Family-type ophanage

A family-type orphanage (FTO) – is a form of professional family care for children left without parental care, temporarily arranged in families.

Parents-educators of FTO – are citizens hired by the department of education to perform duties for the care, upbringing in their families of children left without parental care, on the basis of urgent employment contracts. Parents-educators receive wages for the work of raising children accepted into their families. From 5 to 10 children can be placed in an FTO.

For children who have lost their families, placement in the FTO is an opportunity to:

• realize their right to upbringing in the family regardless of age, state of health, the presence of negative life experience, developmental disabilities, behavior and legal status;
• get a chance to return to their own family: foster parents and parents-educators work professionally to strengthen the ties of children with their parents, help parents of children to restore parental rights and raise children in their own family;
• not to lose family ties and the opportunity to grow and communicate with siblings (children from large families are looking for FTO, so as not to separate brothers and sisters);
• live and be brought up in their home city, district (where their parents live), continue to attend the same kindergarten, school, vocational school, etc.;
• communicate with biological parents and close relatives (grandparents), if it does not contradict the interests of children;
• socialize more successfully in society;
• become adopted (if there is a legal status);
• get timely protection of their rights and legitimate interests.

 Who can become a parent-educator of an FTO

Parents-educators of a family-type orphanage can be capable persons of both sexes, with the exception of:

• persons with chronic alcoholism, drug addiction, substance abuse;
• persons who, for health reasons, cannot be parents-educators of a family-type orphanage, a children's village (town);
• persons deprived of parental rights;
• former adoptive parents, if the adoption was canceled due to improper performance by the adoptive parent of his duties;
• persons suspended from the duties of a guardian or custodian for improper performance of the duties assigned to them;
• persons with a criminal record, as well as persons convicted of premeditated grave or especially grave crimes against a person;
• persons whose children have been recognized as in need of state protection in connection with the failure or improper performance by these persons of their duties for the upbringing and maintenance of children;
• persons deprived of the right to engage in pedagogical activities or not having the right to engage in pedagogical activities in cases provided for by legislative acts of the Republic of Belarus.

Persons who have mastered the relevant educational programs of training courses of additional adult education are appointed to the positions of parents-educators of the family-type orphanage. Selection of parents-educators of a family-type orphanage is carried out by the guardianship and custody authorities.

Candidates for foster parents, parents-educators of pedagogical, psychological, medical education, as well as positive experience in the upbringing and socialization of native and adopted children are welcomed. It is important that the candidate is set up for self-development, improving the professional level and parental competence.

Parents of educators cannot be close relatives of children - brothers, sisters, grandfather, grandmother, and the parent-educator can not be citizens under 25 years of age.

 How to become a parent-educator of an FTO

If you want to become a parent-educator of an FTO:

 Step 1. Submit to the department of education at the place of residence:

application;

passport or other document certifying the identity of the candidate for parent-educators of the FTO;

marriage certificate - if the candidate for parent-educator of the FTO is married;

medical certificates on the state of health of the candidate for parent educators, as well as family members of the candidate for foster parents;

written consent of adult family members of the candidate for parent-educators of FTO living together with them;

information on income for the previous year.

(You can get acquainted with the addresses and contact phone numbers of departments of education here).

 Step 2. Take training courses (lectures, thematic seminars, workshops, trainings) aimed at forming competencies in solving issues of protecting the rights and legitimate interests of children transferred to the upbringing of children transferred to the FTO. These courses are organized for you by the department of education on the basis of a local socio-pedagogical center or other authorized organization. Mastering the educational program of training courses is a prerequisite for consideration by the guardianship authority of the subject of transfer of children for upbringing in FTO. Learn as much as possible about the work ahead: talk to already working foster parents, visit thematic Online communities and forums where issues of foster parenthood and raising children with a special fate are discussed. Be guided not by illusions, dreams or pity for poor orphans, but by a sober calculation: will I be able to raise a child who has survived a break with his own parents? Will I not jump to the accusations of his "bad" relatives and the glorification of himself "good" in the eyes of the child? Will I be able to work almost around the clock?

While you are taking training courses, the department of education will request from the competent authorities information characterizing your legal capacity to be parents-educators of the FTO (requests are sent to the Department of Internal Affairs, the court). Specialists of the department of education will examine the conditions of your life, study the personal characteristics, way of life and traditions of the family, interpersonal relationships in the family, assess the readiness of all family members to meet the basic life needs of children, which will be reflected in the act of examining the living conditions of candidates for parents - educators.

 Step 3. If you have successfully mastered the training courses, received a certificate of training, get acquainted with the terms of the employment contract, the contract on the conditions of upbringing and maintenance of children. A specialist in child protection of the education department will tell you about all aspects of the activities of the parent-educator of the FTO.

 Step 4. The department of education will provide you with candidates for parent-educators, information about children who live in the district and can be transferred for upbringing to a family-type orphanage. In the direction of getting to know the children, get to know them, establish contact. You can get acquainted with the children in the direction in the institution where they are - in the hospital, children's home, orphanage, social and pedagogical center, boarding school or other institution located on the territory of your district.

Candidates for parent-educators who have a dwelling that provides at least 15 square meters per family member and pupil are provided with information about children who can be transferred to the FTO in the district for upbringing, and a referral is issued to get acquainted with them.

If there is no dwelling necessary for the creation of the FTO, the department of education informs candidates for parents-educators about the possibility of participating in the competition for the position of parent-educator, if there is a dwelling in the city (district) for the creation of the FTO. Candidates for parents-educators who have successfully passed the competition receive a referral to get acquainted with children in the department of education.

 Step 5. After the local executive and administrative bodies have made decisions on the establishment of a family-type orphanage, the education department concludes an agreement with the parent-educator on the conditions of upbringing and maintenance of children and an employment contract. The term of the employment contract depends on the period for which the child is transferred to the parent-educator. From this moment you become a member of the labor collective of the department of education. Familiarize yourself with the official duties, internal labor regulations, Collective Agreement.

 Step 6. FTO are the objects of constant psychological and pedagogical support from employees of schools and preschool institutions who are visited by children-pupils of the family or FTO, specialists of the local socio-pedagogical center, department of education at the place of residence. Parents-educators of FTO, as pedagogical workers, keep documentation, attend methodological associations and other events organized by the employer to improve the competence and qualification of employees, together with specialists, draw up and implement the Family Development Plan and FTO. To get help on a variety of issues related to the upbringing of children or the performance of official duties, the parent-educator of the FTO can in the department of education, the social and pedagogical center, in the educational institution attended by pupils of the FTO.