ACTIVITY DATES: October 2006 - August 2009

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), National Foundation for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NFPCC)

REGION(S): Altaiskiy kray, Irkutskaya oblast, Khabarovskiy kray, Krasnoyarskiy kray, Novosibirskaya oblast, Primorskiy kray, St. Petersburg, Tambovskaya oblast, Tomskaya oblast

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The Assistance to Russian Orphans (ARO) program helps establish and improve child welfare services and policies in Russia by introducing and supporting innovative programs for child welfare services.  The program seeks to reduce child abandonment, introduce early intervention and case management for families at-risk, promote community and family-based care for orphans, and advance foster care. 

ARO aims to institutionalize best practices in child welfare for long-term, sustained impact-providing technical assistance and supervisory support to Russian child welfare programs and related regional government departments.  ARO offers sub-grant and training programs in nine regions. The ARO strategy focuses on supporting a critical mass of innovative child welfare projects and establishing enabling policy environments at the local/municipal and regional levels.  These efforts include maximizing local financial and human resources and forging sustainable partnerships with the local government.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

The ARO program developing a model child welfare program in Tomsk Oblast that can be replicated in other regions.  The comprehensive package includes: psycho-social rehabilitation for children and families; support for families with disabled children; early rehabilitation assistance to children with severe disabilities; emergency services to families in crisis; support to foster parents and guardians; and social adaptation for orphanage alumni.  The Tomsk model has been studied and highlighted by the Family, Women and Children's Affairs Committee of the State Duma.

As a result, there has been 5.6% decrease in the number of children in institutions in Tomsk. Last year 42 children were placed in foster families (compared to only 2 in 2006) and two orphanages closed thanks to improved support for family-based care.  In Russia overall, the number of institutionalized children placed in family-based care increased by 6% in 2007, and ARO priority regions accounted for over one-third of the overall national number of reunited families. Over 40,000 children and families have been served since the beginning of the program. 

In partnership with the University of Alaska and the Institute for Human Services in Ohio, ARO has developed a model university curriculum in social work for Tomsk University.  The curriculum includes a mandatory practicum in ARO sites to provide students hands-on experience with child welfare services.

In all pilot regions, the ARO team introduced programs for families in crisis, assistance to children with deviant behavior and families with alcohol-related problems, and social programs in schools.  Case management approach is introduced across the above spectrum of services to assure the quality of care.

Pilot services for HIV+ women were insitutionalized by social welfare centers in two districts of St. Petersburg.  Services include family preservation, psycho-social support and adherence to ARV treatment.