Maria Lvova-Belova and Novosibirsk Region Governor Andrei Travnikov discussed pressing matters related to protecting the rights of minors and the implementation of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights’ strategic programmes Teenagers in Russia and Children in the Family, which were supported by the President, as well as future cooperation areas.
Speaking at the 3rd Teenagers 360 Interregional Forum, Maria Lvova-Belova discussed new forms of working with children. The Federal Centre for Developing Teenager Socialisation Programmes, which was created under the Ministry of Education as directed by the President and on the initiative of the Commissioner for Children's Rights, will form the core of the efforts to develop methodology guidelines. The centre employees are developing new methodological recommendations and professional development programmes for specialists working with minors. The geography of teenage forums covers the entire country, and forums have already been held in St Petersburg and Vladivostok.
Maria Lvova-Belova also held a meeting of the working group on implementing the pilot project to prevent social orphanhood among children under the age of four in the Novosibirsk Region. This project is being implemented in 12 pilot regions as part of the strategic programme Children in the Family.
Before the meeting, the commissioner visited the Nadezhda Crisis Centre to meet with mothers of multiple children who found themselves in difficult life situations.
Ms Lvova-Belova also toured a new teenage centre called Yunost, which opened at the Sodruzhestvo youth centre as part of the strategic programme Teenagers of Russia. More such centres will open in 14 pilot regions before the end of 2022.
In addition, the children's ombudsperson and Andrei Travnikov met orphans and children left without parental care from the Lugansk People's Republic at the Tolmachevo Airport. Eight families from the Novosibirsk Region fostered 24 children aged two to 16. Family groups have two to five brothers and sisters.
Overall, 104 children from the LPR who were left without parental care will be placed with foster families in the Volgograd, Leningrad, Novosibirsk and Tyumen regions.