Rinat Akhmetov Foundation arranges trainings for Donbas social workers

Today, on April 7, Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region, hosted a launch of a series of trainings for social service professionals working with children in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The event was organized by Rinat Akhmetov Foundation as part of "Say No to Orphanhood" program together with Danish Refugee Council. The main topic is: "Children are the victims of the conflict in the Eastern Ukraine: the risks and the vulnerability of internally displaced children".

"Most of the children affected by the military conflict live in Donbas. Due to hostilities these children become orphans. Often without legally registered status, but with real problems, as they face different legal collisions, including difficulties with paperwork", – Darya Kasyanova, Program and project manager at Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, shared.

As it is known, in February 2016 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a law #936-VIII "On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine concerning the strengthening of social protection of children and support for families with children". The law amended nine existing laws of Ukraine aimed at bringing legislation in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In particular, it provides a definition for such terms as "the best interests of the child", "children in difficult life circumstances" and "children affected by war and armed conflicts".

"Ukraine has finally adopted the status of "the child affected by armed conflict". But so far they haven't developed any normative documents that would regulate this Law. Specialists of social services in Donetsk and Luhansk regions have many questions that need explanation, that's why the training sessions of Rinat Akhmetov Foundation are relevant and necessary now", – Darya Kasyanova believes.

During the trainings they will discuss a new form of family upbringing of children in Ukraine called "family patronage" (according to the amendments to the Law made to the Family Code). This would avoid a child’s negative experience of staying in boarding school and provide temporary residence in conditions closest to the family.

Other topical issues of training sessions:

• protection of children in the armed conflict areas and children affected by war and armed conflicts;
• the impact of military operations on the child's development;
• mechanism of interaction between the executive committees and divisions of regional state administrations protecting the rights of the child;
• social protection of children in the light of the Law of Ukraine #936-VIII.

The training leader is Liudmyla Volynets, the expert of Rinat Akhmetov Foundation on children's rights observance, the Head of "Protection of the child's rights is the state's priority" association.

Dates and venue of training sessions from Rinat Akhmetov Foundation:

April 7-8, Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region.

April 12-13, Kramatorsk, Donetsk region.

April 14-15, Mariupol, Donetsk region.