Opening the meeting, Chairman of the subcommittee on youth policy, family and childhood Mykola Zhuk noted in particular that during the past ten years Ukraine has made a number of progressive moves on the way to reforming system of state care over children; family arrangement of orphaned children and children deprived of parental care; development of social services to support children and families; as well as social development and adaptation of youth.
It was noted that this form of arrangement of orphaned children and children deprived of parental care is not applied. Participants of discussion believe that ambiguity of the respective normative legal base, as well as insufficient understanding of patronage nature prevents development of patronage form of upbringing.
Thereat, patronage as a form of family upbringing is widely used in the international practice.
Participants of discussion drew attention to the fact that patronage education in regard to homeless and orphaned children was applied in the Soviet Union in 20s-40s of the previous century.
Rapporteurs noted that patronage education is viewed as a profession in certain countries and is included into the list of specialties.
According to the participants of the round table discussion, the majority of such children keep in close touch with their biological parents, despite of the fact that significant part of such children became members of patronage families due to violence in their own families.
Participants of discussion believe that there is a need to expand forms of family arrangement of children in Ukraine in order to ensure the right of every child to family upbringing, stipulated by certain UN documents.
It was noted that the International Charity Organization “Partnership for Every Child” has established a working group that elaborated the draft law on amendments to several laws of Ukraine re strengthening of social protection of children and support to families that was discussed during the meeting.
The document introduces the legislative norm, under which all actions in the regard to the children that happened to be in complicated living conditions to be aimed at protection of children’s rights and interests.
Following the results of the round table discussion, participants decided to recommend people’s deputies refer this draft law for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.