This report documents Ukraine’s Soviet-era system of orphanages and other institutions for children with disabilities. The report details the violence, exploitation, and other human rights violations that are frequently committed against these children. It also shows how families who wish to keep their children with disabilities at home are often forced to institutionalize them as a result of lack of support. 

Through a desk review of peer reviewed journal and “grey” literature published in English and Russian languages, this paper provides a review of current deinstitutionalization efforts in the region, identifies potential challenges, describes the need for economic empowerment interventions, and outlines directions for future research.

Le présent examen par les pairs s’articule autour de plusieurs axes thématiques: la protection de l’enfance, l’assistance aux familles et le soutien parental. Il aborde également d’autres thèmes tels que la nécessité d’une approche à facettes multiples mais intégrée des interventions auprès des familles marginalisées; l’importance de la recherche et de la collecte d’éléments factuels pour la planification et l’exécution; et l’habilitation des personnes à aider afin qu’elles prennent pleinement part au processus d’intervention. 

This report explores options for young people aging out of residential care (“care leavers”) and the potential challenges and costs of effective implementation of those options.

This article from Deutsche Welle (DW) depicts the situation that many mothers in Eastern Europe face as they leave their children behind to find work abroad and support their families financially.

Eurochild is holding its 11th Annual Conference, 'Children First: Better Public Spending for Better Outcomes for Children and Families' in Bucharest, 26-28 November 2014

Save the Children UK is looking to hire a Deputy Head of Child Protection on a Fixed term contract until mid-January 2016

In November 2014 a two-day international conference on children’s rights will take place in Leiden, the Netherlands, to herald the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

This BBC article highlights the issues of peope with disabilities in Greece, especially children in state-run homes, who are often stigmatized and can struggle to get the support they need.

This report presents a summary of progress in Lumos’ first three country demonstration programmes – the Republic of Moldova, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.