Number of foster homes declines each year in Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM – The number of foster homes shows decline each year in Kazakhstan, Kazakh Education and Science Minister Askhat Aimagambetov told a government session on Tuesday, Kazinform correspondent reports.

The Kazakh education and science minister noted that the country pays special attention to the issues of ensuring the rights of orphans and children who are not under the care of their parents.

The activities of the facilities helping in placing orphans, their accreditation as well as mandatory preparation of potential adopters are regulated in the country. According to the minister, the mentioned measures allowed for the reduction of children at foster homes and in children being orphans again.

As of today, there are 23,063 orphans and children who are not under the care of their parents, 18,805 or 81.5% of whom were adopted. The Kazakh minister noted that the number of foster homes declines each year in the country with 4,254 orphans placed at 96 foster homes.

He added that the country’s regions take measures to de-institutionalize, downscale, and optimize foster homes.