The objective of this assignment is to support capacity building of care givers providing training package and conducting training program on “Development, implementation and monitoring of Individual Development Plans (IDP) for children”.
Training package also includes topics related to child rights, child development, disability, child protection.
Azerbaijan has made significant progress in economic and social development since independence which resulted in poverty reduction as well as improvement of the quality of education and health services. The reforms in social protection have been undertaken in parallel with the major developments in child protection system. As a result of continuous advocacy efforts and partnership of UNICEF with the key stakeholders in Government, State Program on De-institutionalization and alternative care (2006-2015) was adopted and implemented. Although the implementation of the State Program has not been successful in terms meeting expectations and targets fully, there has been achieved certain results in terms of transformation of state institutions.
The current status of the De-institutionalization program is that number of state institutions was reduced from 55 to 19, number of children staying overnight was reduced from 4055 (2008) to 3132 (2018). Currently the Ministry of Education (main government entity owning child institutions) has 13 boarding schools (8 boarding schools for children with disabilities, 3 boarding schools for children deprived of parental care and 2 boarding schools of sanatorium type) with total number of children staying overnight 1895 (2018). Number of children residing at the two boarding homes of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population for children with disabilities is 331 (2018). While the main target of De-institutionalization program has not been achieved in terms of establishment of full functioning gate keeping system and a range of alternative care services, protection of children staying in the institutions and ensure quality of residential care remain important. Children living in institutions having multidimensional deprivation (loss of parental care, disability, low income families, lack of parental skills) and are in need of individual professional care.
UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children is intended to enhance the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and of relevant provisions of other international instruments regarding the protection and well-being of children who are deprived of parental care or who are at risk of being so. The Guidelines explicitly emphasizes the importance of the quality of care in alternative care, including residential institutions. Article 71 of the Guidelines states that “Special attention should be paid to the quality of alternative care provision, both in residential and in family-based care, in particular with regard to the professional skills, selection, training and supervision of careers”.
In respect of this requirement, The Ministry of Education (MoE), The Minstry of Labour and Social Protection of Population (MoLSPP) and UNICEF are having collaboration to improve the quality of care in institutions and in this context to have a capacity building program for the staff of boarding schools and boarding homes (care givers) functioning under both ministries. The main outcome of this capacity building program would be the application of new knowledge and skills on child care and protection, in particular elaboration of Individual Development Plans.
Deadline: 23 May 2019