EU launches 3-year project to offer quality care for disadvantaged Georgian children

The EU in Georgia has announced the launch of a three-year project which aims to address the needs of disadvantaged Georgian children deprived of parental care and provide alternative, quality care for them.

The project will be implemented by the World Vision Georgia and the Government of Georgia Social Service Agency.

The project builds on almost 20 years of EU support in this field. We have seen significant improvements for vulnerable Georgian children. One of such examples is the closure of almost all state-run large-scale residential institutions for children and replacing them with family-style small group homes and foster care families,” said Carl Hartzell, EU Ambassador to Georgia.

The Georgian Patriarchate will be involved in the project. Photo: EU press office. 

He stated that since vulnerable children still remain one of the challenges for the state, the EU has made a decision to bring together all the stakeholders and push forward the project.

The lack of family support services and the absence of prevention mechanisms in place as well as an unbalanced approach towards different groups of children remain as the main challenges of the ongoing [government-run] reform,” the EU press office stated.

Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs David Sergeenko thanked the European Union and World Vision for launching the “significant project”, and expressed the hope that the initiative will be a step forward towards improving conditions for vulnerable children in Georgia.

Eka Zhvania from World Vision Georgia says that this is one of the first large scale initiatives that requires the unification of the will and efforts of the government, non-governmental sector and the Georgian Patriarchate to improve the quality and welfare of the most vulnerable children and families.