Ministry of labour and social affairs promotes alternative to placing vulnerable young people in orphanages or children’s homes.
Anna and Hovhannes (not their real names) always wanted to have a family.
“When we got married, we were planning to have three kids,” said Ann, 48, who lives in a city in the Lori region, in northern Armenia.
After discovering she had fertility problems, the couple explored a number of medical interventions before considering adoption.
“I dreamed of a newborn, but there was no newborn to adopt in Armenia in those years. Then I agreed to bring a one or two-year-old baby home, but no, I did not succeed,” Ann said, adding, “I was young, I had some stupid priorities.
“I realised too late that you do not have to embrace a newborn to become a parent; an older child can make you a parent as well. A child is a child, regardless of age.”
After nearly 20 years of marriage, Anna and Hovhannes finally have their wish. For the last year they have been foster parents to a nine-year-old, who used to live in an Armenian orphanage.
They asked to remain anonymous as they said that a stigma still surrounded foster care, especially the fact that they received money for looking after the child.
Armenia’s ministry of labour and social affairs has been actively promoting foster care as an alternative to placing vulnerable young people in orphanages or children’s homes.
In 2018 there were just 17 children living with foster families. Now, a total of 93 children live with 61 foster families, and officials say that this number is set to grow.
Foster care was first introduced in 2006 in Armenia via a pilot programme supported by the UN children’s fund, and then from 2008 as part of the state system.
The intention is to place children with difficult backgrounds or whose parents cannot look after them in loving, stable homes until they turn 18 or can be reunited with their families.
Funds for child care and support are provided by the state, and the foster parents receive a monthly stipend equivalent to the minimum wage.
“There is also a specialised foster family model system that provides care for children with disabilities or serious health problems, children with parenting difficulties, mental or behavioral problems and mental trauma, as well as for underage mothers or their children,” explained ministry spokeswoman Zara Manucharyan.
“In this case, the monthly payment for the care and upbringing of each child in care is the minimum monthly salary and 30 per cent surcharge.”
She said that the number of these specialised placements had also grown in recent years.
All adult citizens of Armenia can become foster parents, with some exceptions, including an age limit if 55 at the time of registration.
Candidates must take training courses, and learn communication and parenting skills to help them support children from orphanages or difficult backgrounds.
“I have been arranging my papers for several weeks to apply for the programme, but I am afraid my age will interfere,” said 54-year-old Gayane (not her real name), who only recently got married to a man who just turned 55. Neither she nor her husband have children, and she hopes that the mandatory paperwork will be completed within the next year.
Manucharyan said that many citizens applied to become foster parents but were turned down because of their age. The plan is to raise the age limit to 65.
“If the programme is modified, many citizens will benefit,” said Gayane, adding that she knew others excluded from the scheme because of their age.
“I found out about the programme from my neighbour,” she continued. “Their family was childless like ours. One day I saw a little girl playing in the yard. When I saw the child with them for a few days, I was a little embarrassed, but I found out who she was.”
Gayane continued, “The only problem with this programme is emotions. Look, you take a child, take care of him or her, look after them, but there may come a time when you’ll have to give them back.”
Psychologist Anush Aleksanyan said the foster system was extremely beneficial, as long as the foster family was psychologically prepared for such a significant step.
“I call it a programme of opportunities. This gives the child, who is in a cruel stage of life, an opportunity to live in a family, to feel the warmth of a family. Look, if a child is deprived of parental care for some reason, they need a roof anyway. Take them to an orphanage? In this case, the foster family is the best model.