Armenia plans to completely reform its child protection system by 2029

ArmInfo. By 2029, the updated child protection system will be operational throughout Armenia. Deputy Minister of Labor and Welfare Roza Babayan announced this at a public discussion in Yerevan on October 9, presenting ongoing reforms in this area.

She recalled that there are approximately 780,000 children in the country, of which approximately 30,000 are forcibly displaced from Artsakh. According to her, one of the main goals of the ongoing reforms is to ensure the protection of the rights of all children. "Currently, work is aimed at improving the child protection system so that it responds not only to cases that have already occurred but also includes programs to prevent similar situations. "Particular importance is placed on the implementation of preventive mechanisms, along with providing the necessary assistance to children already facing difficulties," Babayan noted.

Speaking about the reform of 24-hour childcare, the Deputy Minister emphasized that one of the priorities is improving conditions in existing institutions. At the same time, she stated, the state intends to gradually reduce the need for such services, maintaining them primarily for cases where child care cannot be provided by other means. "About 4,000 children use daycare services in relevant institutions throughout Armenia. However, existing capacities do not yet fully meet the existing need. Therefore, work is ongoing to expand their accessibility. "New certified organizations have also emerged this year, and opportunities for additional provision of such services in the regions are currently being considered," Babayan said.

Another area of reform, according to her, is changing approaches to adoption. As the Deputy Minister explained, while previously, when selecting potential adoptive parents for a particular child, preference might depend on who first expressed the desire to adopt, now the primary criterion will be the child's best interests. "After the adoption of the relevant law, it will be necessary to develop and approve the necessary by-laws. We are talking about more than 30 acts. Some of them have already been adopted, the rest are planned to be approved in 2027-2028. It is expected that by 2029, the updated system will be operational throughout the republic," the Deputy Minister of Labor of Armenia stated.

Babayan emphasized that one of the key principles of the reforms is keeping the child in their birth family. According to her, all reforms are being implemented with this approach in mind, and they intend to resort to other forms of care only in cases where keeping a child in the family is impossible. "The institution of foster families is also being developed within the framework of this policy. Currently, 239 children are being raised in foster families in Armenia. In this regard, there are plans to expand state funding for these services. By January 2028, the system should be ready for full launch. This will allow us to identify existing shortcomings, assess the effectiveness of existing mechanisms, and, if necessary, make appropriate changes throughout 2028," Babayan concluded.

At the same time, she said, work is underway to digitalize the system, which will reduce unnecessary duplication of procedures and improve interagency cooperation.

The reforms, according to Babayan, also provide for the creation of specialized social work services in the regions. "To this end, large-scale retraining of specialists is planned for 2027 with the support of international partners," the deputy minister noted.