Seminar on "Introduction of gatekeeping mechanisms in Samarkand region"

On April 22, 2022, SOS Children's Village Samarkand hosted a seminar on "Introduction of gatekeeping mechanisms to prevent the placement of children to alternative care in Samarkand region". The event was attended by the head of the Secretariat for Child Protection of the Samarkand region, specialists of the Department of Child Protection of the city and district administrations, the regional National Guard, prosecutors and police for minors, and other officials.

The event was opened by the director of the SOS Children's Village Samarkand - D. Davronova and the head of the Secretariat for Child Protection of the Samarkand regional administration - Sh. Quvvatov they stressed the importance of strengthening the gatekeeping system and the institution of the family. It should be noted that the main purpose of gatekeeping is to place children in alternative care only when necessary and to ensure that the child's personal needs are taken into account first. The gatekeeping mechanism prevents children from being separated from their families and ensures that family support or the placement of a child in the care of close relatives must be considered before a decision is made to place a child in alternative care. Since adherence to these principles and conditions requires a wide range of alternative forms of placement for children, the gatekeeping system is also closely related to the ideas and process of deinstitutionalization of childcare.

At the event, the sides exchanged views on the work carried out by organizations working with families in need of social protection to improve the welfare of children and social protection. After listening to the presentations, the participants aimed to strengthen cooperation between organizations working in the field of child and family support in the Samarkand region.