development of indicators of loss parental care with child and parent participation elena orbova...

Development of indicators of loss parental care with child

and parent participation

Elena Orbova

University of York, 28 July, 2011 1

IBPP 2011 Project “Taking action for children”, funded by EU


• The monitoring instrument developed by the action will serve as a way of ensuring greater public oversight of the child welfare system as it relates to loss of parental care and addressing the consequences of loss of parental care

• The instrument will facilitate engagement of children without parental care or at risk of losing parental care, and their parents, in providing a strong element of this oversight

• The index of indicators will focus on the various elements of the child welfare system that deal with loss of parental care and attempt to give an objective assessment of the way in which this or that region is meeting its responsibilities under Russian legislation and in the framework of international instruments

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Aims of the indicators

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Two ways of development index

1. From the top down through consultations with Federal Ministry policy makers from Health, Social Development and Education, Regional Government specialists from a range of sectors, national and Regional NGOs

2. From the bottom up through consultations with children and parents


• Moscow, May, 12, 2011. Experts from Ministry of education and science, Fund of children’s support in difficult life situation, The National Foundation for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NFPCC), UNICEF, International Foster Care Organisation (IFCO)

• Saint-Petersburg, May, 13, 2011. Experts from Governmental Regional Center “Semya” (“Family”), Early Intervention Institute, IFCO, The apparatus of ombudsman by the rights of the child

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Consultations with Federal Ministry policy makers


• It’s necessary to analyze what we have already had in our system at federal, regional and local levels

• It’s necessary to develop the methodology of getting feedback from clients with child participation

“The feedback from our clients is very informative, that’s why it’s very important to get this method of evaluation to administrative reports “

Elena Kupriyanova, The vice-president of board of the Fund of children’s support in difficult life situation

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Results of expert’s consultations


• Development and piloting Index with the participation of children and families

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Consultations with parents and children


• The regions where focus-groups were held differ from each other in socio-cultural and economic development, besides they are located at different parts of Russian Federation, far from each other. They are: Saint-Petersburg, Leningradskaya oblast’, Novosibirsk, Perm, Ugorsk (Hanty-Mansiiskiy autonomic region), Petrozavodsk (Republic of Karelia).

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6 regions where focus-groups were held


• Centers of social help for families and children, social shelters, rehabilitation centers for children with special needs, children’s homes for orphanages and children without parental care

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Organizations where focus-groups were held


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“What is good and what is bad”


• Sphere 1 “material welfare” – the least important (29 mentions)

1.1 the parents’ income should be enough to buy fruit and vegetables, because they have vitamins and minerals

1.2 parents should give pocket money to children

1.3 there should be a computer at home because every child has a computer (mentioned by foster parents and children who live in shelters)

(the basic needs below were mainly mentioned by parents at risk of losing their parental rights and by children without parental care)

1.4 children should have food

1.5 children should have clothes

1.6 children should have a place where it’s possible to live (light and water)

1.7 a child should have his or her own bed

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Focus groups results


• Sphere 4 “relationship’ – the most important (110 mentions)

4.1 when children and parents talk to each other what happened during the day (every day), when parents have free time for their children after work

4.2 when parents play games with children (for children of pre-school and early school age)

4.3 when parents try to find a way to understand a child and takes him or her as he or she is, see his or her personality

4.4 when the child can come to parents if she has difficulties

4.5 parents should support a child but shouldn't intervene in his problems, they should give him chance to solve his problem by himself (for children of school age)

4.6 when parents ask children for advice

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4.7 it’s good when members of family have common rituals (i.e. cook together) and traditions (i.e. walking in the park once a week, celebration of birthdays, etc.)

4.8 when children are allowed to go and play with friends after homework is finished

4.9 when a mother and a father have the same point of view about how to bring up a child

4.10 it’s very important for a child to understand the nature of his guilt when he is punished by parents

4.12 it’s good when a child has brothers and sisters who can support him

4.13 it’s good when parents have friends who can help them with children when they have difficulties

4.14 it’s good for a child to have a foster mother and father in case his or her parents don’t have the ability to take care of him or her

4.15 It’s good when a child wants to go home after school

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• Sphere 2 “health and safety” – the most important criteria relating to the question “When is it impossible for a child to stay in the family?”

2.1: children shouldn’t stay alone (or with strangers) for a long time

2.2: when parents are alcohol addicted and bring home friends, when they fight

2.3: if a child will see sex of his mother and her boyfriend

2.4: when violence makes children leave his own home

2.5: when drug addicted parents stop to take care of their children (food, clothes)

2.6: when a mother doesn’t believe a daughter that she was raped by mother’s husband

2.7: when parents don’t pay attention to chronic illnesses of a child (tuberculosis, etc.)

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• Sphere 3 “educational welfare”, Sphere 5 “behavior and risks” and “ subjective welfare” – the same number of mentions

3.1: parents should be interested in special education of a child

3.2: it’s good when parents foster independence in studying

3.3: parents should take children to theatres, exhibitions and other cultural events and also buy book and encyclopedias

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Proposal for a draft ‘loss of parental care’ index

Quantitative indicators

1. Proportion of children without parental care in the child population of a given administrative area (district, Region, country) (in Russia this means children with the formal status of ‘without parental care’ – children with disabilities who live full time in residential care may not be included in official statistics and children in adoption are included)

2. Number of removals or limitations of parental rights through the courts

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Qualitative indicators1. Children in families at risk perceive a change for the

better in relationships with parents after family support interventions and, for example, after 6, 12 and 18 months

2. Children who are without parental care know why they are in the care of the state

3. Parents of children with disabilities are satisfied with support services and feel able to care for their child

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IBPP 2011 Project “Taking action for children”, funded by EUWe are interested in discussing the development of this

index with professionals from other countries – please

contact us:

“ Center of Development of Innovative Social Services “Partnership for Every Child”

33 Primorsky Pt., St. Petersburg, 197183,Russia

Tel./Fax: 7 (812) 431 0461

E-mail: [email protected]

THANK YOU!

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mailto:[email protected]

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