Forum Experts Say Civil Society Should Play a Bigger Role in Child Welfare

(August 1-6, Buryatia) The first U.S.‐Russian Child Welfare Forum took place this month, organized by a USAID partner, the National Foundation for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NFPCC). Bringing together top experts from both countries, the forum provided a unique opportunity for knowledge sharing and collaboration in addressing issues such as the physical and sexual abuse of children, child pornography, trafficking, and abandonment. Special attention was paid to the role of civil society in protecting children and families. Olga Pristanskaya from the Presidential Office of the Children’s Rights Commissioner pointed to the need for more coordination between stakeholders in child welfare, including the role of NGOs in providing social services to at‐risk families. Participants agreed, and proposed the creation of a Russian professional association against child abuse, similar to the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC). APSAC President Ronald Hughes, who attended the forum, anticipates more cooperation. “The Forum kicked‐off new strategies for collaboration and exchanges of evidence‐based practices which have been developed by our countries,” he said. The participants agreed to continue discussions on‐line at the Forum site www.rus‐us.org. Hosted by the Government of the Republic of Buryatia, the forum evolved out of the Child Protection Sub‐Group of the Bilateral Presidential Commission’s (BPC) Civil Society Working Group. Buryatia has been selected by NFPCC as a center of excellence for its USAID‐supported Compass for Childhood project.

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