Pupils of the Chernigov boarding school (orphanage), 2007
In boarding schools (internats) in Zaporozhye region of Ukraine, which are managed by the Department of Education, only 5.5% of children (322 children) are orphans or deprived of parental care. The remaining 94.5% (5810) children have parents. This information was received from the regional education department in response to a request from the Happy Child Foundation.
It turns out that the state finances children in an institution, apart from the family, but is not yet able to create an effective system of assistance to families in need. After all, most of the children in these boarding schools go there because of the low income of the family, or because of the disability or physical characteristics of the child (mental retardation, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, etc.). Only 2-3 institutions are focused on talented children, but even in this case it is not clear why the child should be separated from the family to develop his talents.
It should be noted that the maintenance of a child in a boarding school is much more expensive for the state than financing the same child in a regular school or living with a foster family. Now legislators are deciding whether to continue functioning of sanatorium schools, close them, or reform them in some way. So far, the issue of closing them has been postponed, which means that for several more years, millions of budget funds will be poured into these structures.
Closed boarding school in the village of Poltavka, Gulyaypolsky district
For me personally, the purpose of sanatorium boarding schools is not clear: if a child is ill or has special health conditions, then he undergoes treatment in a hospital or in a sanatorium, rehabilitation in a rehabilitation center. Why take a child away from his family for many years? If children attend a sanatorium boarding school only in the daytime, then what is the meaning of the name "boarding school"? Then transform this institution into a regular school, and no one bothers this school to specialize in the prevention of certain diseases, rehabilitation, exercise therapy, etc. If a child actually lives in school as an orphan, and his biological parents do not care about him in any way, they lead an asocial lifestyle, then you need to formalize an orphan status for him and look for new adoptive parents.
In any case, active work is needed to reform these institutions, taking into account the interests of children, employees of institutions and taxpayers. The Happy Child Foundation is ready to be actively involved in this work.
You can find information about all institutions for orphans in the Zaporozhye region on our website
You can also help in the creation and development of family-type children's homes
