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The preservation of a child's biological family and a family-centered approach were highlighted as areas of focus by Maria Lvova-Belova, Commissioner for Children's Rights under the President of Russia. The Penza Oblast is one of the pilot regions for the project "Prevention of Social Orphanhood among Children under the Age of 4," a strategic initiative of Maria Lvova-Belova's program "Children in Families."
The goal of the project is to reduce the number of children living in orphanages by helping families with children who are facing difficult life circumstances that could lead to institutionalization.
The project "Prevention of Social Orphanhood among Children under the Age of 4" is being implemented in four areas that cover different aspects of family life. These areas include the Children in Family service, the redesign of orphanages, the development of an early care system, and the "Act Together" parental support project.
The Penza Oblast is leading the way in implementing this pilot project. As a result, 56 children have been successfully returned to their families and the number of children in institutions for children without parental care has decreased by 10% in the region. The goal is also to transform the Kuznetsk Orphanage into a branch of the Regional Social Rehabilitation Center for Children and Young People with Disabilities by the end of this year, according to Lvova-Belova.
As part of the project, since February 2023, dozens of specialists from the Penza Oblast who work with families and psychologists have been trained. The city service "Children in the Family" has been opened based on the Penza City Center for Emergency Social Assistance. "Stable Family" clubs have also been opened, where families can receive support in difficult situations.
It is worth noting that supporting families at risk of becoming socially orphaned is one of the priorities of the national projects "Demography" and "Family".