidence.

About 7,000 children remain without parental care in the first year of life annually in Russia. Another 50,000 homeless children are brought to the orphanages and boarding schools from the streets and the railway stations. About 100,000 children and teenagers are being kept in children’s homes.