According to the Global Study findings, one out of every three children living in institutions is a child with a disability. The Study findings further show that many examples of deinstitutionalization are found in former Soviet States, Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. On the 30th of June, the Centre for European Studies at the Yerevan State University held an open panel discussion on the deinstitutionalization of children in Tajikistan, Armenia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Georgia.
The panel discussion was a part of the project “Practice Exchange on Deinstitutionalisation for Children with Disabilities”, supported by the Global Campus of Human Rights and the Right Livelihood Foundation and led by Mariam Muradyan, Child Rights Regional Officer. During the event, the former Ombudsman of Children in Ukraine, as well as experts from UNICEF and from different NGOs gave an overview of the national policies, positive developments as well as practices relating to the decrease of the number of children in institutions and deinstitutionalization processes. In addition, challenges and needs were raised regarding the importance of identifying the causes for separation between children with disabilities and their families, and the need to provide family support to avoid this.
Re-watch the event here.