The number of children in a socially dangerous situation in the Vitebsk region has decreased by 1.5 times since the decree №18 came into force

November 18, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The number of children in a socially dangerous situation has decreased by more than half during the period of Decree No. 18 "On Additional Measures for State Protection of Children in Disadvantaged Families" in the Vitebsk region, Deputy Chairperson of the Commission for Juvenile Affairs of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Tamara Olekhnovich told a BELTA correspondent. Decree No. 18 came into force on January 1, 2007. At that time, 4.6 thousand children from 2596 families in the region were recognized as being in a socially dangerous situation. According to data as of October 1, 2009, there were 2.8 thousand such children in 1670 families. In total, over 2 years and 9 months of Decree No. 18, 11.9 thousand young residents of the region, raised in 6.9 thousand families, were recognized as being in a socially dangerous situation. During this time, this status was removed from almost 7 thousand children. Since the decree came into force, 1.7 thousand children have been recognized as needing state protection and removed from families by decision of the commissions for juvenile affairs, as their presence with their parents posed a danger to them. More than 1 thousand children were returned to their biological families. Over 9 months of the current year, 393 children from 247 families were recognized as needing state protection. 279 children were returned to 163 families. "This is an expected result, due to systematic work with disadvantaged families and the measures for child protection clearly outlined in Decree No. 18," believes Tamara Olekhnovich. Not only punitive measures are applied to negligent parents, but they are also provided with effective assistance - from free treatment for alcoholism to improving housing conditions and employment. For example, since the beginning of the current year alone, 194 parents whose children were recognized as needing state protection have undergone a course of treatment for alcoholism, another 151 parents have been employed, and 35 families have improved their housing conditions. In the Vitebsk region, special attention is paid to the prevention of family disadvantage. Along with educators, law enforcement agencies, guardianship and trusteeship authorities, and commissions for juvenile affairs, medical workers have joined this work. They are the first representatives of state structures to visit families, providing patronage to infants. If facts of disadvantage occur, guardianship and trusteeship authorities and commissions for juvenile affairs become involved in working with this family, explained Tamara Olekhnovich, outlining the current prevention scheme. The region's guardianship authorities have joined the law enforcement officers' "Family Without Violence" campaign. And now facts about domestic rowdies will be monitored by guardianship authorities, and children from such families will be taken under control. -0-