东欧、中欧和中亚的儿童保育系统改革:为什么需要关注三岁以下儿童

J. Legrand
{"title":"东欧、中欧和中亚的儿童保育系统改革:为什么需要关注三岁以下儿童","authors":"J. Legrand","doi":"10.21427/D7WM74","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"UNICEF is supporting governments in Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia to develop national child protection systems that effectively prevent and respond to violence, family separation and detention, including among most vulnerable groups. In particular, UNICEF supports child care reforms aiming at enforcing the right of children to live in a family environment. Ten years of complex reforms in the social sector were not translated into results for children as the rate of children placed in formal care has not declined during the last decade. In order to share a joint vision that every child must grow up in a nurturing family environment, UNICEF and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights launched at the European Parliament in July 2011a call to action to give priority to end the placement of children under three in institutions and prevent the separation of children from their families. At the end of 2012, 20 governments made commitments to adopt national operational plans for preventing the placement of children below three years in formal care. One year later, results can start to be identified and measured. Due primarily to the prompt and effective efforts of the governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Serbia and Turkey, it is estimated that the number of children below three years in institutional care decreased by 10 per cent in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia by the end of 2013. This was achieved through diversified approaches described here. A long-lasting violation of the right of children to live in a family The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) states the priority that “the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment” 1 and the guiding principle that “State parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will except when (...) such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child” 2 . At the same time, the region of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS) is known to have some of the highest numbers in the world 3 of children growing up separated from their families. The total number of children who grow up in formal care in the region is estimated at 1.3 million, out of which 650,000 live in residential care. Of these children, some 200,000 have disabilities, and 30,000 are under the age of three. 4 1 UNCRC, Preamble. 2 Article 9 of the CRC 3UNICEF (2009), “At Home or in a Home”, p. 9 4TransMONEE database 2012 Child care system reforms in Eastern and Central Europe and Central 4 Asia: Why there is a need to focus on children below three years The high rates of separation in this region are to a large extent due to the legacy of systems inherited from the socialist regimes. Before transition, the paradigm of state-run systems of protection based on residential care dominated. Mind-sets based on the common belief that the state could easily substitute family life prevailed in policies and practice. Even if patterns differ slightly from one country to another, generally child care institutions in the region are catering for children with disabilities, with chronic diseases or behavioural problems, children from ethnic minorities, whose families became socially or economically vulnerable (single mothers, mothers who give birth to children out of wedlock, parents with mental illness etc.), and children with parents who are abusing alcohol, are dependent on drugs or are in prison. Stigma, discrimination and gender dynamics are also thought to be very influential indecisions about institutional placements. For example, high levels of poverty among single mothers or strong cultural norms of 'motherhood', combined with an absence of an efficient support system when a mother cannot meet the social expectations that are resting upon her, have been identified as root causes for baby abandonment and relinquishment. Overall, even if in some countries there are high levels of deprivation of parental rights that lead to the placing of children in the care system 5 , it is only a very small proportion of children that are placed in residential care because of violence in the family 6 . This means that very few children are actually separated from their parents because it is in their best interests: most children in formal care are there for reasons of poverty and absence of social protection mechanisms and services for families and children. Revelations of bad living conditions for children in residential care across the region in the 1990s, as well as changes in the child care paradigm calling for a shift from collective care and control to responses to individual needs and respect of rights, forced many actors to react and call for a reform of child care systems in the region. Reform of child care systems were undertaken in all countries of the region Supporting the reform of child care systems became a major priority for UNICEF in CEE/CIS from 2000 onwards and we have been involved in supporting reform processes in 22 countries of the region. The objectives of the reform were to give priority to supporting families and to move towards a progressive transition from institutional to community-based care. Beyond bringing changes to the child care system, it also required changing the mind-set of professionals and putting an end to the stigmatization of children with disabilities. Strategies and inputs to achieve results have been defined by governments, sometimes being a component of larger welfare and social protection system reform, sometimes with a focus on transforming or closing residential care institutions. Major progress was achieved in improving policy and legislative frameworks, introducing new services and changing the way services were standardized. Changes were implemented in financial flows and budgets for providing financial space for new services to be taken up in the public budget. Changes also occurred in the governance 5 For more information on causes of placement, see library on www.ceecis.org/ccc and among other following publications: UNICEF (2006) Child Abandonment in the Republic of Moldova, p. 39 UNICEF (2012) Analysis of the Situation of Children’s Institutions in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, p. 30 UNICEF (2005) The situation of child abandonment in Romania, p. 29 6 UNICEF (2012) Children under the age of three in formal care in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, p. 64 5 Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies and quality assurance of the system to ensure better coordination, decision-making and quality assurance processes and mechanisms. A new modus operandi was promoted whereby 'gatekeeping' (the decision-making process and the provision of effective responses for children who have been separated or are at risk of separation from parental care) was identified as a core function of the state, with other service provision being carried out by private and public providers alike as long as there were clear rules of the game (e.g. standards, licencing mechanisms, inspections). The strongest policies take root in evidence and this work also required improved and more disaggregated data on most vulnerable children and on children placed in formal care to inform policy making. A number of countries are implementing policies directed at families, recognizing that they are the best nurturing and protective environment for a child. Progress has been made in defining the most suitable models of support, namely establishing parental leave entitlements, family benefits, and child-care support services complemented by other types of family welfare services. Progress at system level was not translated into changes in the lives of children Despite the remarkable social and economic changes and reforms that have swept through the region, most countries still heavily rely on the policy and practice of institutionalization. The worrisome finding, when analysing statistical data from the TransMonEE Database, which contains government data from 21 countries in the CEE/CIS region, is that although major progress has been achieved in the reform of child-care systems, these have not yet been translated into the capacity of social protection systems to prevent family separation. This is illustrated by the fact that the aggregated rate of children under the age of 18 in formal care has remained relatively stable since the year 2000; it has even increased in some countries due to demographic decline in child population. In several countries, children with disabilities represent as many as 60 per cent of all children in institutions. In some of the countries, disadvantaged ethnic minorities such as the Roma are significantly over-represented in child institutional care. At least 31,000 children below three years of age are in institutional care, only two to five per cent of these being orphans. Every hour, approximately two young children, mainly babies, are separated from their parents and sent into institutional care in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. That is more than fifteen thousand children every year. This situation demonstrates the fact that vulnerable families are not being provided with the support they need by social protection systems (combining cash transfers, services and social work) in order to cope with the impact of the current economic crisis.What research is showing is that families which most need support are those facing the biggest obstacles when seeking government aid, and in many instances they are not even eligible for assistance. There are many reasons for this: some are related to unnecessary bureaucratic red tape, while others are more subtle, such as discrimination. To be unemployed or employed in the informal sector, to have migrated abroad and therefore lack a permanent address, can result not only in a low income but also in huge challenges to access government","PeriodicalId":30337,"journal":{"name":"Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2015-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"5","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Child care system reforms in Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia: Why there is a need to focus on children below three years\",\"authors\":\"J. Legrand\",\"doi\":\"10.21427/D7WM74\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"UNICEF is supporting governments in Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia to develop national child protection systems that effectively prevent and respond to violence, family separation and detention, including among most vulnerable groups. In particular, UNICEF supports child care reforms aiming at enforcing the right of children to live in a family environment. Ten years of complex reforms in the social sector were not translated into results for children as the rate of children placed in formal care has not declined during the last decade. In order to share a joint vision that every child must grow up in a nurturing family environment, UNICEF and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights launched at the European Parliament in July 2011a call to action to give priority to end the placement of children under three in institutions and prevent the separation of children from their families. At the end of 2012, 20 governments made commitments to adopt national operational plans for preventing the placement of children below three years in formal care. One year later, results can start to be identified and measured. Due primarily to the prompt and effective efforts of the governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Serbia and Turkey, it is estimated that the number of children below three years in institutional care decreased by 10 per cent in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia by the end of 2013. This was achieved through diversified approaches described here. A long-lasting violation of the right of children to live in a family The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) states the priority that “the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment” 1 and the guiding principle that “State parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will except when (...) such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child” 2 . At the same time, the region of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS) is known to have some of the highest numbers in the world 3 of children growing up separated from their families. The total number of children who grow up in formal care in the region is estimated at 1.3 million, out of which 650,000 live in residential care. Of these children, some 200,000 have disabilities, and 30,000 are under the age of three. 4 1 UNCRC, Preamble. 2 Article 9 of the CRC 3UNICEF (2009), “At Home or in a Home”, p. 9 4TransMONEE database 2012 Child care system reforms in Eastern and Central Europe and Central 4 Asia: Why there is a need to focus on children below three years The high rates of separation in this region are to a large extent due to the legacy of systems inherited from the socialist regimes. Before transition, the paradigm of state-run systems of protection based on residential care dominated. Mind-sets based on the common belief that the state could easily substitute family life prevailed in policies and practice. Even if patterns differ slightly from one country to another, generally child care institutions in the region are catering for children with disabilities, with chronic diseases or behavioural problems, children from ethnic minorities, whose families became socially or economically vulnerable (single mothers, mothers who give birth to children out of wedlock, parents with mental illness etc.), and children with parents who are abusing alcohol, are dependent on drugs or are in prison. Stigma, discrimination and gender dynamics are also thought to be very influential indecisions about institutional placements. For example, high levels of poverty among single mothers or strong cultural norms of 'motherhood', combined with an absence of an efficient support system when a mother cannot meet the social expectations that are resting upon her, have been identified as root causes for baby abandonment and relinquishment. Overall, even if in some countries there are high levels of deprivation of parental rights that lead to the placing of children in the care system 5 , it is only a very small proportion of children that are placed in residential care because of violence in the family 6 . This means that very few children are actually separated from their parents because it is in their best interests: most children in formal care are there for reasons of poverty and absence of social protection mechanisms and services for families and children. Revelations of bad living conditions for children in residential care across the region in the 1990s, as well as changes in the child care paradigm calling for a shift from collective care and control to responses to individual needs and respect of rights, forced many actors to react and call for a reform of child care systems in the region. Reform of child care systems were undertaken in all countries of the region Supporting the reform of child care systems became a major priority for UNICEF in CEE/CIS from 2000 onwards and we have been involved in supporting reform processes in 22 countries of the region. The objectives of the reform were to give priority to supporting families and to move towards a progressive transition from institutional to community-based care. Beyond bringing changes to the child care system, it also required changing the mind-set of professionals and putting an end to the stigmatization of children with disabilities. Strategies and inputs to achieve results have been defined by governments, sometimes being a component of larger welfare and social protection system reform, sometimes with a focus on transforming or closing residential care institutions. Major progress was achieved in improving policy and legislative frameworks, introducing new services and changing the way services were standardized. Changes were implemented in financial flows and budgets for providing financial space for new services to be taken up in the public budget. Changes also occurred in the governance 5 For more information on causes of placement, see library on www.ceecis.org/ccc and among other following publications: UNICEF (2006) Child Abandonment in the Republic of Moldova, p. 39 UNICEF (2012) Analysis of the Situation of Children’s Institutions in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, p. 30 UNICEF (2005) The situation of child abandonment in Romania, p. 29 6 UNICEF (2012) Children under the age of three in formal care in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, p. 64 5 Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies and quality assurance of the system to ensure better coordination, decision-making and quality assurance processes and mechanisms. A new modus operandi was promoted whereby 'gatekeeping' (the decision-making process and the provision of effective responses for children who have been separated or are at risk of separation from parental care) was identified as a core function of the state, with other service provision being carried out by private and public providers alike as long as there were clear rules of the game (e.g. standards, licencing mechanisms, inspections). The strongest policies take root in evidence and this work also required improved and more disaggregated data on most vulnerable children and on children placed in formal care to inform policy making. A number of countries are implementing policies directed at families, recognizing that they are the best nurturing and protective environment for a child. Progress has been made in defining the most suitable models of support, namely establishing parental leave entitlements, family benefits, and child-care support services complemented by other types of family welfare services. Progress at system level was not translated into changes in the lives of children Despite the remarkable social and economic changes and reforms that have swept through the region, most countries still heavily rely on the policy and practice of institutionalization. The worrisome finding, when analysing statistical data from the TransMonEE Database, which contains government data from 21 countries in the CEE/CIS region, is that although major progress has been achieved in the reform of child-care systems, these have not yet been translated into the capacity of social protection systems to prevent family separation. This is illustrated by the fact that the aggregated rate of children under the age of 18 in formal care has remained relatively stable since the year 2000; it has even increased in some countries due to demographic decline in child population. In several countries, children with disabilities represent as many as 60 per cent of all children in institutions. In some of the countries, disadvantaged ethnic minorities such as the Roma are significantly over-represented in child institutional care. At least 31,000 children below three years of age are in institutional care, only two to five per cent of these being orphans. Every hour, approximately two young children, mainly babies, are separated from their parents and sent into institutional care in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. That is more than fifteen thousand children every year. This situation demonstrates the fact that vulnerable families are not being provided with the support they need by social protection systems (combining cash transfers, services and social work) in order to cope with the impact of the current economic crisis.What research is showing is that families which most need support are those facing the biggest obstacles when seeking government aid, and in many instances they are not even eligible for assistance. There are many reasons for this: some are related to unnecessary bureaucratic red tape, while others are more subtle, such as discrimination. To be unemployed or employed in the informal sector, to have migrated abroad and therefore lack a permanent address, can result not only in a low income but also in huge challenges to access government\",\"PeriodicalId\":30337,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies\",\"volume\":null,\"pages\":null},\"PeriodicalIF\":0.0000,\"publicationDate\":\"2015-01-01\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"5\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"1085\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.21427/D7WM74\",\"RegionNum\":0,\"RegionCategory\":null,\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"\",\"JCRName\":\"\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.21427/D7WM74","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 5

摘要

联合国儿童基金会正在支持东欧、中欧和中亚各国政府建立国家儿童保护体系,有效预防和应对暴力、家庭分离和拘留,包括在最弱势群体中。儿童基金会特别支持旨在加强儿童在家庭环境中生活的权利的儿童保育改革。十年来在社会部门进行的复杂改革并没有转化为儿童方面的成果,因为在过去十年中,接受正规照料的儿童比率没有下降。为了分享每个儿童都必须在良好的家庭环境中成长的共同愿景,联合国儿童基金会和人权事务高级专员办事处于2011年7月在欧洲议会发起了一项行动呼吁,优先解决将三岁以下儿童安置在机构中的问题,并防止儿童与家人分离。2012年底,20个国家的政府承诺通过国家行动计划,防止将三岁以下儿童安置在正规照料机构。一年后,可以开始确定和衡量结果。主要由于保加利亚、克罗地亚、哈萨克斯坦、塞尔维亚和土耳其政府迅速而有效的努力,据估计,到2013年底,中欧、东欧和中亚接受机构照料的三岁以下儿童人数减少了10%。这是通过这里描述的多种方法实现的。长期违反儿童生活在一个家庭的权利《儿童权利公约》(CRC)状态的优先级”的全面、和谐发展的孩子,他或她的性格,应该在家庭环境中长大的”1和指导原则,“缔约国应保证一个孩子不得分开他或她的父母反对他们除非(…)这样的分离是必要的对于孩子的最佳利益”2。与此同时,中欧和东欧地区以及独立国家联合体(CEE/CIS)是世界上与家人分离的儿童人数最多的地区之一。该地区在正规照料中长大的儿童总数估计为130万,其中65万生活在寄宿照料中。在这些儿童中,约有20万人患有残疾,3万人年龄在3岁以下。4 1联合国儿童权利委员会,序言。2儿童权利委员会第9条3联合国儿童基金会(2009),“在家里或在家里”,第9页4 transmonee数据库2012东欧、中欧和中亚的儿童保育制度改革:为什么需要关注三岁以下儿童该地区的高分离率在很大程度上是由于继承自社会主义政权的制度遗留问题。在转型之前,以寄宿护理为基础的国营保护系统的范式占主导地位。人们普遍认为,国家可以轻易地取代家庭生活,这种观念在政策和实践中占了上风。尽管各国的模式略有不同,但该区域的托儿机构一般都照顾残疾儿童、患有慢性病或行为问题的儿童、少数民族儿童、其家庭在社会或经济上处于弱势地位的儿童(单身母亲、非婚生孩子的母亲、患有精神疾病的父母等),以及父母酗酒、依赖毒品或入狱的儿童。耻辱、歧视和性别动态也被认为是非常有影响力的机构安置的优柔优断。例如,单身母亲的高度贫困或强烈的“母性”文化规范,加上当母亲不能满足社会对她的期望时缺乏有效的支持系统,已被确定为遗弃和放弃婴儿的根本原因。总体而言,即使在一些国家,父母的权利被严重剥夺,导致儿童被安置在照料系统中,但由于家庭暴力,只有很小一部分儿童被安置在寄宿照料系统中。这意味着,实际上很少有儿童与父母分离,因为这符合他们的最大利益:大多数接受正规照料的儿童是由于贫困和缺乏社会保护机制以及为家庭和儿童提供的服务。20世纪90年代,该地区寄宿儿童恶劣生活条件的揭露,以及儿童保育模式的变化,要求从集体照顾和控制转向对个人需求和尊重权利的回应,迫使许多行动者作出反应,呼吁改革该地区的儿童保育制度。 联合国儿童基金会正在支持东欧、中欧和中亚各国政府建立国家儿童保护体系,有效预防和应对暴力、家庭分离和拘留,包括在最弱势群体中。儿童基金会特别支持旨在加强儿童在家庭环境中生活的权利的儿童保育改革。十年来在社会部门进行的复杂改革并没有转化为儿童方面的成果,因为在过去十年中,接受正规照料的儿童比率没有下降。为了分享每个儿童都必须在良好的家庭环境中成长的共同愿景,联合国儿童基金会和人权事务高级专员办事处于2011年7月在欧洲议会发起了一项行动呼吁,优先解决将三岁以下儿童安置在机构中的问题,并防止儿童与家人分离。2012年底,20个国家的政府承诺通过国家行动计划,防止将三岁以下儿童安置在正规照料机构。一年后,可以开始确定和衡量结果。主要由于保加利亚、克罗地亚、哈萨克斯坦、塞尔维亚和土耳其政府迅速而有效的努力,据估计,到2013年底,中欧、东欧和中亚接受机构照料的三岁以下儿童人数减少了10%。这是通过这里描述的多种方法实现的。长期违反儿童生活在一个家庭的权利《儿童权利公约》(CRC)状态的优先级”的全面、和谐发展的孩子,他或她的性格,应该在家庭环境中长大的”1和指导原则,“缔约国应保证一个孩子不得分开他或她的父母反对他们除非(…)这样的分离是必要的对于孩子的最佳利益”2。与此同时,中欧和东欧地区以及独立国家联合体(CEE/CIS)是世界上与家人分离的儿童人数最多的地区之一。该地区在正规照料中长大的儿童总数估计为130万,其中65万生活在寄宿照料中。在这些儿童中,约有20万人患有残疾,3万人年龄在3岁以下。4 1联合国儿童权利委员会,序言。2儿童权利委员会第9条3联合国儿童基金会(2009),“在家里或在家里”,第9页4 transmonee数据库2012东欧、中欧和中亚的儿童保育制度改革:为什么需要关注三岁以下儿童该地区的高分离率在很大程度上是由于继承自社会主义政权的制度遗留问题。在转型之前,以寄宿护理为基础的国营保护系统的范式占主导地位。人们普遍认为,国家可以轻易地取代家庭生活,这种观念在政策和实践中占了上风。尽管各国的模式略有不同,但该区域的托儿机构一般都照顾残疾儿童、患有慢性病或行为问题的儿童、少数民族儿童、其家庭在社会或经济上处于弱势地位的儿童(单身母亲、非婚生孩子的母亲、患有精神疾病的父母等),以及父母酗酒、依赖毒品或入狱的儿童。耻辱、歧视和性别动态也被认为是非常有影响力的机构安置的优柔优断。例如,单身母亲的高度贫困或强烈的“母性”文化规范,加上当母亲不能满足社会对她的期望时缺乏有效的支持系统,已被确定为遗弃和放弃婴儿的根本原因。总体而言,即使在一些国家,父母的权利被严重剥夺,导致儿童被安置在照料系统中,但由于家庭暴力,只有很小一部分儿童被安置在寄宿照料系统中。这意味着,实际上很少有儿童与父母分离,因为这符合他们的最大利益:大多数接受正规照料的儿童是由于贫困和缺乏社会保护机制以及为家庭和儿童提供的服务。20世纪90年代,该地区寄宿儿童恶劣生活条件的揭露,以及儿童保育模式的变化,要求从集体照顾和控制转向对个人需求和尊重权利的回应,迫使许多行动者作出反应,呼吁改革该地区的儿童保育制度。 本区域所有国家都进行了儿童保育制度的改革,从2000年起,支助儿童保育制度的改革成为儿童基金会在中东欧/独联体的一项主要优先事项,我们已参与支助本区域22个国家的改革进程。改革的目标是优先支持家庭,并逐步从机构护理过渡到以社区为基础的护理。除了改变儿童保育制度,还需要改变专业人员的思维方式,结束对残疾儿童的污名化。各国政府制定了实现成果的战略和投入,有时是更大的福利和社会保护制度改革的组成部分,有时侧重于改造或关闭寄宿照料机构。在改进政策和立法框架、引进新服务和改变服务标准化方式方面取得了重大进展。在资金流动和预算方面进行了改革,以便为公共预算中占用的新服务提供资金空间。关于放置原因的更多信息,请参阅图书馆www.ceecis.org/ccc和其他以下出版物:联合国儿童基金会(2006)摩尔多瓦共和国的儿童遗弃问题,第39页联合国儿童基金会(2012)吉尔吉斯斯坦共和国儿童机构状况分析,第30页联合国儿童基金会(2005)罗马尼亚的儿童遗弃问题,第29页6联合国儿童基金会(2012)东欧和中亚接受正规照料的三岁以下儿童,第64页《爱尔兰应用社会研究和质量保证系统杂志》,以确保更好的协调。决策和质量保证过程和机制。推广了一种新的工作方式,即将“把关”(决策过程和为已与父母分离或面临与父母分离风险的儿童提供有效回应)确定为国家的核心职能,只要有明确的游戏规则(例如标准、许可机制、检查),其他服务的提供由私营和公共提供者提供。最有力的政策以证据为基础,这项工作还需要改进和更加分类的关于最弱势儿童和接受正规照料儿童的数据,以便为政策制定提供信息。一些国家正在执行针对家庭的政策,认识到家庭是养育和保护儿童的最佳环境。在确定最合适的支助模式方面取得了进展,即确定育儿假权利、家庭福利和托儿支助服务,并辅以其他类型的家庭福利服务。制度一级的进展没有转化为儿童生活的变化,尽管整个区域发生了显著的社会和经济变化和改革,但大多数国家仍然严重依赖制度化的政策和做法。TransMonEE数据库包含中东欧/独联体区域21个国家的政府数据,在分析该数据库的统计数据时,令人担忧的发现是,尽管在儿童保育制度改革方面取得了重大进展,但这些进展尚未转化为社会保护制度防止家庭分离的能力。以下事实说明了这一点:自2000年以来,接受正规照料的18岁以下儿童的总比率保持相对稳定;由于儿童人口的减少,在一些国家甚至有所增加。在一些国家,残疾儿童占收容机构所有儿童的60%之多。在一些国家,处境不利的少数民族,如罗姆人,在儿童机构照料中的比例明显过高。至少有31 000名三岁以下儿童在机构照料,其中只有2%至5%是孤儿。在中欧、东欧和中亚,每小时大约有两名幼童,主要是婴儿,与父母分离,送到照料机构。这意味着每年有超过1.5万名儿童。这种情况表明,社会保护制度(结合现金转移、服务和社会工作)没有向脆弱家庭提供他们所需的支助,以应付当前经济危机的影响。研究表明,最需要支持的家庭是那些在寻求政府援助时面临最大障碍的家庭,在许多情况下,他们甚至没有资格获得援助。造成这种情况的原因有很多:一些与不必要的官僚主义繁文缛节有关,而另一些则更为微妙,比如歧视。 本区域所有国家都进行了儿童保育制度的改革,从2000年起,支助儿童保育制度的改革成为儿童基金会在中东欧/独联体的一项主要优先事项,我们已参与支助本区域22个国家的改革进程。改革的目标是优先支持家庭,并逐步从机构护理过渡到以社区为基础的护理。除了改变儿童保育制度,还需要改变专业人员的思维方式,结束对残疾儿童的污名化。各国政府制定了实现成果的战略和投入,有时是更大的福利和社会保护制度改革的组成部分,有时侧重于改造或关闭寄宿照料机构。在改进政策和立法框架、引进新服务和改变服务标准化方式方面取得了重大进展。在资金流动和预算方面进行了改革,以便为公共预算中占用的新服务提供资金空间。关于放置原因的更多信息,请参阅图书馆www.ceecis.org/ccc和其他以下出版物:联合国儿童基金会(2006)摩尔多瓦共和国的儿童遗弃问题,第39页联合国儿童基金会(2012)吉尔吉斯斯坦共和国儿童机构状况分析,第30页联合国儿童基金会(2005)罗马尼亚的儿童遗弃问题,第29页6联合国儿童基金会(2012)东欧和中亚接受正规照料的三岁以下儿童,第64页《爱尔兰应用社会研究和质量保证系统杂志》,以确保更好的协调。决策和质量保证过程和机制。推广了一种新的工作方式,即将“把关”(决策过程和为已与父母分离或面临与父母分离风险的儿童提供有效回应)确定为国家的核心职能,只要有明确的游戏规则(例如标准、许可机制、检查),其他服务的提供由私营和公共提供者提供。最有力的政策以证据为基础,这项工作还需要改进和更加分类的关于最弱势儿童和接受正规照料儿童的数据,以便为政策制定提供信息。一些国家正在执行针对家庭的政策,认识到家庭是养育和保护儿童的最佳环境。在确定最合适的支助模式方面取得了进展,即确定育儿假权利、家庭福利和托儿支助服务,并辅以其他类型的家庭福利服务。制度一级的进展没有转化为儿童生活的变化,尽管整个区域发生了显著的社会和经济变化和改革,但大多数国家仍然严重依赖制度化的政策和做法。TransMonEE数据库包含中东欧/独联体区域21个国家的政府数据,在分析该数据库的统计数据时,令人担忧的发现是,尽管在儿童保育制度改革方面取得了重大进展,但这些进展尚未转化为社会保护制度防止家庭分离的能力。以下事实说明了这一点:自2000年以来,接受正规照料的18岁以下儿童的总比率保持相对稳定;由于儿童人口的减少,在一些国家甚至有所增加。在一些国家,残疾儿童占收容机构所有儿童的60%之多。在一些国家,处境不利的少数民族,如罗姆人,在儿童机构照料中的比例明显过高。至少有31 000名三岁以下儿童在机构照料,其中只有2%至5%是孤儿。在中欧、东欧和中亚,每小时大约有两名幼童,主要是婴儿,与父母分离,送到照料机构。这意味着每年有超过1.5万名儿童。这种情况表明,社会保护制度(结合现金转移、服务和社会工作)没有向脆弱家庭提供他们所需的支助,以应付当前经济危机的影响。研究表明,最需要支持的家庭是那些在寻求政府援助时面临最大障碍的家庭,在许多情况下,他们甚至没有资格获得援助。造成这种情况的原因有很多:一些与不必要的官僚主义繁文缛节有关,而另一些则更为微妙,比如歧视。 失业或在非正规部门就业,移民到国外,因此没有永久住址,不仅会导致低收入,而且会给获得政府服务带来巨大挑战 失业或在非正规部门就业,移民到国外,因此没有永久住址,不仅会导致低收入,而且会给获得政府服务带来巨大挑战
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
Child care system reforms in Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia: Why there is a need to focus on children below three years
UNICEF is supporting governments in Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia to develop national child protection systems that effectively prevent and respond to violence, family separation and detention, including among most vulnerable groups. In particular, UNICEF supports child care reforms aiming at enforcing the right of children to live in a family environment. Ten years of complex reforms in the social sector were not translated into results for children as the rate of children placed in formal care has not declined during the last decade. In order to share a joint vision that every child must grow up in a nurturing family environment, UNICEF and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights launched at the European Parliament in July 2011a call to action to give priority to end the placement of children under three in institutions and prevent the separation of children from their families. At the end of 2012, 20 governments made commitments to adopt national operational plans for preventing the placement of children below three years in formal care. One year later, results can start to be identified and measured. Due primarily to the prompt and effective efforts of the governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Serbia and Turkey, it is estimated that the number of children below three years in institutional care decreased by 10 per cent in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia by the end of 2013. This was achieved through diversified approaches described here. A long-lasting violation of the right of children to live in a family The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) states the priority that “the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment” 1 and the guiding principle that “State parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will except when (...) such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child” 2 . At the same time, the region of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS) is known to have some of the highest numbers in the world 3 of children growing up separated from their families. The total number of children who grow up in formal care in the region is estimated at 1.3 million, out of which 650,000 live in residential care. Of these children, some 200,000 have disabilities, and 30,000 are under the age of three. 4 1 UNCRC, Preamble. 2 Article 9 of the CRC 3UNICEF (2009), “At Home or in a Home”, p. 9 4TransMONEE database 2012 Child care system reforms in Eastern and Central Europe and Central 4 Asia: Why there is a need to focus on children below three years The high rates of separation in this region are to a large extent due to the legacy of systems inherited from the socialist regimes. Before transition, the paradigm of state-run systems of protection based on residential care dominated. Mind-sets based on the common belief that the state could easily substitute family life prevailed in policies and practice. Even if patterns differ slightly from one country to another, generally child care institutions in the region are catering for children with disabilities, with chronic diseases or behavioural problems, children from ethnic minorities, whose families became socially or economically vulnerable (single mothers, mothers who give birth to children out of wedlock, parents with mental illness etc.), and children with parents who are abusing alcohol, are dependent on drugs or are in prison. Stigma, discrimination and gender dynamics are also thought to be very influential indecisions about institutional placements. For example, high levels of poverty among single mothers or strong cultural norms of 'motherhood', combined with an absence of an efficient support system when a mother cannot meet the social expectations that are resting upon her, have been identified as root causes for baby abandonment and relinquishment. Overall, even if in some countries there are high levels of deprivation of parental rights that lead to the placing of children in the care system 5 , it is only a very small proportion of children that are placed in residential care because of violence in the family 6 . This means that very few children are actually separated from their parents because it is in their best interests: most children in formal care are there for reasons of poverty and absence of social protection mechanisms and services for families and children. Revelations of bad living conditions for children in residential care across the region in the 1990s, as well as changes in the child care paradigm calling for a shift from collective care and control to responses to individual needs and respect of rights, forced many actors to react and call for a reform of child care systems in the region. Reform of child care systems were undertaken in all countries of the region Supporting the reform of child care systems became a major priority for UNICEF in CEE/CIS from 2000 onwards and we have been involved in supporting reform processes in 22 countries of the region. The objectives of the reform were to give priority to supporting families and to move towards a progressive transition from institutional to community-based care. Beyond bringing changes to the child care system, it also required changing the mind-set of professionals and putting an end to the stigmatization of children with disabilities. Strategies and inputs to achieve results have been defined by governments, sometimes being a component of larger welfare and social protection system reform, sometimes with a focus on transforming or closing residential care institutions. Major progress was achieved in improving policy and legislative frameworks, introducing new services and changing the way services were standardized. Changes were implemented in financial flows and budgets for providing financial space for new services to be taken up in the public budget. Changes also occurred in the governance 5 For more information on causes of placement, see library on www.ceecis.org/ccc and among other following publications: UNICEF (2006) Child Abandonment in the Republic of Moldova, p. 39 UNICEF (2012) Analysis of the Situation of Children’s Institutions in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, p. 30 UNICEF (2005) The situation of child abandonment in Romania, p. 29 6 UNICEF (2012) Children under the age of three in formal care in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, p. 64 5 Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies and quality assurance of the system to ensure better coordination, decision-making and quality assurance processes and mechanisms. A new modus operandi was promoted whereby 'gatekeeping' (the decision-making process and the provision of effective responses for children who have been separated or are at risk of separation from parental care) was identified as a core function of the state, with other service provision being carried out by private and public providers alike as long as there were clear rules of the game (e.g. standards, licencing mechanisms, inspections). The strongest policies take root in evidence and this work also required improved and more disaggregated data on most vulnerable children and on children placed in formal care to inform policy making. A number of countries are implementing policies directed at families, recognizing that they are the best nurturing and protective environment for a child. Progress has been made in defining the most suitable models of support, namely establishing parental leave entitlements, family benefits, and child-care support services complemented by other types of family welfare services. Progress at system level was not translated into changes in the lives of children Despite the remarkable social and economic changes and reforms that have swept through the region, most countries still heavily rely on the policy and practice of institutionalization. The worrisome finding, when analysing statistical data from the TransMonEE Database, which contains government data from 21 countries in the CEE/CIS region, is that although major progress has been achieved in the reform of child-care systems, these have not yet been translated into the capacity of social protection systems to prevent family separation. This is illustrated by the fact that the aggregated rate of children under the age of 18 in formal care has remained relatively stable since the year 2000; it has even increased in some countries due to demographic decline in child population. In several countries, children with disabilities represent as many as 60 per cent of all children in institutions. In some of the countries, disadvantaged ethnic minorities such as the Roma are significantly over-represented in child institutional care. At least 31,000 children below three years of age are in institutional care, only two to five per cent of these being orphans. Every hour, approximately two young children, mainly babies, are separated from their parents and sent into institutional care in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. That is more than fifteen thousand children every year. This situation demonstrates the fact that vulnerable families are not being provided with the support they need by social protection systems (combining cash transfers, services and social work) in order to cope with the impact of the current economic crisis.What research is showing is that families which most need support are those facing the biggest obstacles when seeking government aid, and in many instances they are not even eligible for assistance. There are many reasons for this: some are related to unnecessary bureaucratic red tape, while others are more subtle, such as discrimination. To be unemployed or employed in the informal sector, to have migrated abroad and therefore lack a permanent address, can result not only in a low income but also in huge challenges to access government
求助全文
通过发布文献求助,成功后即可免费获取论文全文。 去求助
来源期刊
自引率
0.00%
发文量
0
审稿时长
26 weeks
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
确定
请完成安全验证×
copy
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
右上角分享
点击右上角分享
0
联系我们:info@booksci.cn Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。 Copyright © 2023 布克学术 All rights reserved.
京ICP备2023020795号-1
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术官方微信