Today is International Children's Day
By the decision of the UN General Assembly, June 1 has been celebrated annually since 1950 as International Children's Day.
As a social state, Azerbaijan is one of the countries distinguished by its active state policy in the field of child protection and care. As a result of President Ilham Aliyev's special care for the social sphere, the successive reforms carried out to ensure the well-being of citizens have also allowed important steps to be taken in the field of the development of the child care system, social security and rehabilitation of children.
Currently, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population provides monthly social payments to children with disabilities, children from families that have lost the head of the family and those in low-income families (receiving targeted social assistance), children of martyr families, people disabled in the war, women with more than five children, and children of conscripted military personnel. Monthly social payments are also made to children with disabilities and those caring for children under the age of three from working parents, guardians of children deprived of parental care, and those who adopt and foster children. Families are provided with a one-time allowance for newborn children, as well as foster families for the purchase of seasonal clothing for children they have taken into care. In total, there are more than 10 types of social payments related to children, and these payments cover more than 650 thousand people in total. Since 2018, there has been a 5-fold increase in benefits and pension payments in the country, as well as social payments related to children.
Supporting the creative development of children from vulnerable groups in inclusive conditions is one of the main directions of the work being carried out. Important work is being carried out at the DOST Center for Inclusive Development and Creativity, established at the initiative of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, for the rehabilitation, development of talents and abilities of children with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. In the Center and its branches in Ismayilli and Barda, more than 720 beneficiaries were involved in trainings and socio-psychological support measures during the past period, of which 362 were children.
Within the framework of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's "Development of Orphanages and Boarding Schools" program, conditions in accordance with modern requirements have been created in social service institutions for children with disabilities. Children are provided with rehabilitation-oriented social services in these institutions.
At the same time, medical and social rehabilitation of children with disabilities is being carried out in 4 Children's Rehabilitation Centers of the Ministry located in Baku, Gabala and Shamkir. During the past period of this year, about 16 thousand children were provided with rehabilitation services in outpatient, inpatient, community-based, online and mobile forms in these institutions. During the mentioned period, more than 2,2 thousand children with disabilities and other vulnerable groups were provided with rehabilitation-oriented social services in mobile, inpatient and semi-inpatient forms by the Ministry, and these services are currently being continued for them.
Adoption management and services have been entrusted to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population since November 1, 2019. Since then, the Ministry has placed up to 730 children for adoption, and in the last two years, when the foster family institution was introduced in our country, 47 children have been placed in foster families.
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