President Victor Yushchenko took part today in an all-Ukrainian Adopting Parents Forum.

In his address at the event President Yushchenko thanked to all those gathered for making a decision to adopt a child. “What you do is more than just making orphans happy. You refine Ukrainian society“, - he said.

Victor Yushchenko assured that as a President he would be caring for protection of Ukrainian children and support all the incentives to that.

Pointing to problems in the field President reminded that majority of the adopted children were under 5 years of age. Thus, he said, older orpaned children are left without care and it is necessary to improve the situation.

The second preoblem, Victor Yushchenko named, was international adoption. According to him the state does not have any information on living conditions of some of ukrainian orpaned children that were adopted by parents from other countries. To change the situation President urged Verkhovna Rada to ratify Hague Adoption Convention on Intercouuntry Adoption. He also urged the authgorities to promote national adoption and other forms of care for orpan children to put an end to Ukraine being a donor for international adoption.

Overall, President Yushchenko stressed satisfaction with the situation in that area after reforms that had begun back in 2005. “We can be proud today of the great and successful work that was done in reforming adoption and child care system”, - he said. Here President thanked to Ministry for Family Youth and Sport for their efforts in that field.