History of the Center

The history of the National Adoption Center begins in 1995, when Belarus adopted the National Action Plan for the Protection of the Rights of the Child for 1995-2000, approved by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 150 of 19.04.1995 (hereinafter referred to as the Plan).

Section III of this document « Protection of the rights of children left without parental care, children with mental or physical disabilities and children in other extreme situations» made provisions for the opening of the National Adoption Center, and in Section II « Legal support for the implementation of the Law of the Republic of Belarus « On the rights of the child » one of the activities was the preparation of the regulation of the National Adoption Center.

The very idea of creating the institution was implemented in 1997, when in accordance with the Order of the Minister of Education of the Republic of Belarus « On the establishment of the National Adoption Center of the Republic of Belarus » No. 112 dated March 3, 1997, the institution "National Adoption Center of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus" was created.

By Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of May 2, 2003 No. 183, the National Center for Adoption was designated as the Central Authority for the fulfillment of obligations under the Convention for the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of International Adoption, adopted at the Seventeenth Session of the Hague Conference on Private International Law in 1993.

2009 was a record year for adoption in Belarus.

Last year 582 Belarusian orphans found a family - this is the highest figure in 12 years of the National Adoption Center. "It's amazing: contrary to the forecasts of skeptics, the economic crisis did not affect the desire of Belarusians to make disadvantaged children happy, to give them warmth and family shelter - said Natalya Pospelova. - Of course, a rational approach also plays a role in the decision to adopt: people weigh their ability to help the child (but you must admit that this approach also applies to planning the birth of a child). However, the emotional aspect still prevails - kindness, compassion for the orphan”.

In order to enhance the national adoption process in 2013, the National Adoption Center founded the monthly newspaper Home!, Since January 2013, specialists of the adoption center have been issuing a monthly methodological mailing list for specialists in the field of child protection and for substitute parents (adoptive parents, guardians, foster parents, parents-educators).

On October 14, 2013 the central national internet portal www.dadomu.by of the National Adoption Center began its work. Its story started when a group of activists of the forum movement organized a collection of signatures on the Internet under a request to create an information resource on which it would be possible to post detailed information and photographs of children in need of families, living in orphanages.  

The Ministry of Education commissioned the creation of an Internet portal for the National Adoption Center. With the help of the National Public Association "Belarusian Union of Women" the software developer for the portal was found. It was LLC " Light Well Organization". The idea of creating a portal was also supported by The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus. Essentially, the www.dadomu.by is evidence of the public-private partnership in ensuring the right of every child left without parental care to live and be raised in a Belarusian family.

• In January 2018, the Mentorship for Adoptive Parents project began. Within the framework of the project, 12 meetings were held on the basis of the institution, including a festive event dedicated to Mother's Day.
• in December 2018, as part of supporting substitute parents, the center’s specialists tested a “psychological lounge” for adoptive parents with adolescent children.
• in 2018, within the framework of improving professional competencies at the courses of trainers of the School of Adoptive Parents at the Institute of Family Organization of the Russian Federation, psychologists of the National Center for Adoption were trained.

• in January 2019, the website of the National Adoption Center was updated;
• in January 2019, the portal www.dadomu.by added the ability to post a link to a video about each child, information about whom is available on the portal, posted on the YouTube platform;
• the National Adoption Center is actively working on social networks: VKontakte, Facebook and Instagram, an interactive club (a closed group of adoptive parents on a social network);
• 03/13/2019 The National Adoption Center opened the "School for Young Specialists". Classes are held for newly appointed pedagogues-psychologists of social-pedagogical centers and specialists who carry out psychological training of candidates for adoptive parents;
• 03/19/2019 at the National Adoption Center, a project for adolescents "The Secret of Success" was launched. Group sessions with elements of training for educational psychologists of the National Adoption Center are aimed at providing psychological assistance to minors during the transition period;
• 20.03.2019, the Club of adoptive parents "We are a happy family!" Was opened in Minsk; the work of the previously created support clubs for adoptive parents in the cities of Mogilev and Vitebsk continues;
• 03/20/2019, the joint project "Family Academy" of the National Adoption Center and the State Educational Institution "Children's Village" Istoki "was launched. Group sessions with elements of training for educational psychologists of the National Adoption Center are aimed at helping parents-educators in resolving crisis situations of children and adolescents, teaching ways, techniques and methods to overcome difficult experiences and the consequences of traumatic events;
• in May 2019, the National Adoption Center, together with KIBUKI-group LLC, launched the Book Navigator project aimed at expanding the reader's outlook, enhancing family reading, and increasing parental literacy in matters of the development and upbringing of a child of any age. Within the framework of the project, newest literary releases in video format will be offered to the attention of children and parents twice a month;
• since September 2019, a new project "Family Harmony" for families of adoptive parents began its work at the National Adoption Center, accompanying families after adoption;
• in November 2019, a new project "School for Dads" was launched at the National Adoption Center. The purpose of the project: to promote awareness by adoptive parents, single fathers, parents-educators of family-type orphanages of their personal qualities and characteristics, parental attitudes, methods of upbringing;

• since December 2, 2019, on the website of the National Adoption Center, the possibility of electronic registration of candidates for adoptive parents has been added.
  

• In February 2020, a new project of the National Adoption Center for women facing infertility was launched;
• in February 2020, a new project of the National Adoption Center for adoptive families “MY STORY” was launched;
• in April 2020, a channel of the National Adoption Center was created on the largest video hosting platform (youtube.com) to post teaching materials, provide advice to specialists, parents and children;
• in May 2020, a new section "How It Was" appeared on the institution's website for families of adoptive parents, foster parents, as well as adoption specialists and all creative people. The heading contains stories of adoption, stories about meeting a child, interesting and touching stories of starting a family, getting to know each other, stories of specialists about their work with foster families.
• In August 2020, a program for training candidates for adoptive parents was developed for the first time. The program is recommended by the scientific and methodological institution "National Institute of Education" of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus for use in the work of specialists with candidates for adoptive parents;
  
• in October 2020, the Advisory Center for Organizing Work with Foster Families began its work at the National Adoption Center;
  
• In November 2020, “Stories” projection cards were developed to identify child abuse. The cards were designed with the help of the students of the State Educational Institution “Gymnasium-College of Arts named after I.O. Akhremchik";
• in December 2020, a case game for parents "The Right Decision" was developed, with the help of which adults will be able to choose for themselves the most constructive methods and techniques of raising children. 
  

• In January 2021, a new project of the National Adoption Center “Prevention of deviant behavior with pupils of the children's town of Leninsky district of Minsk” was launched;
• in January 2021, a new project of the National Adoption Center "My Emotions" was launched, a series of educational and developmental meetings in an online format for children aged 9-14;
• in January 2021, a new project of the National Adoption Center "Professional to professional", was launched, where specialists in the field of family placement of orphans and children left without parental care share their experience, best practices, techniques, etc., which will be posted on our website in the section "Professional to professional";

• On February 11, 2021, on the website of the National Adoption Center under the section “Professional to professional”, a new sub-section “Tools for the work of a teacher-psychologist” was created. It contains methods and tests for specialists in the field of child protection; educational psychologists, whose functions include working with foster families; specialists involved in diagnostic and psychocorrectional work with families;

• In March 2021, a distance learning program for candidates for adoptive parents was developed for the first time. The program is recommended by the scientific and methodological institution "National Institute of Education" of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus for use in the work of specialists with candidates for adoptive parents;
• In April 2021, the institution "National Adoption Center of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus" created a short animated film "There is a Way Out" to help prevent adoption cancellations.
  
• 27.04.2021 at the initiative of the institution "National Adoption Center of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus", the project "Cancellation of adoption through the eyes of a child" was launched, which will help to understand what a child thinks and feels when he is deprived of his dearest and closest people, when he realizes that he has been betrayed again ? How can he survive, where to find the strength to accept his story with a changed name, date of birth, everything that was close to him, dear, his own?
• On May 19-20, 2021, the National Adoption Center participated in the organization and holding of the II National online conference "Warmth of Hearts" dedicated to the International Day of Family and Children's Day, videos with the speeches of the employees of the National Adoption Center are posted on our website in the "Media" sections, "Professional to professional" and "Psychology".
• in June 2021, the National Adoption Center summed up the results of the competition of scientific and practical works among educational psychologists of social and educational centers from all over the country "Adoption: Change One Life". According to the jury, three works were identified with the most interesting experience, a good practical part: "Phototherapy as a tool for forming the psychological readiness of candidates for adoptive parents / adoptive parents for effective parenting (from the experience of working with candidates for foster parents)", author Zakhozhaya Anastasia Sergeevna, teacher-psychologist of the State Educational Institution "Gomel City Social and Pedagogical Center"; "Forms of psychological and pedagogical assistance to parents in overcoming disobedience of children", author Olga Alexandrovna Pshenichnaya, teacher-psychologist of the State Educational Institution "Social and Pedagogical Center of the Brest Region"; “Correctional program“ Strong family ”(aimed at establishing and developing partnerships between parents and children in foster families)”, author Tatyana Leonidovna Konoshonok, teacher-psychologist, State Educational Institution “Zhodino Social and Pedagogical Center”;
• in August 2021, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus conducts legal monitoring of regulations governing adoption issues. On the website of the National Adoption Center, a questionnaire survey of specialists in charge of issues of adoption in departments of education, children's boarding institutions, social and pedagogical centers is organized.
  
• in September 2021, a section for parents (foster parents) "Psychologist advises" was added to the website of the National Adoption Center.

• in January 2022, a discussion of the draft Constitution of the Republic of Belarus was held at the National Center for Adoption;
• in January 2022, the Wings project was launched at the National Adoption Center. Purpose: psychological and pedagogical support and assistance to adoptive parents (adopters) in the first three years after the adoption of the child into the family;
• in February 2022, the National Adoption Center will launch the Treasures Within project - tutor support for children and adolescents. The goal of the project is to unleash the potential and abilities of children.