ABOUT "SAY NO TO ORPHANHOOD" PROGRAM

"Say No to Orphanhood" program was launched by Rinat Akhmetov Foundation on June 1, 2008.

Family values are priority for the Foundation, and the Foundation does everything possible for a child to be raised in family: promotes national adoption, supports foster families and family-type orphanages, including financial aid; collaborates with boarding schools to prevent social orphanhood and return children to their biological families.

OVER THE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD RINAT AKHMETOV FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF UKRAINE:

Developed and launched "Family for a child" pilot project in Dnipropetrovsk region, which is aimed at reforming boarding schools, development of family form of upbringing and prevention of child abandonment (working with families in crisis). The project partner was Dnipropetrovsk regional state administration. The project was intended for 2011-2013.

Started reforming "Family" orphanage in Dnipropetrovsk region into Support centre for families and children (the project implementation partner is representative office of "Hopes and Homes for Children" in Ukraine).

Signed a memorandum with Lumos Foundation (Great Britain) about cooperation on de-institutionalization and transformation of children services in Dnipropetrovsk region.

Developed and launched "Let's Save Family for a Child" pilot project in Donetsk. The project partners are Donetsk city council and HealthRight International.

As part of "Let's Save Family for a Child" pilot project in Donetsk the Foundation established a crisis centre to work with families in difficult circumstances. The main goal of the centre was to reduce termination of parental rights and prevent getting into an orphanage for children.

Opened a half-way house for adaptation of teenagers.

Opened Mother and child centres in Donetsk and Kyiv.

Trained social workers according to new technologies to help families at different stages of life circumstances, taking into account European experience.

Developed and launched the first national adoption portal www.sirotstvy.net, which contains information on 13,000 children for adoption. Over the project implementation period, starting from December 2009, 5,417 children found families. The project partners were the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, Magnolia NGO and Shakhtar Football Club.

Established and supported the creation of 34 family-type orphanages in Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Luhansk, Lviv, Kirovohrad regions and in Kyiv, each of them has more than five children living there.

Together with Ukrainian Centre for Social Reforms and Ukrainian Institute of Social Studies named after O. Yaremenko conducted a study called "The life of leavers from boarding schools, orphanages and foster families".

Together with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Ukrainian Institute of Social Studies named after O. Yaremenko the Foundation conducted a study ordered by Children's Rights Commissioner for the President of Ukraine. The social study is called: "The rights of children in Ukraine: realities and challenges after 20 years of independence".

Launched a social campaign in cooperation with Shakhtar Football Club to support national adoption and family values.

Supported the all-Ukrainian campaign called "This child needs family". The project is being implemented from July 2008 in partnership with Magnolia public organization and national Ukrainian TV channels.

Opened a hotline dealing with adoption issues. There are more than 100 calls coming on this number every week.