At a meeting dedicated to child protection, Victor Yushchenko stressed that Ukraine should have its national database to register teenage orphans and homeless children. He claimed that it would help us better formulate state policy to protect these children’s rights.

The President emphasized that several ministries and institutions, having similar functions, were in charge of such children. He urged ministers and local officials to make their work “well-coordinated and balanced.”

Yushchenko noted that having no database we would not be able to implement programs to fight HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

“In 2006, we should fully implement the AIDS program,” he said.

The President also said it was expedient to have regional databases of families that can adopt homeless children and orphans.

Addressing those present, Yushchenko noted that in 2006 we should form such databases to use them to formulate child policy.

During the meeting, the President awarded teachers of children’s homes and adopters. Then he signed an order to declare 2006 a year of child protection.

Humanitarian Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kyrylenko, Youth and Sports Minister Yuriy Pavlenko, Education Minister Stanislav Nikolayenko, First Deputy Secretariat Chief of Staff Ivan Vasyunyk, parliamentarians, adopters, teachers, and social workers took part in the meeting.