TIRANA, Nov 15 /ATA/ Health and Social Welfare Minister Klodiana Spahiu paid a visit today to the “Hannah and Rozafa” Infant Home to assess the care services available to children, the conditions they live in and the work of the institution’s staff.
She underlined the importance of advancing the deinstitutionalisation reform and expanding alternative care provision so that more children can grow up in safe, stable and supportive family environments.
She announced that the goal is to involve 200 foster families, enabling more children to grow up in a safe family environment.
“Sunday begins at the ‘Hannah and Rozafa’ Infant Home, with a focus on the care and well-being of every child. Through the deinstitutionalisation reform and the expansion of alternative care services, which will involve 200 foster families, we aim to ensure that more children grow up in a safe family environment, receiving the care and support they deserve,” the minister wrote.
According to the institution’s chief caregiver, the facility has a capacity of 50 children and currently provides care for 41. A total of 51 children have received support over the course of the year, with round-the-clock care provided by the institution’s staff.
During their discussion, Minister Spahiu also enquired about the cases of children who may be reunited with their biological families or placed for adoption. The head caregiver said that three children are being considered for reunification with their biological families. She also stressed that foster families with no blood ties to the children should maintain their contact and relationship with their biological relatives.
The institution’s paediatrician praised the staff’s dedication to providing every child with warm, family-like care.
“We consider ourselves one big family, and every activity, every service and every task we undertake is carried out as if we were at home, for our own children,” the paediatrician said.
The deinstitutionalisation reform aims to shift the focus away from residential care towards community-based services and direct support for families, ensuring that children can grow up in a family environment while having access to the social services they need.
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