Assessing Alternative Care for Children in Armenia

Author(s): Zulfiya Charyeva, Hasmik Ghukasyan, Armenia country core team

Year: 2018

Abstract:

Armenia’s care reform initiative is based on the United Nations Guidelines for Alternative Care of Children (hereinafter referred to as the UN Guidelines), which outlines specific principles and standards for the appropriate care of children to ensure that they grow up in a protective environment, free from deprivation, exploitation, danger, and insecurity. To support this agenda, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA), with funding and technical assistance from the Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and MEASURE Evaluation, conducted a self-assessment of the care reform system at a participatory stakeholder workshop held January 17–19, 2018, at the Tsakhkadzor Hotel Russia, in Armenia.

The purpose of the assessment workshop was to bring together key stakeholders—decision makers, policy developers, service providers, civil society representatives, and donors—to assess and identify the main care reform areas in which action is needed. The assessment results aim to provide information to improve the implementation of care reform in line with the government’s international commitments and the National Strategy and Action Plan on Child Rights Protection in the Republic of Armenia for 2017‒2021.

The main findings of the assessment workshop are summarized by area of care, following the logic of the discussions. We also summarize findings by system components, followed by a summary of recommendations organized in the same way, to allow for the rapid identification of common issues for all areas of care that require immediate attention.

This publication is also available in the following language:
Armenian