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Nearly 3,000 children live in damaging residential children’s homes in Georgia and referrals for placements in residential care are increasing at an alarming rate of 10% a year. Poverty and increased social problems have led to family breakdown and greater numbers of children being placed in institutional care. The conflict in August 2008 has placed added pressure on vulnerable families.
EveryChild is working with the Georgian Government to reform the national childcare system to ensure that more children grow up in a family or family-type care. We support and advise vulnerable parents to prevent more children from being abandoned into children’s homes. We also work with children already living in institutional care to reintegrate them back into their families.
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What is EveryChild doing to help?
Support to child welfare reform
EveryChild has successfully persuaded the Georgian Government to adopt an ambitious plan to reduce the number of children living in institutional care. The Children’s Action Plan aims to improve family support services and develop better child protection systems. EveryChild is supporting the Government to close down residential children’s homes and develop substitute services such as foster and adoption services, Community Day Care Centres and Small Family Group Homes as well as reintegrating children already living in institutional care with their families.
Preventing trafficking in Tianeti province
In Tianeti region 28% of the total population have at least one migrant family member currently working in another country. Women migrants constitute 68% of the overall migrant population. This has a devastating effect on children with many being placed in institutions. EveryChild is working to educate local women about the risks involved with migrating abroad to find work, as well as running a Daycare Centre which provides a safe space for children to stay whilst their parents are working.
Supporting internally displaced children
In August 2008 the Georgia/Russia conflict led to 90,000 Georgians fleeing to the capital, Tbilisi. EveryChild responded quickly to train social workers to assess the needs of internally displaced families. EveryChild helped families access vital services as well as providing counselling for traumatised children. The work initiated by EveryChild has now been handed over to the Georgian Government who continue to support families living in Internally Displaced Peoples settlements.
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