The Number of Abandoned Children Counted

The number of children abandoned every year is going down. In 2018, 28 cases, and between January and September of this year, 22 cases have been recorded.

According to data owned by the Ministry of Labour and Social Management, it turns out that the number of children abandoned each year is going down by reducing. In 2014, 41 cases were recorded, in 2015, 43 cases, in 2016, 36 cases, in 2017, 34 cases, in 2018, 28 cases, and 22 cases were recorded from January to September of this year.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Management said that the housing of these children is an alternative form of temporary and short-term protection for children of this category, because the Republic of Kosovo has not been building and rebuilding any orphanages since the post-war period, then for the protection and housing of children without parental care from the age of 0-18, has developed partnership with the non-government sector, co-operates with the Children's Villages and Home Hope for Children, <x>Caris Umbra/1>

Faithful Peci, the head of alternative care for children who are sheltered in Sos Village, said they have intensive care from “SOS Mother”, a woman without family obligations outside “SOS Villages” and has decided to work and commit to raising children entrusted to it.

During the day, week and year, they receive systematic services from psychologist, social worker, and teacher.

Peci for Kosova Prees said that currently in Sos Village are sheltered 60 children who receive all services that enable those children to grow up literally like all other children.

Peci: Sos Village has all the necessary infrastructure and professional staff

We have six children in Sos villages, 40 children from the age of 3-18, 4 who are part of the youth home programme and 10 young people who are part of the semi-redependence programme, in total there are 60 children who are currently receiving services in Sos villages of Kosovo children. Sos Villages have all the necessary infrastructure and all of the professional potential staff to offer the best quality services for children without parental care, so each child after minimum care standards has met all the requirements it needs to develop in the best possible way possible, such as hygiene, food, infrastructure, settlements and other 40x1>, she said.

Peci also said that children of Sos Village even after they're 18 years old continue to be part of them, because in the context of Sos comes the half-deprivation programme, which allows young people to stay for another three years until they feel safe to cope with life.

Peci: Part of our programs are children after the age of 18

And we don't give up on children who are older than 18 years of age, then when legal custody ends, the center for social work on them, we even don't give up on children who have grown up to us, because we offer a program of support for these children, as part of the semi-retire independence program where for three years we try to support young people towards their development, whether in studies, whether in professional skills and employment, or even in the respect of heritage that they have and things. The first year of support for young people is 75 percent, covering all costs for existence and career development, the second year 50 percent, and the third year 25 percent, for those three years it is considered that young people have reached a degree of independence and became independent that after three years were the owners of themselves”, Peci added.

And Neonatology Director Jevdet Goynovci said that in their department, there are babies whose parents abandon the day they give birth and babies that police together with the Ministry of Labour and Social Management send from the field.

According to him, all these babies in the clinic stay 28 days, where they even receive adequate services, then they refer to the Centre for Social Labour and Goodness.

Gojnovci said it is good luck that the number of abandoned babies is in decline. He added that the occasion when parents have left their baby, they return and retake them is a big occasion.

In 2014, according to him, there were 28 abandoned babies, a family reunion, in 2015, 19 abandoned babies, nine family reunions, in 2016, 23 abandoned babies, 12 family reunions, in 2017, 12 abandoned babies, 26 family reunions, in 2018, 9 abandoned babies, 20 family unions, and in 2019, 12 abandoned family unions.

Goynovci- This year 26 abandoned babies have reunited with their parents

“Clinic of Neonatology also treats abandoned babies who are born at the Obsertical-Gynecological Clinic, or even on the field, depending on where the social worker calls and brings them together with the police at our clinic. This year the number of abandoned babies is 38 babies, and out of those cases 12 are social cases that have remained in care of the Ministry of Labour and Social Goods department and 26 babies have joined the parents after a conversation with social worker”, Goynovci said.

Goynovci has a message for young parents. According to him, they should be conscious of and not abandon their children and wish that the number of abandoned children be reduced.

Gojnovci: I hope that people will be conscious and not abandon them

These babies should always keep in mind that they were abandoned and taken care of. I hope this number will be reduced as much as possible and there will be people's awareness that they will not abandon”, Goynovci added.

We remember that in 2019 in the months, January-September 22 cases of abandoned children, the number in decline compared to the previous years.