The Minister notes that the state should focus on increasing the number of foster families.
The state does not need to rebuild pre-war Ukraine after the victory, including in the protection of children's rights, and need to develop and implement new solutions and new policies, said on Children's Day in comments to the material of Alla Kotlyar for ZN.UA Minister of Social Policy Marina Lazebna >.
Despite everything, my thesis “family for a child” has not changed. After the war we will have many children without parents. We will look for their relatives, arrange them in the family. But these families will need help. Therefore, the first thing I see are guardianship centers that will take care of people who will take orphans and children deprived of parental care into their families. I would create them at the state level in every oblast (and possibly the community). I already know where to get the best experience to write a bill on such centers. We will do it, “the minister said.
Also, in her opinion, a comprehensive system of family support is needed, which will combine social services and benefits. Lazebna notes that this practice was tried before the war, but in practice it was bad, so it needs to be further developed.
She also emphasizes that Ukraine needs to finally ratify the Hague Convention on Child Protection and Cooperation with issues of international adoption.
“Adoptive parents should also receive respect and support from the state – services, assistance, guarantees. We will think about it, “Lazebna said. From now on, the application for adoption can be submitted online. You can also get advice online, find out what you need to know about adopted children, about the possible risks. At the same time, the Minister emphasizes that this does not exclude the need for face-to-face training, acquaintance with the child and establishing contact with her.
“From the first days of the war, I received a huge number of calls from people who were ready to take children into their families. I am very pleased that we are uniting around children. That we finally realized that other people's children really don't happen, “says Lazebna, adding that she sees it as her task to bring all children who will not have parents after the war into the family.
Eight regions of Ukraine were in the zone of active hostilities, part of the territories was under occupation, and orphanages, rehabilitation centers and family-type orphanages were destroyed.
“I do not want us to rebuild everything to the state it was in before February 24. Today the plan of restoration of Ukraine, a resource, and also new vectors is formed. I want us to build new centers of social and psychological rehabilitation, according to new standards. We need to provide more housing for family-type orphanages or foster families, guardians, trustees. At least 200. We estimate that UAH 1 billion is needed for this, ”the Minister of Social Policy said.
In her opinion, another important point will be the establishment of the State Service for Children, within which the bodies guardians and trustees who will be able to make decisions will be local communities.
“Today we are faced with the fact that they do not have the authority to decide on the removal of the child. This should be taken at the district level, and the districts have been reduced. This system needs to be built very clearly, to delineate powers to take work to a new level. Therefore, I will support the creation of a decision-making center with the necessary powers, “Lazebna added.
However, the biggest challenge will probably be the need for psychologists, because children who survived the horrors of war different experiences – living in bomb shelters, moving, including abroad.
“And some, unfortunately, – terrible violence, including sexual. We need to train at least 500 psychologists to work with such children. It is also necessary to increase the number and improve the skills of social work professionals, “the minister said of the urgent needs. > On what should be the three top steps to restore Ukraine's child protection system, according to government officials and public sector experts, read in the article by Alla Kotlyar for ZN.UA “Children: three top steps in the postwar period”, which will be published today.
