Towards a brighter future for institutionalised children? A case study of de-institutionalisation of childcare in Kyrgyzstan.

Abstract

Institutional care for children, so called orphanages, are still the most common type of alternative care for children deprived of parental care in Kyrgyzstan. The number of children who enter residential care in Kyrgyzstan has increased in recent years – this despite international attention of the need to move away from institutional childcare towards a range of family-based services. Moreover, the current strategy to de-institutionalise childcare in Kyrgyzstan will likely lead to unanticipated consequences and perverse results for vulnerable children. This study contributes to existing research and experiences of de-institutionalisation by analysing the case of Kyrgyzstan where efforts to de-institutionalise childcare is met with challenges. Semi-structured interviews were used to examine respondents‟ perceptions of what some of the principle challenges facing the de-institutionalisation process in Kyrgyzstan are; which the principal factors behind the choice of de-institutionalisation strategy are; and what the principal unanticipated consequences are of the current strategy. Findings suggest that there are several plausible factors behind the challenges to transition to family-based care: incomplete problem diagnosis, different social policy positions, economic, cultural and political constraints, and external pressure