Goal: Sustainable opportunities for the social Inclusion of disadvantaged children and their families

Child protection in Armenia faces a vast variety of challenges, as the child situation in the country is problematic. Topical issues include high rates of poverty and unemployment, working poor, high level of migration with increasing number of women-headed families, a lack of a holistic childcare system, huge number of children in institutions, lack of alternative care services, a weak civil society, etc. Children as one of the most vulnerable groups of a society suffer under these circumstances.

Armenian Caritas responds to these challenges with a holistic approach: assuring the health and education of the younger generation, empowering families/ parents to cope with their everyday life, but also looking on a broader scale by supporting the development of civil society and evoking the self-coping potentials in communities. Based on the social, pedagogical, psychological work, Armenian Caritas demands from and supports the government to improve the child protection system of the country.

Investing in education and health of young generation Armenian Caritas will have a long-term effect in the life of the direct beneficiaries. Profession-orientation trainings, life skills and vocational trainings, as well as social-pedagogical and psychological work will enable the children to live an independent life as well as it empowers them to become full members of the society, furthermore it gives them higher chances to get an employment.

Social space and community work influences not only the direct target group – the children, but also a broader community as it creates the feeling of responsibility for the environment and empowers to improve their life, taking responsibility for acting towards better future. Therefore, it supports the development of an active civil society.

To have influence not only on today’s disadvantaged children of Armenian Caritas beneficiaries, but on disadvantaged children all over Armenia in future, advocacy, lobbying and networking will be the main objective of the Child Protection Direction during 2017 – 2021. For ensuring sustainable child protection system in Armenia, Child Protection team of Armenian Caritas will elaborate Child Protection regulations, methodologies and quality standards and participate in the policymaking and reform processes of the government, pushing the state bodies to fulfill the relevant actions.