Placing orphans in foster families is the best form of their upbringing - an expert

April 22, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. Placing orphans in foster families is the best form of their upbringing. This opinion was expressed in a conversation with a BELTA correspondent by Ivan Shchurok, head of the education department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, commenting on the Head of State's Address. "For children left without parental care, there is nothing better than finding a new mom and dad. Even the most modern orphanage or boarding school cannot compare to this, because for a child, there is nothing more important than parental love and care," Ivan Shchurok is confident. In this regard, he noted that the regional education department pays the utmost attention to the construction of family-type orphanages. Since 2006, within the framework of the subprogram "Orphans" of the presidential program "Children of Belarus", 15 houses have been built in the region for families raising orphans (in Vitebsk, Verkhnedvinsk, Miory, Glubokoye, Dokshytsy, Orsha, Lepel districts and Orsha). 87 children have found a family in them. "In the current five-year period, the construction of family-type orphanages will continue. This is one of the most important areas of our activity for placing orphans in family-based upbringing," the head of the department emphasized. Ivan Shchurok was also positively impressed by the President's opinion on the need to create conditions so that the family's income level does not decrease upon the birth of a second child. "This is a completely correct approach to improving the demographic situation. Without a doubt, the measures taken in this direction will have their effect," the interlocutor is convinced. In total, according to data as of January 1, 2011, in the Vitebsk region, more than 2.5 thousand orphans (58.2%) are being raised in foster families. At the same time, 64% of newly identified orphans are placed in families. 91 children were adopted last year. -0-