Experiences and lessons learned from developing family based substitute care, including foster care, in Belarus National Centre of Adoption of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus Natalia Pospelova Director

Substitute care type Monthly child allowances Reservation of the status guaranties for the child Remuneration of labour on child care Legal frameworks Control of the situation of the child in the family Adoption Yes, by 16 years of age NoNo payment District court decision During first 3 years of the adoption Guardianship Yes, by 18 years of age, afterwards – until employment Yes, by 23 years of age No payment Local guardianship authorities decision During the whole period of the guardianship Professional substitute family (foster family, family type children’s home) Yes, by 18 years of age, afterwards – until employment Yes, by 23 years of age Labour fixed term contract (2 nd category teacher’s wage rate) Local guardianship authorities decision, labour contract, contract on placement of the child for care During the whole period of the child stay in the family © 2009 © 2009, National Centre of Adoption of MoE, Belarus

Legal frameworks for different substitute family types in the Republic of Belarus Family typeType of the normative act Organ which adopted the normative act AdoptionRegulation on procedures for adoption of children Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus GuardianshipRegulation on guardianship Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus Foster careRegulation on foster careCouncil of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus Family type children’s home Regulation on family type children’s home Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus © 2009 © 2009, National Centre of Adoption of MoE, Belarus

Comparison of the substitute family care rates in Belarus (2002/2009) © 2009 © 2009, National Centre of Adoption of MoE, Belarus

Share of children without parental care in institutions and in substitute family care in 2009 © 2009 © 2009, National Centre of Adoption of MoE, Belarus

Family based placement of children without parental care in 2002 and 2008 Family care type In 2002In 2008 Adoption Guardianship Foster care Family type children’s home © 2009 © 2009, National Centre of Adoption of MoE, Belarus

Principles of social-pedagogical activity on creation and supervision of professional substitute families Principle of the professional partnership Principle of recognition of importance of the professional family care Principle of the child’s attachments continuity «The family for the child, and not the child for the family» Principle of the territorial constancy © 2009 © 2009, National Centre of Adoption of MoE, Belarus

Content of the starting competency of the professional substitute parent For what we should prepare the candidate for foster care parenting or for the work as the family type children’s home parent-educator? What are his/her starting competencies? What knowledge and skills (professional tools) the person is supposed to have? © 2009 © 2009, National Centre of Adoption of MoE, Belarus

ADOPTIVE PARENTS FOSTER PARENTS WE LOVE,WE KNOW, WANT, CAN ARE ABLE, HAVE SKILLS ADOPTIVE PARENTS FOSTER PARENTS WE LOVE,WE KNOW, WANT, CAN ARE ABLE, HAVE SKILLS © 2009 © 2009, National Centre of Adoption of MoE, Belarus

Stages of the social-pedagogical work on creation and supervision of professional substitute families Identification of resource families Primary assessment of the resource families Training of parents from resource families Preparatory work with the child to be placed in the family Creation and supervision of the professional substitute families Monitoring of the situation of the child in the professional substitute family Evaluation of the work of the professional substitute parent © 2009 © 2009, National Centre of Adoption of MoE, Belarus

Lessons learned from developing family based substitute care in Belarus Lesson 1. The possibility to make choice among different types of the family care that is focused on concrete needs of an individual child ensures the development of family based alternatives. Lesson 2. Extension of the family placement schemes is impossible without targeting social advertizing of the family care. Lesson 3. Development of the professional family care should be based on quality psychological diagnostics, selection and training of citizens willing to create the professional substitute family. Lesson 4. All forms of the family based care are sustainable in case if focused supervision of the family and monitoring of the situation of the fostered child is in place. Lesson 5. Development of the family care schemes requires clear and common principles of social-pedagogical activity on creation and supervision of the families and fostered children. © 2009 © 2009, National Centre of Adoption of MoE, Belarus

Life example: the child before and after she was placed in the foster care family © 2009 © 2009, National Centre of Adoption of MoE, Belarus

THANK YOU! © 2009 © 2009 National Centre of Adoption of MoE, Belarus