Day.Az interview with Deputy Director of Republican Children’s Organizations Roza Farzalibayova.
12 November 2009 [17:43] - Today.Az
Day.Az interview with Deputy Director of Republican Children’s Organizations Roza Farzalibayova.
Day.Az: Azerbaijan implements state program on the transfer of children from child care facilities to families as part of which boarding schools and orphanages will be abolished in the coming years. To what extent is it possible?
Roza Farzalibayova: Some countries have already used the similar experience. For example, Latvia implements a program of deinstitutionalization and alternative care which brings fruitful results. They try first to return the children to biological families. If it is impossible or parents are deprived of parental rights, a child is transferred to an alternative family. These families are carefully selected. A special agencies oversee implementation of the program.
Azerbaijan has almost identical model of the program. I am confident that we will be proud of its results soon.
Q: How the issue of graduates of boarding schools are addressed? Are they provided assistance in obtaining housing and employment?
A: The issue of housing of orphan children is regulated by the Law on Social Protection of Orphans adopted in 1999. The law provides a right of children to parents' property. However, the apartment can be owned by a child only after he/she reaches maturity. Until a child turns 18, the apartment is transferred to executive authority ot the district where the child is registered.
With regard to the employment of young people, there are special schools in certain areas of Baku and the regions that train graduates of children's homes and also provide a dormitory. A network of such institutions must be established throughout the country to help solve the employment problems of boarding school graduates.
Q: What are your views about adoption of Azerbaijani children by foreigners?
A: I am against adoption of Azerbaijani children by foreign families. Only Azerbaijani families should be granted a right to adoption.
Q: Why some Azerbaijani families are skeptical about adoption of orphan children?
A: Adoption is a delicate issue. The majority of Azerbaijanis have positive attitude to child adoption, but few are prepared adopt a child from orphanage.
Q: Your organization operates a service to which children who are victims of physical violence in the family may apply to. How much this issue is relevant today?
A: Unfortunately, there are parents who to make their children obedient by a physical punishment. Parents who beat their children believe that they educate their children this way. In fact, by resorting to force in upbringing, they merely prove their inability to find a reasonable way of influence on a child. But today few children may complain of physical abuse of parents. A few years ago we received more complaints about this than now.
We have also implemented a project on the Rights of a Child together with UNICEF. We plan to begin another such project in the coming year.
Day.Az