Children's homes should be left behind - Alikhan Smailov
On Thursday, June 1, in Astana city, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov visited the Children Support Center.
Head of Government spoke with the children living there, got acquainted with the conditions of their life and education. He was shown their classrooms, the play area, bedrooms and the dining room, as well as briefed on the current work with children and their support after graduation.
Alikhan Smailov congratulated the pupils of the Center on the International Children's Day.
“This is a special holiday for us, because children are our future! We want you to grow up healthy, smart and successful, get a good education. And the state will continue to create all the necessary conditions for this,” Prime Minister said.
He noted that the President of the country pays special attention to the issues of social protection of orphans and their upbringing in families. Over the past 10 years, the number of children's homes in the country has decreased by 41%, and the number of children in them - by 65%. Today, there are 116 such institutions in the country with almost 3,700 children.
“We want every child to live and be brought up in a family. For this purpose, by the end of the year, the appropriate legislative norms will be adopted to introduce the institution of professional foster families. We set the goal all children to be brought up in families. Then children's homes will be in the past,” Alikhan Smailov emphasized.
A 9th grader, Nadezhda Malakhova, presented a picture to the Prime Minister that was painted by pupils of the Center. In turn, the children received sweet gifts, bicycles and scooters.
Alikhan Smailov talked with graduates of the institution Gulzat Gazeyeva and Maria Zakharova, who now work there as educators, as well as the Head of the Association of Graduates of Children's Homes of Kazakhstan Rafael Gasanov and the Director of the Center Bibigul Takisova.
The Head of Government answered the questions concerning orphans and those left without parental care. In particular, he spoke about measures to provide them with housing and education.
According to him, today children from these categories have a priority right to receive housing. They are legally allocated at least 20% of housing from the communal housing stock or rented by akimats in private housing stock.
“This year, more than KZT100 billion has been allocated from the republican budget for the purchase of rental apartments for socially vulnerable population. At least 20% will be provided to orphans and children left without parental care. Additionally, each region has its own comprehensive plans to support this category of children, providing housing at the expense of non-budgetary and sponsored funds,” said Alikhan Smailov.
At the same time, the Prime Minister noted that a quota for education is provided for children from socially vulnerable categories - today it is 1% of the approved state educational order. As practice shows, this volume is sufficient, but the Government is ready to review its size if necessary.
During the conversation, Director of the Center, Bibigul Takisova, also asked the Prime Minister to assist with the construction of a sports ground on the territory of the institution. Alikhan Smailov instructed Akim of the city, Zhenis Kasymbek, to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Today, the Center is home to 66 children aged 3 to 18, including 28 orphans.