During her working visit, Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova‑Belova signed an agreement with Trans-Baikal Territory Governor Alexander Osipov on the provision of assistance to families with children, preventing social orphanhood, and the introduction of innovative operational methods. The region has become the first of ten pilot regions where the institution of commissioners for children’s rights will assume oversight of residential organisations for children.
The Commissioner also visited Regional Specialised Children’s Home No. 1, where she inspected the early intervention unit and held a meeting with parents of children residing at the facility, as well as Specialised Children’s Home No. 2. At the Nadezhda Social Rehabilitation Centre for Minors, the Commissioner reviewed the circumstances of families with children facing difficult life situations and held a personal reception – including for residents of remote areas of the Trans-Baikal Territory.
In addition, Maria Lvova‑Belova inaugurated the Family First: Prevention of Parental Alcohol and Drug Addiction strategic session in Chita. The event brought together approximately 300 specialists from the Far Eastern Federal District, Moscow, St Petersburg, Siberia, and the Volga Region.
The Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights emphasised that, by leveraging the resources of the Children’s Protection Fund, she will seek to prevent minors from entering care institutions, facilitate their return to their families, identify potential guardians, and transition towards a family-oriented model of work. Two children’s homes and the Nadezhda Social Rehabilitation Centre are to become innovation platforms within the Trans-Baikal Territory.
According to the Commissioner, one of the reasons children end up in care institutions is parental addiction; it is therefore imperative to ensure that every family where parents exhibit signs of substance abuse is able to receive specialised consultations with a narcologist or a trained specialist.
Participants in the session shared the most effective practices in preventing alcohol and drug addiction among parents. For instance, the Republic of Buryatia operates mobile narcology teams providing services to residents of remote towns and villages, whilst in the Novosibirsk Region, narcologists are invited to participate in consultations and meetings of commissions on juvenile affairs, thereby supporting a parent’s decision to undergo treatment.
Particular attention was paid to supporting families following treatment – assisting parents in consolidating positive results and restoring trust between adults and children.
Following the event, proposals were developed to enhance the system of assistance for parents with alcohol and drug addiction. The results and conclusions of the strategic session will inform the work of the interdepartmental working group on providing assistance to families with children and preventing social orphanhood, specifically in the development of a standardised comprehensive programme for citizens with alcohol and drug addiction.