Childcare Deinstitutionalization in Armenia from the Systemic approach Perspective
Aino Alaverdyan
This article sheds light on the system change that is taking place in the organization of childcare in Armenia from 2013 to 2021. The country is pivoting towards the modernization of the child protection system by deinstitutionalizing (DI) residential care into family-based alternative care and investing in community-based services and professional social work.
The history of orphans of the genocide and the paternalistic period of Soviet institutionalization have diminished its prominence at the systemic level.
The process of DI is comprehensive not only encompassing the closure or transformation of residential care and reunification of children with their families but affecting all components of the child protection system. Noteworthy, the DI reform in Armenia has resulted from active and professional work conducted by international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as national NGOs.
Keywords
Deinstitutionalization, Childcare, Child protection system, Social work, Armenia.
