4 October, Minsk / Alina Grishkevich – BELTA/. President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has signed Decree No. 517 "On the Provision of Social Benefits to Certain Categories of Minors", BELTA was informed by the press service of the Head of State. The document has been adopted to strengthen the social protection of minors residing in clean territories but studying in educational institutions in contaminated areas. These children are granted the right to free meals during their studies at schools, free sanatorium-resort treatment and health improvement, and round-trip travel to sanatorium institutions. In addition, to increase the coverage of sanatorium-resort treatment and health improvement for children residing in territories of radioactive contamination or studying there, the decree grants the right to free travel for children sent for health improvement as part of organised groups, and the right to sanatorium-resort treatment with a voucher payment of 15% of its cost to one of the parents (legal representative) accompanying a child aged 3-6 years. The adoption of the decree is further evidence that the state's care for children has been and remains a priority task of Belarus's social policy. -0-

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