PM: Gov’t to increase assistance to socially vulnerable children to $49

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili marked International Children’s Day on Wednesday by announcing his Government would raise assistance to socially vulnerable children from ₾100 ($33/€30) to ₾150 ($49/€46).

Garibashvili said the programme would apply to over 215,000 children, for which the state would allocate ₾341 million.

Last year we doubled assistance for socially vulnerable children. Today, this assistance will increase to ₾150. […] We will continue and scale up our efforts in order to reduce child poverty and ensure their development,” Garibashvili said.

In his message the Government head also said "looking after the better future" of  children and creating conditions for their development and health was a “precondition of Georgia’s strength” and a “key task” of his team. 

Georgia Education Minister Mikheil Chkhenkeli said in comments to the date children "must have an equal opportunity" to receive education in a "safe and peaceful environment and live  a healthy life," noting the role of teachers and parents in the process.

Chkhenkeli also mentioned the ongoing war in Ukraine and its effects on the children in the country.

I, as the Minister of Education and Science, am proud of the fact that our team has made a significant contribution to providing a better learning environment for these children,” Chkhenkeli said in reference to Ukrainian-language classes opened at select Georgian-based schools for pupils from Ukraine stranded by the conflict in Georgia. 

• Int’l Children’s Day to be marked with Tbilisi events

International Children’s Day will be celebrated with events in downtown Tbilisi’s recreational parks, with visitors hosted at Mziuri, Kikvidze and Vaso Godziashvili parks on Wednesday.