Lithuania - Resistance to the deinstitutionalisation of the childcare

Resistance to the deinstitutionalisation of
the childcare system in Lithuania
ESPN Flash Report 2016/15
ROMAS LAZUTKA, ARUNAS POVILIUNAS, LAIMA ZALIMIENE – EUROPEAN SOCIAL POLICY NETWORK
In the fall of 2015,
the Lithuanian
media reported
some cases of
child abuse in
residential
childcare homes.
These cases have
provoked a new
round of
discussions about
the stagnation of
the reform of
deinstitutionalisati
on. While
residential
childcare reform
started in 2003,
there has been no
systemic change –
over the past
decade – and the
reform process
continues to meet
direct and indirect
resistance.
LEGAL NOTICE
This document has been
prepared for the European
Commission. However, it
reflects the views only of
the authors, and the
Commission cannot be
held responsible for any
use which may be made of
the information contained
therein.
Description
Evidence of abuse in residential
childcare facilities in the fall of 2015
provoked
sharp
discussions
in
Lithuania, and renewed attention from
the president and the government
towards
the
issue
of
deinstitutionalisation (DI), which was
in stagnation during the past few
years. The president initiated several
political and legal actions, which have
relaunched the debate.
The DI policy of childcare system in
Lithuania dates back to 2003, when
the
Child
Welfare
State
Policy
Conception was introduced. This
initiative stressed the priority of
childcare in the family environment
and the need to reduce residential
care. In spite of this, statistical
indicators do not demonstrate a strong
trend towards DI (see Figure). So,
family care does not seem to be seen
as an alternative to residential care.
The number of day care centres for
children from at risk families is
increasing; yet, the National Audit has
reported that the demand is satisfied
only by 42% of those in need
(National audit report, 2014). In 2015,
16 pilot children’s homes were
selected for reorganisation. However,
despite the political commitments to
DI, the Vilnius district municipality
managed to build a new residentialtype childcare home in the fall of
2015.
MARCH 2016
The process of DI aims to encourage
family care, but the number of people
willing to give foster care during the
past decade has decreased by 25%.
Among the reasons is low childcare
allowance paid to foster-parents. The
processes of care and adoption
complicate the lack of mandatory
training for potential foster parents
and social workers certified to work
with foster families (National audit
report,
2014).
Furthermore,
sometimes public opinion stigmatises
foster care in families as an improper
source of income.
The Regional Office for Europe of the
Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights
claims that effective family support
services at the community level are
impeded not by a lack of financial
resources, but by deeply rooted
stereotypes (ROE OHCHR 2011).
Public opinion in Lithuania is inclined
to support residential care institutions.
In addition, the coalition of directors of
residential-type childcare homes is still
a
powerful
stakeholder
(Puras,
Sumskiene,
Adomaityte-Subaciene,
2013).
Residential
childcare
institutions also benefit from EU
structural funds: during the financing
period 2007-2013, eight residential
childcare homes have managed to
implement 27 projects for a total of
€15 mill. The projects were designed
mainly for the development of
infrastructure and the improvement of
living
conditions
(National
audit
report, 2014).
Comparison of childcare in families and institutional type
childcare institutions (in percent)
Further reading
Puras, D., Sumskiene, E.,
Adomaityte-Subaciene, I. (2013)
Challenges of prolonged transition
from totalitarian system to liberal
democracy. Journal of Social Policy
and Social Work in Transition, 3(2),
pp. 31-54.
http://journals.whitingbirch.net/inde
x.php/JSPW/article/view/414
The National Audit Office (2014)
Does the Child Care System Meet
the Best Interests of the Child in
Care? Executive Summary.
http://www.vkontrole.lt/failas.aspx?
id=3275
*The number of children placed under guardianship per year and the number of
children deprived of parental care varies because not all children deprived of
parental care at the end of the year were placed under guardianship.
Source: Statistics Lithuania
Outlook &
Commentary
As far as municipalities are
obliged to finance the services for
family-based childcare, the new
system of the alternative care
requires additional funds. Nongovernmental
organisations
criticise
the
process
of
deinstitutionalisation
for
poor
management, an inability to think
holistically, and the lack of an
integrated
plan.
Due
to
uncertainty about their future
employment, the administration
and employees of residential
childcare homes hinder the further
reforms
process.
Often
municipalities do not allocate
enough
resources
for
the
alternative services such as day
centres or foster care. Low
childcare allowances and the lack
of services for caregivers do not
encourage foster care. The child
adoption process is complicated
and long.
In
2015,
the
president
of
Lithuania actively encouraged the
systemic reform process. She
proposed to increase the childcare
allowance, to speed up the
examination of adoption cases in
courts and to amend the Civil
Code with the requirement to
send children to residential-type
care
institutions
only
in
exceptional cases. This means
that municipalities will be forced
to develop foster care services
more intensively.
ROE OHCHR (2011) The rights of
vulnerable children under the age of
three: Ending their placement in
institutional care
http://www.europe.ohchr.org/Docu
ments/Publications/Children_under_
3__webversion.pdf
Statistics Lithuania (2015) Children
Care
http://osp.stat.gov.lt/documents/10
180/3613172/globa_e.xls/9efd2c780aa0-472b-899478d5664498eb?version=1.1
Authors
Romas Lazutka; Arunas Poviliunas
and Laima Zalimiene, Vilnius
University
The Flash Reports are produced by the European Social Policy Network (ESPN) established in 2014 to provide the Commission
with independent information, analysis and expertise on social policies. The ESPN is managed by LISER and APPLICA, with the
support of OSE - European Social Observatory. For more information, please visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1135&langId=en