No Orphanages in Vilnius, Lithuania by 2020

“During the next five years, until 2020, Vilnius will try to reduce the number of infants and children living in institutions; and only in the most desperate cases, if foster parents cannot be found, the children will be housed in an orphanage, Vilnius City Council reports BC.

Currently, there are around 330 children living in the capital city’s orphanages.

“In the few reformation years, foster homes should stop to exist, or only remain for the children in exceptional situations. Children have to grow up where they belong – in families and communities. The families and communities will get a full package of all the necessary social services. Families will receive actual aid, a foster network will be created, and infant orphan homes will become service centres. From the beginning, we will try to make sure that children do not end up in orphanages. We will invest to support families who are having problems,” Mayor of Vilnius Remigijus Simasius says.

 

This does not mean, however, that suddenly all of the foster care institutions will be closed, Vilnius City Council says. Larger orphanage homes will be divided into smaller ones and reconstructed to resemble natural community environments. One of the first successful examples of the reform of institutionalized care is Zolynas orphanage. There, as the institution is being divided, nine children live together in a family.

 

As of 2017, as the Vilnius Residence for Infants with development delays gets amended, intense rehabilitation services will be provided to the children with the development delays. They will receive medical treatments and prophylactic secondary level health care. In addition, children who do not have parents will receive social help.

 

At the Residence, families that are expecting disabled children will be able to receive consultations. Families, who are raising children with a disability, up until the kids are 7 years old, will have the opportunity to receive a short term service, which would allow them to re-enter the workforce. Otherwise, the parents can use a couple of hours to repose, while qualified specialists take care of their children.

 

One of the reform goals is to strengthen families’ readiness and willingness to take care of children left without parents.

 

Four orphanages are planned to be reformed in Vilnius: Residence for Infants with development delays, orphanage centres Gile, Mintis, and Zolynas. During 2015, these four institutions will receive EUR 1.628,962 million (EUR 1.082,252 million from municipality’s budget and EUR 546,710 from state budget funds).

 

The five year orphanage reform plan will require funds from the state budget, municipality, and the EU. The estimate is around EUR 2.005,6 million, Vilnius City Council said.”

 

No orphanages in Vilnius by 2020[Baltic Course 8/3/15 by Petras Vaida]

REFORM Puzzle Piece