Assistance to Russian Orphans (ARO) 3

Program Overview

The mission of the USAID-funded Assistance to Russian Orphans (ARO) Program is to stop the unprecedented growth in child abandonment in Russia by ensuring children’s right to lead a full life in a loving family free of abuse and neglect. ARO engages families, communities, organizations, and the government on all levels in reforming the child welfare system in the Russian Federation. IREX works with its key implementing partner in Russia the National Foundation for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NFPCC) to provide innovative child abandonment prevention services and models in ARO3’s priority regions: Altay Krai, Khabarovsk Krai, Novosibirsk Region, Tambov Region, and Tomsk Region.

POLICY ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES

ARO3 seeks to expand upon the successes of ARO2 in reforming the Russian child welfare system, with an emphasis on child abandonment prevention.

Create sustainable change in the child welfare system through support of government reform initiatives.
Support family-based care programs for orphans and abandoned children.
Standardize and institutionalize innovative services and programs for at-risk families and children.

PROJECT RESULTS

ARO has provided abandonment prevention and family preservation services to over 80,000 children.
ARO has created more than 500 new services for at-risk children and families
ARO has engaged over 200 NGOs and government agencies as partners to create diverse coalitions advocating for sustainable reform of the child welfare system.
ARO has trained over 2,500 child welfare professionals to provide innovative social services for families and children

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Partnership building between government and child welfare NGOs
ARO builds partnerships between child welfare organizations and local governments to secure funding, improve social services, implement child abandonment prevention models, and promote transparent legislative initiatives.
Creation of effective social services for families and children at risk of abandonment
ARO specialists work with local communities and administrations to identify the causes of child abandonment and then work together to design and implement new social services to meet the needs of at-risk children and families.
Training and education of specialists and future social welfare workers
ARO conducts comprehensive training for social welfare specialists on topics ranging from case management to the provision of emergency psychological assistance to at-risk youth by telephone. ARO also prepares the next generation of social welfare professionals by working with local universities to develop curriculum that includes best practices for schools of social work.
Public mobilization and advocacy to solve problems related to child abandonment, neglect, and abuse
ARO staff works with local child welfare advocates, government authorities, and community-based service providers to increase awareness of child welfare services and reprioritize government policies to support preventative and foster care services.

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