In Vitebsk, foster and adoptive parents from across the region will share their experiences at a forum, BELTA was informed at the regional executive committee.
The regional forum, aimed at disseminating positive experiences of family upbringing for orphans and children left without parental care, and attracting public attention to this issue, will be held on October 22 at the Vitebsk Regional Palace of Children and Youth. Participants will include foster parents, family-type children's home educators, specialised staff from education departments (divisions) of district executive committees, socio-pedagogical centres, representatives of various interested structures and departments (prosecutor's office, commission for juvenile affairs, internal affairs departments, healthcare, emergency services, housing and communal services, trade union of education and science workers), Vitebsk State University named after P.M. Masherov, and the National Adoption Centre. Over 100 participants are expected in total.
The forum will feature exhibitions of methodological materials "Alphabet of a Foster Parent" and creative works "Scatter of Talents". At consultation areas, participants will be able to update their knowledge with specialists on issues of protecting the housing rights of orphans and children left without parental care who have been placed in families; regulating the labour of foster parents and family-type children's home educators; and a comprehensive approach to the creation and support of foster families.
The organiser is the main department for education of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.
Currently, there are 501 foster families in the Vitebsk region, raising 835 children. In 18 districts of the region, there are 31 family-type children's homes, where 222 children are growing up.