Changes for Children June, 2006 Newsletter of the Project "Development of Integrated Social Services for Exposed Families and Children", financed by the European Union officially declared 2006 the Year of Child children homes, and to deliver assistance IN FOCUS Protection in Ukraine. One of the steps to families caring for orphans. The goals of toward providing child support is an 11 the Ukrainian State as outlined by the Children Rights fold increase in the financial grant to President are concurrent with the aims of the EU Project "Development of Integrated The international day of child protection has been celebrated on 1st June in Europe for Social Services for Exposed Families and more than 50 years. This date reminds adults, of the importance of children's rights: to Children" which, starting from 2005 is live and be brought up in a family, to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, to edu being implemented in Kyiv Oblast by the cation, rest and leisure as well as to protection from violence. Since 1991 when Ukraine Representative Office of 'EveryChild' in ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the State has guaran Ukraine. The main goal of the Project is to teed to secure and protect children's rights. reduce the number of children living in res idential institutions and to support family > President Victor Yuschenko said this mother's on the birth of their children. He based care for children. Newly developed year "It is the sacred duty of our society, voiced a hope for a 2fold increase in Integrated Social Services have been the state and individuals to do everything financial support for mothers taking care established in 32 rayon and city adminis possible to ensure that Ukrainian children of children under the age of 3 years old, trations throughout Kyiv Oblast. are happy and content; to support gifted which the State is considering. The children and to encourage those with spe President highlighted the commitment of You can read more about their activities cial talents and to develop their personali State authorities to overcoming child and achievements in supporting vul ties. Together we must advocate for and homelessness, to support for families in nerable families and children in this stand up for our small citizens". He also crisis, for the development of family type edition of the Newsletter. Work of Integrated for children who cannot live with their own ers with their children. 6 infants require Social Services families to live in a family environment, substitute family care. either through adoption or foster care. > During 2006 a range of services to The pilot sites of Vyshhorod and Fastiv were ensure the right of the child to live in a fam Promoting foster care and adoption and the first rayons where the programme "A ily have been developed within the frame providing, training and support for such Family for Every Child" (so called Plan of work of the Project. Each of the services is families are the main tasks for FCSS. Action for the local authorities in terms of aimed at either supporting families to care Information campaigns initiated by the the EU Project) has been developed and for their own children or where this is not social workers from FCSS have been implemented. The programme was dis possible finding substitute families for effective in identifying 120 residents of cussed at the extended meeting of the them. Early Intervention Services (EIS) and Kyiv Oblast who have expressed a desire Coordination Councils for Childhood Family Care Support Services (FCSS) are to become foster carers or adopt a child. Protection and approved by the Heads of 20 people have completed the training rayon State Administrations. In the above and 10 have been recommended mentioned rayons as well as in Borodyan as foster carers or adoptive par skyy, PereyaslavKhmelnytskyy and ents. FSS are operational in 31 Skvyrskyy rayons the Project was officially rayons and city administrations of presented to Heads of Village and Township Kyiv Oblast and provide assis Councils to include them in the activities. tance to families in crisis. This year 837 families have been referred and supported. 60 In This Issue: social workers are working for 31 EIS, preventing abandonment of Activities of Services 2 the newlyborn children. In 2006 there were 27 attempts of aban Local Work 3 donment registered in Kyiv Working meeting of Project Team Leader Elayn Sammon Oblast. 8 cases are successfully Legislation Reviews 3 with foster families in Vyshgorod prevented (KyievoSvyatoshyn skyy, Bohuslaskyy, Borodyanskyy Training Component 4 Rayons, Fastiv and Brovary towns). working predominantly to prevent the EU Project at 1st 4 breakdown of a vulnerable family, provid 13 mothers applied for temporary National TV Channel ing short term intervention or longterm placement of the children to residential support, while Family Care Support institutions and receive continuing Services (FCSS) are finding possibilities social work support to reunite the moth This project is financed by the European Union This project is implemented by the «EveryChild» Consortium Newsletter of the Project "Development of Integrated Social Services for Exposed Families and Children", financed by the European Union ACTIVITIES OF SERVICES Family Care Amendments made to the Regulations on the Foster Family (Decree of the Ruslan`s Story Support Service Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 565 as of 26 April 2006) and Regulations on > 10 year old Ruslan lives with his fos > Preamble of Convention on the Rights Family Type Children's Home (Decree ter carers Svitlana and Oleksander. of the Child says that "for the full and har of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Energetic, active and restless Ruslan monious development of child's person No. 564 as of 26 April 2006) require has already received 2nd category in ality, he or she should grow up in a fami people who wish to become foster car trampoline jumps and acrobatics. He is ly environment, in an atmosphere of hap ers or parent educators to undertake a diligent and responsible student who piness, love and understanding"1. Family specific initial, ongoing and regular enjoys playing computer games and Care Support Services (FCSS) are aimed training. It is expected that in several spending weekends with his family at to ensuring possibility for the children years foster parents and parentsedu the dacha. Life for Ruslan was difficult orphans and children deprived of cators from the family type children's after the death of his parents and he parental care to be brought up in a fami homes will develop advanced skills in lived for some time in a children's caring for children and will be recog ly environment. Services are developed home. Now he has a real family again nised as highly qualified professionals. in the framework of the EU Project and he is once again enjoying life. Lyubov Tlostyuk, a social worker from operate in Kyiv Oblast. Certainly social workers play a primary Vyshhorod Family Care Support EU Project Assistant Oleksiy Kurka role in the development of substitute Service, is almost considered another describes the services and their work in family care for vulnerable children. They more detail. are responsible for conducting informa member of the family. She was tion campaigns, assessing and select involved in training Svitlana and ing carers with the capacity to care for Oleksander and helped the family in FCSS have been created and are opera the individual needs of children, and for the initial days when Ruslan left the tional in 19 rayons and towns of Kyiv training and supporting foster carers children's home. She continues in her Oblast. In accordance with the agree and families when children are placed. professional capacity to support and ments signed between Representative Social workers of FCSS, developed meet the family regularly. Office of EveryChild in Ukraine and within the framework of the Project are oblast/rayon leadership, social workers also trained in providing complex social employed to provide Integrated Social support to families, foster carers, par Services are required to undertake train enteducators of family type homes and ing to ensure they have the necessary adoptive families. skills to provide innovative and complex social services The social workers from FCSS are cur rently applying their knowledge and skills In cooperation with specialists from Kyiv in order to assess the capacity of those oblast Training Centre the technology for who have come forward as potential fos development and support of foster car ter carers, and have noted an increase in ers, and family type homes has been for those willing to establish foster families. mulated and training in this methodology Each month in almost each rayon and has been provided to social workers town of Kyiv oblast approximately 3 or 4 since April 2006. The initial training was families shows a firm intention to adopt dedicated to methods of assessing the Ruslan and his family or foster a child. They are registered with capacities of the potential foster carers FCSS where they begin the process of and parentseducators of Family Type collecting the necessary documents in Children's Homes. The training also cov preparation for attending the obligatory The Project therefore plans to work with ered the legal aspects and implications training. There are 78 families overall reg the State Institute for Family and Youth of foster care. istered in Kyiv oblast, which makes Problems, which is responsible for edu cation and certifying trainers amongst Further training is planned with the approximately 125 persons. Of these, 20 social workers in order to increase the objective of ensuring appropriate selec people have undertaken training, organ number of certified trainers by at least tion and matching of children and foster ised by Kyiv oblast Centre of Social 20 this year.