Fondation Dora supports the implementation of an International Catholic Child Bureau (BICE) programme intended to open up Russian childcare institutions to parents, volunteers, and specialists with an ultimate goal of deinstitutionalizing the children residing in these establishments.
Russia currently operates 130 residential institutions for children with disabilities, housing approximately 19,000 children between the ages of 4 and 18. Nearly 60% of these children have parents who maintain their parental rights, however, very few keep any contact with the children placed in residence. The other children in these institutions were either abandoned at birth or have parents who have forfeited their rights. Only 3% of them are orphans. The living conditions in these institutions are often difficult because:
This alarming situation brought the Russian government to initiate a number of legal proceedings upon which this project was founded.
The general goal of the programme is to ensure that children with disabilities are guaranteed their fundamental right to live in the community and be able to develop to their full potential in accordance with the UN Conventions on the Rights of the Child and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The programme also hopes to enable children and young adults with disabilities to create and/or re-establish communication and emotional bonds with people outside their institutions.
Activities in the field will be jointly led by the Center for Curative Pedagogies (CPC) and the Perspektivy Centre and are organised around the following points:
BICE ensures overall project coordination, its follow-up and its evaluation. Among other things, it will facilitate the relationships with local authorities as well as training for the professionals involved.
BICE is an international network composed of 80 organisations from around the world committed to defending the dignity of children and their rights.
Fondation Dora has supported BICE since 2017 and this programme in particular since 2019.