“I welcome the commitment expressed by the authorities to move away from the practice of placing children without parental care and people with disabilities in institutions. However, many persons continue to live in an institutional environment. The authorities should intensify their efforts to prevent child neglect, provide support to families who experience difficulties in caring for their children, and establish an effective framework of community-based services for such families and for persons with disabilities. I also urge the authorities to ensure effective protection and justice for victims of domestic violence, the overwhelming majority of whom are women and children”, said Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, at the end of his five-day visit to Lithuania.
The Commissioner visited a home for children with developmental delays in Vilnius which provides care for such children, as well as for others who are taken from their families due to parental neglect, usually related to alcohol or drug abuse. “There should be a clear roadmap to ensure the development of an effectively functioning system of foster and alternative care. Without such a system in place, it will not be possible to cease resort to institutionalisation of children who lack adequate parental care”. (more...)