Children with disabilities are left out of deinstitutionalisation reform in Serbia, child rights activists say

Posted on June 28, 2016

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Almost 60% of children in institutional care in Serbia are children with disabilities. Most of them are confined to institutions for the rest of their lives, segregated from local communities, with limited or no access to education. Data from the Republic Institute for Social Policy of Serbia shows that only 9% of children with disabilities live with their families or family-based settings. According to Biljana Janjic, the Opening Doors National Coordinator and Programme Associate of the Mental Disability Rights Initiative Serbia (MDRI-S), “Children with disabilities inside Serbian institutions experience physical and chemical restrain, isolation and practices such as overmedication – this constitutes inhumane and degrading treatment and can amount to torture.”

Bulgaria should speed up deinstitutionalisation reforms, Human Rights Commissioner says

Posted on July 8, 2015

Despite progress made still more than 2700 children are growing up in institutions.

“Important changes are required to ensure that long-stay residential institutions are replaced with family and community-based services which respect the rights, dignity and wishes of each individual”, says Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in his country report on Bulgaria.

The publication has been put together after the Commissioner’s visit in February 2015. “Children are sent to such places established on the basis of obsolete legislation without a due assessment of their needs and where physical and psychological violence happens regularly. Once they are inside, they lack the necessary protection and are cut-off from quality education, thus reducing their chances of reintegrating into society”, said Mr Muižnieks at the report launch.

“Despite progress made, still more than 2700 children are growing up in different forms of institutional care” says Dani Koleva, Opening Doors campaign coordinator and Programme Director at the National Network for Children in Bulgaria, who contributed to the report.

One of the most pressing issues is the overrepresentation of children from families living in poverty, children with disabilities and Roma children. Ending institutional care would be possible if the country invested in prevention of family separation, in foster care and in community services for children.

In Bulgarian institutions “human rights violations frequently occur” says the Commissioner. His report explains that there are different forms of institutionalisation in the country, that the system is outdated and that it should be completely reformed.

Correctional boarding schools, for example, are institutions created in the 1950s where children with so-called “anti-social behaviour” are detained. Originally considered as re-education centers they became places where children lack necessary education and risk to remain locked up for years.

“Correctional boarding schools lack an effective methodology for working with children in conflict with the law. We call on the government to strengthen efforts to reintegrate these children back to their families in the first place and to provide children in correctional boarding schools with quality education and healthcare”, Dani Koleva concludes.

Mr Muižnieks also called for a “rapid phasing out” of all the outdated juvenile delinquency institutions, which should be replaced by a system that respects the human rights of children.

Download the report here.

Commissioner Andor wishes for DI to be reinforced for most vulnerable children

Posted on October 17, 2014

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Speaking on the occasion of International day for the eradication of poverty, Commissioner Andor has called for the deinstitutionalisation (DI) process to be strengthened, particularly in relation to children with disabilities and children of Roma origin.

Commissioner Andor highlighted the overrepresentation of children from vulnerable groups in institutions: “Roma families can be disadvantaged due to prejudice and school segregation. The current situation is unacceptable. Children with disabilities are very often concentrated in institutions. Deinstitutionalisation has to be reinforced: we have to make sure that EU financial instruments which serve these purposes are implemented with quality and with concrete monitoring of the changes.”

The Opening Doors campaign welcomes these words confirming that institutionalisation of most vulnerable children is still considered a high priority on the EU agenda. One of our campaign priorities has been to highlight that, contrary to common belief, the large majority of children placed in institutions are not orphans and call for action. It is encouraging to see the reality (socio-economic problems and discrimination are main causes of institutionalisation) being recognised by the Commissioner. The Opening Doors campaign will continue to place Roma children and children with disabilities at the centre of the campaign’s work.