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Overview | Out
of home care | Juvenile
justice | Violence,
exploitation and abuse | Programme
response | Resources
| Communication
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The
situation
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In 2002, the total number of children in public care in the Russian Federation was 781,300, of which 359,700 children were in foster or guardianship care and 421,600 children lived in residential institutions. However, many more children are thought to have lived in residential care at some point in their lives as there is a constant flow of children into and out of institutions.
- The ratio between foster or guardianship care and residential care has changed over recent years. Social welfare reforms have favoured the development of alternative care. The number of children placed in residential institutions has been gradually decreasing, from more than 74% of all placements in 1989 to 54% of placements in 2002.
- At the end of 2003, more than 2% of all Russian children (778,600 children) were either orphaned or without parental care.
- In the CEE/CIS region, the greatest number of children in public care is found in Russia and has increased over time, going from 678,000 in 1989 to 781,000 in 2002. Meanwhile the number of children in the care of foster parents or guardians has increased (174,000 in 1989 to 359,700 in 2002). This indicates that reforms of the child care system have favoured alternative care, but without giving sufficient attention to preventing separation from the biological parents.
- While the number of children in any type of public care has decreased, the proportion of infants in residential care (infant homes) has remained the same since 1989, with 19,340 children. The children living in infant homes are from 0 to 3 years old, the age group for which institutionalization is the most harmful.
Number
of children in infant homes (0-3 years old) compared to the
total number of children in residential care (table)
- In 2002, 14,101 Russian children were adopted nationally and internationally, which represents more than one third of all adoptions in the CEE/CIS Region. There has been an increase in the number of adoptions since 1998.
Number of adoptions between 1989 and 2002 (graph)
- In 2004, 6,926 children were internationally adopted from Russia. Since 1992, the number of international adoptions has been increasing with 7,852 children adopted out of the country in 2003.
Out
of home care system in CEE/CIS region
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Source: UNICEF TransMONEE 2004
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