The orphanage received a new bus and a high-technology computer classroom for Christmas. In addition, funds will be allocated from the Presidential Reserve Fund for renovating the orphanage.
While there, the President met with educators working in Ivanovo orphanages to discuss issues of their remuneration, the problem of child orphanhood, and many others. The meeting also discussed the necessity to develop a legal framework for centres training foster parents.
The educators drew attention to the problem of creating so-called start-up capital for children who grow up in orphanages and whose parents are alive but deprived of their parental rights. Often, it is not possible to find the parents of such children to collect child support payments they have to pay under alimony law. At the same time, full orphans receive monthly funds in a savings account since they no longer have a family provider. By the time they leave the orphanage these accumulated funds typically range from 200,000 to 300,000 rubles.
President Medvedev instructed the Government and the Presidential Executive Office to develop a mechanism for creating so-called start-up capital that would give same guarantees to all children living in orphanages.
The Ministry of Education will be charged with developing teaching methods for pre-school-age children with hearing impairments.