On approving Statute on the family-type children’s houses

August 02, 2007

With an aim to ensure the protection of rights and interests of children left without a parental care, create for them the necessary conditions close to a family atmosphere, develop the family-type children’s houses as well as implement the Resolution of the President of Uzbekistan of January 23, 2007 №PP-573 “On the State program “Year of Social Protection” the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan approved the Statute on the family-type children’s houses.

In accordance with this document, the family-type children’s house is a fostering establishment for the children, who are left without a parental care. The document also defines the status, procedure of establishing the family-type children’s houses, adopting children to the family-type houses, the rights and responsibilities of the foster parents and children transferred to such houses (hereinafter – the foster children).

The main objectives of the family-type children’s houses are to create the favorable conditions for the fosterage, education, rehabilitation, mental, psychological and physical development of the children left without a parental care, their social adaptation and protection, as well as creation for them all the necessary conditions close to a family atmosphere.

The document also envisages that the bodies of surveillance and guardianship assist in establishing the family-type children’s houses, render the foster parents the needed organizational help, and carry out monitoring works over the living conditions and upbringing of foster children at least once a month.

A family-type children’s house is established, reorganized and liquidated on the decision of the khokim (mayor) of the district or city. The grounding for the decision of the khokim of the district or city shall be a written application of the married couple willing to establish a family-type children’s house, the conclusion of the surveillance and guardianship body, the commission on minors at the khokim’s offices of the district and city on the opportunity of a couple to become the foster parents and take the children into their care.

The foster parents shall be the citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who are registered in wedlock, at the age from 35 up to 50 years old, if otherwise shall not be envisaged by this Statute, as well as excluding the persons, listed in this document. Upon the written request, the surveillance and guardianship body shall examine the living conditions of the couple, ink a written act on its outcomes and submit it to the consideration of the commission on minors within thirty days from the date the request shall be filed. As it is indicated in the said document, the preference shall be given to the families with a positive experience in upbringing children left without a parental care, and have a pedagogical education (guardians, foster parents).

The decision of the khokim of district or city on establishing a family-type children’s house shall be announced to a couple within five days since such decision shall be made. In case of rejection of the commission on minors, the surveillance and guardianship body shall announce it to the applicants within five days.

The said document also indicates that the family-type children’s house admits children at the age of a birth date up to 18 left without a parental care. The surveillance and guardianship body considers the interests of children in giving them for the fosterage. Not less than five, but no more than ten children shall be given to the care of such establishments. In this, a newly established family-type children’s house shall accept not less than five children at the same time. The rest of the children can be given upon their selection by foster parents.

In keeping with the document, the new children shall not be accepted to the family-type children’s house if foster parents either one of them turns 55, and if it contradicts with the interests of the child. When foster parents either one of them reach the said age, the family-type children’s house operates until the foster children turn 18 years of age, or until they shall leave house for other reasons.

For every child given to the family-type children’s house the surveillance and guardianship bodies, or the administration of the children’s rehabilitation and recreational establishment, institutions of social protection of people and other analogous establishments shall produce the list of the documents specified as such in the Statute.
Besides, the document defines the rights and responsibilities of foster parents and children, the regulations of fostering and material-technical provision of the family-type children’s houses, as well as other main provisions.