The Commissioner for Children’s Rights under the President of the Russian Federation appreciated the work of the region in supporting motherhood, childhood and stimulating families.
“I would like to note the involvement of the staff of institutions in the topic of working with a blood family, returning to a family and settling into substitute families. There is a family-saving approach in the region,” said Maria Lvova-Belova.
She recalled that, on behalf of President Vladimir Putin, the Vologda Region hosted the All-Russian Inspection of the system for the prevention of social orphanhood in Russia.
“We see that this year has been very important for the region. The approach to working with families in difficult situations and the general perception of this topic have changed significantly. We believe that the positive changes will continue,” added Maria Lvova-Belova.
According to the Children’s Ombudsman, a striking example is the budget aimed at preventing social orphanhood.: it has almost doubled in size. At the same time, more than 40% of it is aimed at supporting families in difficult situations.
“As for the management model, it has been built. There is a Deputy Governor who runs the entire system, and a Ministry that oversees all institutions, guardianship, and social services. There is a good non–profit sector in the region, for which 50 million subsidies have been allocated – this is a very large infusion to help NGOs,” said Maria Lvova-Belova.
It also became known that next year, organizations that specifically help families with children will receive a larger subsidy. This is a kind of regional government order to support families, especially those whose children need to be returned from institutions.
