FROM INSTITUTIONAL CARE TO FAMILY SUPPORT: DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFECTIVE EARLY INTERVENTION NETWORK IN THE NIZHNY NOVGOROD REGION, RUSSIAN FEDERATION, TO SUPPORT FAMILY CARE FOR CHILDREN AT RISK FOR INSTITUTIONALIZATION

• Published in: Infant mental health journal 2014-03, Vol.35 (2), p.172-184
• Main Authors: Johnson, Dana E., Dovbnya, Svyatoslav V., Morozova, Tatiana U., Richards, Melinda A., Bogdanova, Julia G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adoption; Child; Child Welfare; Child, Institutionalized; Child, Preschool; Family - psychology; Foster Home Care; Humans; Russia; Social Work
• ISSN: 0163-9641; 1097-0355
• DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21433

ABSTRACT Despite efforts of the government to reform child protection, Russia continues to rely on institutional care due to the lack of support services for families in crisis, children with disabilities, and foster and adoptive parents.The project goal was to establish a replicable professional model that would direct the child welfare system in the Nizhny Novgorod Region away from institutional care and toward services for young children and their families that reduce the risk of institutionalization. The program was carried out over a 3‐year period through a public–private partnership, which included the Ministries of Social Policy and Health of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Firefly, and KPMG with partial funding by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Participation of professionals was excellent, attitudinal changes were extensive, and there were significant improvements in the understanding and utilization of early intervention concepts. The number of visits to program sites increased from essentially none to almost 1,000/month during the course of the project. Difficulties employing standardized child‐based measures of success and developing ministry data‐collection systems were encountered. Changes within the child welfare system in Russia are possible, but require a knowledgeable and adequately funded and supported program within regions receptive to change. RESUMEN Trasfondo: A pesar de los esfuerzos del gobierno para reformar la protección al niño, Rusia continúa dependiendo del cuidado institucional debido a la falta de servicios de apoyo a familias en crisis, niños discapacitados y padres adoptivos o de hogares sustitutos. Objetivos: La meta del proyecto fue establecer un modelo profesionalmente replicable que alejaría el sistema de bienestar del niño en la Región Nizhny Novgorod del cuidado institucional y lo acercaría más a servicios para niños pequeños y sus familias que redujeran el riesgo de institucionalización. Métodos: El programa se llevó a cabo en un período de tres años mediante una asociación pública‐privada que incluía los Ministerios de Política Social y de Salud de la Región Nizhny Novgorod, Firefly y KPMG, con subvención parcial de USAID. Resultados: La participación de profesionales fue excelente, los cambios de actitud fueron extensos y se dieron significativas mejoras en la comprensión y utilización de conceptos de temprana intervención. El número de visitas a sitios del programa aumentó de esencialm