The Convention on the Rights of the Child states that growing up in a family environment is an inalienable right of every child. According to UNICEF, social protection services do not cover half of the world’s orphans.
The “From Poverty to Welfare” program, adopted by the Presidential Decree of September 23 this year, also aims to prevent social orphanhood and care for children deprived of parental care. The document aims to create conditions as close as possible to a family environment and provide an individual approach to each child. In accordance with this, measures have been developed to transfer such children to upbringing and provide them with social services.
In particular, when raising a child, priority is given to preserving the family environment. The primary forms of placement are guardianship, trusteeship, or adoption. Placement in a specialized institution is considered only as a last resort.
In addition, the practice of placing children in Mercy Houses and orphanages due to the family’s poverty is abolished. If parents from low-income families are employed, the Social Protection Fund will compensate the costs of kindergarten until the child reaches three years of age.
Special departments will be organized in orphanages for women planning to abandon their children. They will receive social, legal, psychological, and medical support, training in maternal skills, and assistance in mastering professions.
Non-governmental organizations will also be widely involved in providing these services.
Children in a problematic situation will be temporarily placed in family children’s homes by Inson centers before being transferred for upbringing. An individual development plan will be developed for each child transferred for upbringing.
The Social Protection system will keep records of identified orphans and individuals who have expressed a desire to take them into care. “Inson” centers will act as legal representatives of children, protecting their rights and interests.
The centers will also monitor the living conditions of children transferred for care, the targeted use of assistance provided, and guardians’ fulfilling obligations.
Citizens who have created a family children’s home will be registered as self-employed individuals. Children raised in such families will be compensated for living and care costs until they complete secondary general and secondary special education.
Earlier, the parliament adopted the Law “On the protection of children from all forms of violence”, developed taking into account the experience of developed countries. It enshrines the legal basis for protecting children from violence and clearly defines state bodies and their powers. The President signed this law.
The proposals to involve people with disabilities in sports were also considered at the presentation.
In Uzbekistan, conditions have been created for practicing 19 types of parasport, and about 25 thousand people with disabilities regularly engage in sports.
Several measures are proposed to expand opportunities in this area. In particular, adaptive sports sections in state sports schools and sports grounds in mahallas should be adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities.
The electronic system “ERP-sport” will keep records of persons with disabilities, allowing for the automatic selection of sports that match their capabilities. Rehabilitation centers will increase the use of modern rehabilitation methods, such as physical therapy, mechanotherapy, and physiotherapy.
At the same time, attention will be paid to training specialists in adaptive physical education and sports. In this area, a system of material incentives for winners of international competitions and their coaches is planned.
The Head of state instructed to improve legislation in this area and create conditions for people needing social support.