Development of the social protection system in Uzbekistan in compliance with the state program of De-institutionalization

As a result of the joint cooperation of the SOS Children's Villages of Uzbekistan with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, on November 21, 2020, the Cabinet of Ministers of Republic of Uzbekistan adopted a resolution # 738 “On measures to further improvement the activities of the SOS Children's Villages of Uzbekistan”, in order to implement the resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated February 11, 2019, #4185 “On additional measures to strengthen social protection of orphans and children left without parental care”.

This document is the fundamental basis for the implementation and development of new for Uzbekistan alternative care forms for children left without parental care, which corresponds to the state program of De-institutionalization for 2019-2023. In particular, short-term care and youth care were included.

In close cooperation with the state during the last 20 years, these mechanisms and forms of services have practically and theoretically developed on the basis of SOS Children's Villages Uzbekistan programmes, using the methodology and practices of the SOS Children's Villages International, in line with government priorities, Convention on the Rights of the Child and United Nations Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children. In order to correctly reflect the functionality of these programme units in their names, the Resolution approved the Regulations on these services.

Children's Villages, Youth Facilities and Social Centers are referred to as “Alternative Care services”, “Youth Care services” and “Family Strengthening services” accordingly with defined tasks.

• Alternative Care services - create conditions of family like care, as well as an environment conducive to the mental, emotional and physical development of children, raising children based on national traditions, in the spirit of love for the home country, and respect for human values. Alternative care provides support in ensuring the protection of the life and health of children, social protection and adaptation of children in society, the formation of labor skills, the creation of conditions for their professional self-determination, and the acquisition of general secondary education.
  
  
• Youth Care services - provide support for youth who graduated from a secondary educational school until self-sufficiency or 21 years old. Youth care provides social protection and adaptation of young people in society by providing psychological and pedagogical support, developing their responsibility for their own future and necessary skills on conflict resolving, resisting to stress, planning individual and family budgets, as well as on employment. Youth care provides support in ensuring the life protection, improving and strengthening the health of youth, nurturing a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating habits, personal and relationship hygiene, family and home hygiene.
  
  
• Family Strengthening services - provide support to families and children in need up to 18 months, during which the family must reach self-sufficiency. The mechanisms of the service make it possible to provide assistance to children in families in difficult life situations in realizing their rights and interests by: creating favorable conditions for the growth and development of children in their own families; establishment of healthy intra-family relations between all family members; increasing the level of knowledge of parents in raising children and their parenting skills; increasing the capacity of the community to effectively respond to the problems of children and families; integrating socially vulnerable families into community life and overcoming isolation and stereotypes; creating a network of stakeholders to provide opportunities for children to live in family care; providing the best environment for the growth and development of children in their biological family; implementation of other measures to prevent social orphanhood.
  
  
• Short Term Care services – provides care for children who are in need of temporary support for up to 8 months. The main purpose of this type of care is the reintegration of the child into the biological family or the search for alternative solutions that are in the best interests of the child.

According to the Resolution, the establishment of new services in the country is carried out on the basis of the decision of the Board of the SOS Children’s Villages of Uzbekistan, in agreement with the Ministry of Public Education and the relevant local municipalities of the Republic of Uzbekistan.