The forum participants exchanged experiences and discussed the measures implemented in the region to protect children’s interests and to combat violence against children. They also discussed the information campaign by the Commissioner for Children's Rights against violence and cruelty in the media.
Speaking at the conference, Pavel Astakhov noted the republic’s positive experience in supporting orphans and children with disabilities, as well as the fact that the number of foster families in Yakutia in the last five years has grown by 10 times. Thirty-seven social programmes are being successfully implemented in Yakutia, including The Family for the Child programme, which won first place at the national competition in 2012. Over 90% of orphans and children without parental care in the republic have been placed in foster families, and 578 orphans are being cared for in children's homes.
In Yakutsk, Pavel Astakhov toured the Republican Children's Hospital, visited the large family of the Pavlovs, which is raising four children of their own and nine foster children, and presented the keys to new flats to 13 orphans and children without parental care.
Together with the Republic’s Head Yegor Borisov, Pavel Astakhov visited the Celebration of Life charity foundation in the Republican Paediatric Centre and stopped at the hospital chapel, which opened in 2009.
