Loss of Parental Care Index v.0 Report for 2011 Joanna Rogers ( ) Partnership for Every Child Russia on behalf of the Professional Community for the Children

Loss of Parental Care Index v.0 Report for 2011

Joanna Rogers

( ) Partnership for Every Child Russiaon behalf of the

Professional Community for the Children and Families of Russia

Taking Action for Children

This project is funded by the European Commission

CP MERG Webinar - 7 May, 2013

Six aspects of preventing unnecessary loss of parental care measured by the Loss of Parental Care Index

Results to date from participation of 1258 children and 916 parents from 73

municipalities in 9 regionsTook part Aug-Dec 2012 or before

Taking part April-May 2013

v.0 Three Quantitative indicators

1. Rate of children in formal careThe proportion of children in formal care in the region / city / municipality

per 100 000 child population at the end of the reporting period).

2. The level of coverage by support services for children at risk of losing parental care and their families

The percentage of children on the risk registers of the child protection organs considered to be at risk of loss of parental care who are receiving social services support at child and family support centres or other organizations for children and families

3. The level of dependency on residential social services as a way of preventing loss of parental care

The number and rate of children per 100,000 child population who have the possibility to receive social services in residential institutions of all types

v.0 Three Qualitative indicators4. The degree to which the child is aware of his or her family history and

reasons for being outside the care of the familyChildren have information about their birth family and the circumstances under which they were placed into formal

care. This indicator is collected once a year for all 10 year olds in formal care. A representative sample for data collection is 100% of 10 year old children in residential care or family-type formal care

5. Effectiveness of support services for children at risk of losing parental care and their families

Parents and children are aware of the possible range of services and receive necessary and effective services to prevent the separation of a child from the family. Is collected once a year for 100% of children in the territory aged 14 and older who are at risk of losing parental care and receiving services in a state / municipal or non-government organisations at the time of the survey, and 10% of parents who receive support services due to the risk of separation.

6. Effectiveness of support services for children with disabilities and their families

Children with disabilities and their parents are aware of the possible range of services and receive necessary and effective services to prevent the separation of a child from the family. Is collected once a year for 100% of children with disabilities in the territory aged 14 and older who are receiving services in a state / municipal or non-government organisations at the time of the survey, and 10% of parents who receive support services.

Data returned during the pilot of v.0 August-December 2012

Region/district Indicator 1 Indicator 2 Indicator 3 Indicator 4 Indicator 5 Indicator 6 Total children/parents

St Petersburg 50 MO/18 districts

27 MO 15 MO 36MO 26 children 25 children43parents

419 children622 parents

537/665

Leningrad oblast 18 districts

15 districts 4 districts 15 districts 235 children 67 children81 parents


303/146

Petrozavodsk 1 MO 1 MO 1 MO 33 children 3 children 5 children15 parents

41/15

Yugorsk 1 MO 1 MO 1 MO 10 children 10 children11 adults

20/11

Moscow NWAO 9 children 87 children 31 children11 parents

127/11

Permskii krai – 1 children’s home

80 children 80

Vologodskaya oblast -1 children’s home

4 children 4

Saratov – 1 children’s home

9 children 9

Total MO or districts all regions

44 21 53 73

Total children all regions

406 192 519 1117

Total parents all reagions

135 713 848

Indicator 1 Prevalence of loss of parental care Children without parental care at the end of 2011 in a selection of regions of Russia* and other countries** per 100,000 child population

* data from RIK-103 at the end of 2011 per 100,000 child population aged 0-17 from 2010** TransMONEE, 2012 – data for children in formal care at the end of 2010 per 100,000 children aged 0-17 years

Indicator 2 – interventions before loss of parental care happens – signals from social protection institutions mean that children are known to social

services BEFORE notification to child protection agencies% of signals from social protection institutions of signals about children left without parental care or about

children in situations that are a threat to life, health or compromising their care - 24 regions

Indicator 2 – signals from police are too late?Distribution of signals (assumed to be about children left without parental care or in situations that represent a threat to life, health or compromised care) from health,

education, social protection institutions and police

Indicator 3 – removal into preliminary guardianship is a widespread first response by child protection organs; responses vary widely at municipal and regional levels; social services, mandated to work on reintegration and family support are under-used compared to other options

Regional patterns of referrals to health, education, social institutions and preliminary guardianship for children identified as without parental care

Indicator 4 Children in formal care who took part in the data collection pilot for indicator 4

August-December 2012Region/district Child in

guardian-ship

Child in foster care

Child in residential care

Child with disabilities in residential care

Child in residential care at request of parents

Total children

St Petersburg 3 1 13 7 2 26

Leningrad oblast

123 18 74 4 15 234

Petrozavodsk 27 4 1 1 33

Yugorsk 6 4 10

Moscow NWAO 8 1 9

Permskii krai 80 80

Vologodskaya oblast

4 4

Saratov 9 9


167 24 185 11 18 405

Indicator 4 59% of 10 year olds in formal care know both parentsRegion/district Child in

guardian-shipChild in foster care




Total children

St Petersburg 1 6 5 2 14% of children in each category who know both parents

46% 54%

Leningrad oblast 72 13 47 0 10 142% of children in each category who know both parents

59% 72% 63% 67% 61%

Petrozavodsk 6 4 1 1 12% of children in each category who know both parents

22% 36%

Moscow NWAO 5 1 6% of children in each category who know both parents

63% 66%

Permskii krai 51 51% of children in each category who know both parents

64% 64%

Vologodskaya oblast 1 1% of children in each category who know both parents

25% 25%

Saratov 5 5% of children in each category who know both parents

55% 55%

Total children all regions who know both parents

84 14 114 6 13 231

% of all children in each category* who know both parents

50% 58% 62% 55% 72% 59%

But level of ‘knowledge’ is quite low

“Mama Larisa. I don’t know where she lives. Papa Vova. I don’t know where he lives ". (boy living in residential care, Leningrad oblast)

"I live in this school. Mama – Anya, papa – Tolik. I don’t remember my parents, mama is fat, papa is tall. I don’t know where my parents are at the moment, maybe in the town of L-. " (girl living in residential care, Leningrad oblast)

“Olya A, Yura (I don’t remember)” (girl living in residential care, Permskii krai)

Children in family type formal care tend to speak of parents with more knowledge of details about them

and their lives

“Papa is in prison, and mama has two more children” (boy living in guardianship of aunt, Leningrad oblast)

“My parents live separately, mama has a small child, papa has his own family” (boy living in guardianship of grandmother, Leningrad oblast)

“Mama lives with her sister, papa in the village of B-. Mama P-ko Elena A., papa P-ko Nikolai I.” (girl living in guardianship of sister, Leningrad oblast)

68% of children know the reasons for being in careRegionKnow/Don’t know?

Child in guardian-ship

Child in foster care




Total children

St Petersburg 2/1 1/0 11/2 2/5 2/0 18/8

% of children who know reasons

85% 69%

Leningrad oblast 75/48 18/0 46/28 0/4 13/2 152/83

% of all children who know reasons

61% 100% 62% 87% 65%

Petrozavodsk 23/4 3/1 0/1 0/1 26/7


85% 79%

Moscow NWAO 8/0 1/0 9/0

Permskii krai 54/26 54/26


68% 68%

Vologodskaya oblast 4/0 4/0

Saratov 8/1 8/1

Total children all regions who know/don’t know reasons

108/53 20/0 126/58 2/10 15/3 271/124

% of children who know/don’t know reasons

67% / 33% 100% /0%

68% / 32% 20% / 80% 83% / 17% 68% / 31%

Death of a parent and other factors“I have been living in the children’s home for five years, before

that I lived with granny…Papa was Ivan, he died when I was one year old…Mama drank and smoked, that is why I am in the children’s home. Some aunties and uncles came and I went away with them. If granny had not died I would have lived at home.” (Girl, St Petersburg, death of father, removal of parental rights of mother and death of grandmother)

“Mama Valya, brother Fedya and another nine brothers live in K-. Papa Kolya died. I’ve been in the children’s home since first grade, until then I lived for 9 months in a different children’s home. Mama brought me and said ‘You are the oldest, here there are more children, a canteen, you can study.” (Girl, Leningrad oblast, in residential care since 2003, death of father and poverty reasons)

Family placement breakdown

“I have practically always lived with granny, mama sometimes took me to hers and after some time took me back to granny. I want mama and granny to make peace with each other, and for us to live together. ” (Girl living in residential care for 5 years, Saratov region)

“Granny was my guardian, then she couldn’t manage me and gave me away " (Girl living in residential care for 2 years who had been in formal guardianship of her grandmother for 11 years before that, Leningrad region)

Prevention and family support – children talk about previous episodes in formal care…

"I have lived with my granny for six years. I lived before with mummy’s friend. Then I ended up at the Centre [of Child and Family Support]…(Boy, in guardianship care of grandparents, Leningrad oblast)

"First I lived in a children’s home, then with my aunt. (Girl, in guardianship care, Petrozavodsk)

"Nine months in a shelter, four years in a children’s home, since 2009.” (Boy, in residential care, Permskii krai)

…but little mention of family support or prevention

• absence of any reference to support provided before the entry of the child into formal care

“How did you end up here? The Inspector suggested it [Commission for Minor’s Affairs inspector]” (Girl, 6 months in foster care, Leningrad oblast)

• Children have often only encountered the system as a part of the process of entering formal care and not as part of a process of preventative supportive interventions

Children are able to express a clear role for the system of family support and child protection in their lives

‘…psychologists could have helped – to give mama psychological help, I really want to sort out contact with mama.’ (Girl in guardianship care of grandmother since birth, Moscow)

“Granny should do the documents.” (Boy, in residential care, Leningrad oblast)

“If father were to return…” (Boy in guardianship care of grandmother, Leningrad oblast)

“Mama lives in B-. I see her at weekends and for holidays. I have been living with granny for 11 years. Granny insisted that mama’s parental rights were removed. Mama can restore her rights. I would like to live with mama. But everything depends on mama.“ (Girl, living in guardianship care of grandmother, Leningrad oblast)

“ Our neighbours - auntie Olga and uncle Andrei could have helped.” (Girl, in residential care, Leningrad oblast)

Indicator 5 Clients of family support services largely don’t acknowledge a risk of separation; those who do are largely negative about it; less than half of children who responded

think services have helped to keep child in care of the family A B C D

Region/district Indicator 5 respondents

Yes, there is or might be a risk of losing parental care

(Of A) Yes, the services have helped to keep the child in the family

(Of A) Yes, it was suggested that I should live away from my family

(Of A) I am neutral or positive about separation from my parents/child

St Petersburg 50MO/18 districts





1 child






3 children2 parents

Petrozavodsk 3 children 3 children 0 3 children 1 childYugorsk* 10 children

11 adults 4 children2 adults

N/A N/A N/A

Moscow NWAO 87 children 13 children 0 2 children 6 childrenTotal children all regions

192 children 72 children 34 children 37 children 11 children

Total parents all regions

135 parents 61 parents 52 parents 11 parents 2 parents

Indicator 6 - 75% of children and 84% of parents gave a positive assessment of the impact of services on the

family situationRegion/district Indicator 6

respondents Yes, I know where to get help

Yes, my parents need help

Yes, services have had a positive impact on my family situation

Yes, I was offered residential services away from my family

St Petersburg 50MO/18 districts



264 314 children519 parents

25





7

Petrozavodsk 5 children15 parents



1

Moscow NWAO 31 children11 parents


25 20 children10parents

8


519 children 393 children 344 children 391 children 41 children

Total parents all regions

713 parents 635 parents 601 parents

Index v.1 testing April-May 2013Indicator 1 has changed from ‘Children in formal

care’ to ‘Children without parental care’ Indicator 3 has changed to ‘The level of

dependency on placement into formal care as a first resort response to the risk of permanent loss of parental care’

The more we see system-wide use of social services with a mandate for prevention and reintegration under indicators 2 and 3, the more we are likely to see a reduction in indicator 1 and the more we will see the effectiveness of services emerge from the narratives of children and parents under indicators 4, 5 and 6

Responses from participants and target audiences• ‘we want to see more yellow’ (head of Regional child protection)• Seeing existing data from a new perspective and with the voices

children and parents – focus on prevention and family support• A way of monitoring implementation of National Strategy for

Children – Federal, regional, municipal• Enables benchmarking and comparison with a focus on prevention• ‘Most notable … is the absence of any reference to support provided

before the entry of the child into formal care… so that the process of removing the child has a period of support for and cooperation with the family of the child.’ (Head of Regional Commission for the Affairs of Minors)

• ‘I will now orient my regional and municipal child protection organ specialists to…know the child’s ‘story’ and work on the basis of the ‘story’ to find guardians, adopters or to work towards restoring contact with parents or relatives for the child’ (Head of Regional Commission for the Affairs of Minors)

Проект IBPP10 «Действуем вместе в интересах детей»

Проект финансируется Европейской Комиссией

Taking Action for Children

This project is funded by the European Union

СПАСИБО

THANK YOU

JOIN US! www.p4ec.ru

http://en.p4ec.ru/index.php/professional-community.html

Documents

Loss of Parental Care Index v.0 Report for 2011 Joanna Rogers ( ) Partnership for Every Child Russia on behalf of the Professional Community for the Children