The third forum of adoptive families "Happiness of a child - growing up in a family" on June 5 achieved its goal and united under one roof 60 adoptive parents, guardians, foster carers, adoptive parents of the Ternopil region with more than 100 representatives of the authorities, communities, social services from all districts of the Ternopil region (55 communities of the Ternopil region)
The forum was attended by guests from international and regional charitable / public organizations, who, with their speeches and expertise, instilled hope for support among community representatives in the direction of promoting and supporting family forms of raising children.
The participants were welcomed by the Head of the State Service for Children of Ukraine - Petro Dobromilsky, Deputy Head of the Ternopil Regional Military Administration - Pavlo Zhurba, representatives of international charitable funds "Global Fund for Children" - Joseph Bednarek, Director of the "Partnership "Every Child" - Vasilyna Dybaylo, Head of "The Future of Orphans" - Andriy Nazarenko.
Invited experts from Kyiv, Uzhhorod and Donetsk and Ternopil region provided the forum participants with the necessary legislative basis for the implementation of the right of every child and adoptive parents to have accessible services in the community, so that the adoptive family feels accepted and wanted in the community: benefits for housing, education, medicine, the ability to draw up documents, rehabilitation and recovery.
During the panel discussion, experts from among the representatives of social service centers, children's services, charitable organizations shared the successes and challenges that occurred during the year. The biggest challenge for the community remains the lack of specialists to support the foster family, medical examination, burnout of foster parents, incomplete understanding by communities of the interpretations of the legislation of Ukraine regarding the provision of necessary services to foster families. After all, as was stated, very soon all communities will receive direct obligations to create and provide services to foster families in the community.
The third main part of the forum was the practical work of each forum participant in mini groups. Everyone had the opportunity to express their vision of solving those challenges from the community and from the side of foster parents. The main thing that can be highlighted from the work done is that each community must create a special social program (business plan) to support foster families in the community, have a clear base of donors, benefactors, partner organizations and an exhaustive list of services with needs and a vision of their solutions in order to implement services if the community's resources are limited.
From the proposals developed for foster parents, I would like to highlight the need for vacation, sick leave, subsidies for utilities, medical and rehabilitation treatment for children, access to educational opportunities in the community taking into account the characteristics of foster children, psychological meetings for parents (at least once a month), a nanny for one day.
All these and other equally important proposals from the participants will be compiled into an official document and sent to ministries and departments for review and amendments to the legislation on foster care.
In addition to serious conversations and heated discussions, the forum participants had a favorable platform for getting to know each other, communicating during breaks, establishing contacts between communities, charitable foundations and public organizations, and hearing the stories of foster parents and children.
Such forums should be held in every district of the Ternopil region so that everyone has the opportunity to speak out and be heard and his or her opinion is taken into account. The work will continue until all children grow up in family forms of upbringing - noted the initiator and head of the Ternopil Charitable Foundation "Future of Orphans", who has gained such experience in his life and wants to implement it for every child left without the care of their parents.
Join the page of the Orphans Future Foundation to stay up to date with foster care in the Ternopil region.
