The working trip to the Donetsk People’s Republic focused on implementing a family-oriented approach to preventing social orphanhood.
During a meeting with the head of the republic Denis Pushilin, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights noted that over 500 children currently live in the region’s orphanages, although many of them have relatives and could potentially return to their families. Together, they agreed to establish an interdepartmental commission to assess the necessity of institutional placements and to designate a fund operator for providing timely support to families.
During the meeting, the Commissioner said that since 2022, 1346 children from the republic have participated in 17 Day after Tomorrow shifts, 127 children with various health conditions have received treatment at sanatoriums and 3,268 children have been assisted through the In Children’s Hands initiative. Additionally, two youth centres operate in Makeyevka and Mariupol, and children from the region take part in the Power of Russia shifts.
Maria Lvova-Belova held an expanded working meeting, where she honoured top professionals in child protection and provided recommendations for improving social orphanhood prevention efforts.
She also visited the Republican Specialised Children’s Home in Makeyevka and the Republican Specialised Children’s Home in Donetsk, where she reviewed children’s case files and met with parents seeking to regain parental rights.
At the Government of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Maria Lvova-Belova held a public reception for citizens. While the requests varied, housing assistance was the most pressing concern. Cases from four families were taken under review in collaboration with regional authorities.