The UN Children’s Fund’s investigation, Pathways to Better Protection, reveals that children with disabilities account for up to 87 per cent of those in care, where data is available.
And the numbers of unaccompanied and separated children seeking asylum in such institutions in western Europe is on the rise.
“We have a long way to go before ending Europe and Central Asia’s long and painful legacy of institutionalizing children,” said Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF director for the region.
Children in institutions often struggle to form positive relationships throughout childhood and adulthood, leaving them feeling isolated and lonely.
Moreover, those in residential care, particularly from a young age, may experience cognitive, linguistic, and other developmental delays, making them more susceptible to falling foul of the the legal system, and being institutionalized again.
Despite these challenges, the UNICEF report highlights some positive trends.
In Bulgaria, Moldova, and Georgia, family-based care has become the norm versus formal alternative care, thanks to Government policies and increased investment.
In Türkiye and Romania, investments in prevention, family support, and foster care promotion have led to a reduction in the number of children in certain types of residential care facilities.
However, the report underscores the lack of progress for children with disabilities. In countries with available data, figures increased in all settings between 2015 and 2021.
To conform with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and the UN Guidelines on Alternative Care, UNICEF emphasized the need for the systematic closure of large-scale institutions used to house and educate children.
This includes replacing residential facilities for children with disabilities, or unaccompanied and separated children, with high-quality family and community-based care.
UNICEF called for increased resources to support early identification and intervention for at-risk children, a robust social service workforce, family support services to prevent unnecessary family separation, and quality foster care for children in need of protection.
The agency stressed the importance of reallocating resources from institutional care to family and community-based care and ensuring investments in quality data.
Uchunguzi wa shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa la watoto (UNICEF) ulioitwa Pathways to Better Protection, unaonyesha kuwa watoto wenye ulemavu ni asilimia 87 ya wale wanaotunzwa na shirika hilo. Idadi ya watoto wasio na mwenzi na waliotenganishwa na wazazi wanaotafuta hifadhi katika taasisi kama hizo katika Ulaya Magharibi inaongezeka. "Tuna njia ndefu ya kwenda kabla ya kumaliza urithi mrefu na chungu wa Ulaya na Asia ya Kati ya kuweka watoto katika taasisi", alisema Regina De Dominicis, mkurugenzi wa UNICEF kwa mkoa huo. Watoto katika taasisi mara nyingi hupambana kuunda mahusiano mazuri katika utoto na utu mzima, na kuwaacha wakihisi wametengwa na upweke. Zaidi ya hayo, wale katika huduma ya makazi, hasa kutoka umri mdogo, wanaweza uzoefu utambuzi, lugha, na maendeleo mengine ya kuchelewesha, na kuwafanya zaidi nyeti kwa kuanguka foul ya mfumo wa kisheria, na kuwa taasisi tena. Licha ya changamoto hizi, ripoti ya UNICEF inaangazia mwenendo fulani mzuri. Katika Bulgaria, Moldova, na Georgia, huduma ya msingi wa familia imekuwa kawaida dhidi ya huduma rasmi mbadala, shukrani kwa sera za Serikali na kuongezeka kwa uwekezaji. Katika Uturuki na Romania, uwekezaji katika kuzuia, msaada wa familia, na kukuza utunzaji wa utunzaji umesababisha kupunguzwa kwa idadi ya watoto katika aina fulani za vifaa vya utunzaji wa makazi. Hata hivyo, ripoti hiyo inasisitiza ukosefu wa maendeleo kwa ajili ya watoto wenye ulemavu. Katika nchi zilizo na data zinazopatikana, takwimu ziliongezeka katika mazingira yote kati ya 2015 na 2021. Kwa mujibu wa Mkataba wa Haki za Mtoto, Mkataba wa Haki za Watu Wenye Ulemavu na Miongozo ya Umoja wa Mataifa ya Matibabu ya Mbadala, UNICEF imesisitiza umuhimu wa kufungwa kwa utaratibu wa taasisi kubwa zinazotumiwa kuwapa watoto makao na elimu. Hii inajumuisha kubadilisha vifaa vya makazi kwa watoto wenye ulemavu, au watoto wasio na mwenzi na kutenganishwa, na huduma ya hali ya juu ya familia na jamii. UNICEF ilitoa wito wa kuongeza rasilimali kusaidia utambulisho wa mapema na uingiliaji kwa watoto walio hatarini, nguvu ya kazi ya huduma za kijamii, huduma za msaada wa familia ili kuzuia kutenganishwa kwa familia zisizo za lazima, na huduma bora ya utunzaji kwa watoto wanaohitaji ulinzi. Shirika hilo lilisisitiza umuhimu wa kugawa tena rasilimali kutoka kwa utunzaji wa taasisi hadi utunzaji wa familia na wa jamii na kuhakikisha uwekezaji katika data ya ubora.