This November, Rinat Akhmetov’s Foundation for Development of Ukraine (FDU) and the Ukrainian Ministry for Family, Youth and Sports initiated the Law “On organizational and legal activity of custody and guardianship agencies”.

The initiative came from the problems the FDU had faced during a charitable campaign to support national adrogation. The new legal document will regulate operation of the custody and guardianship agencies to protect the rights and interests of orphans, children deprived of parental care and other individuals requiring guardianship. The initiators expect the law to be completed in March 2009. In particular, the new law seeks to remove inconsistencies between legal acts, which regulate operation of the custody and guardianship agencies.

Moreover, the current legislation doesn’t protect the rights and interests of a child from the moment he is left without parental care and up to the moment he receives full social provision. To achieve the latter goal, a child must acquire the status of an orphan or of a child deprived of parental care. But this process can consume much time. The initiated law will regulate operation of the custody and guardianship agencies in the area of social protection of children and adults with disabilities. It will also determine competence of these agencies in the field of housing and property rights of children.

This June, Rinat Akhmetov’s Foundation initiated the project Foster Care Promotion and Family Building, which primarily seeks to support national adrogation, foster families and family-type orphanages. Under the present project the FDU also cooperates with orphanages to prevent social orphanhood. Partners of the FDU under the given project are the Ukrainian Ministry for Family, Youth and Sports; regional state administrations; Magnoliya; Child Protection Service NGO; Inter TV channel; TRK Ukraina Broadcasting Company; and STB TV Channel.

We remind that the Foundation for Development of Ukraine was established in July 2005.

Kompanyon – Online edition
11 November 2008
By Anna Alekseyeva, Andrey Rudoy