13.06.2025

Strengthening Psychosocial Support in the Alternative Care System: Roundtable in Tashkent

Tashkent, 13 June 2025 — The SOS Children’s Villages Uzbekistan, in collaboration with UNICEF Uzbekistan, hosted a roundtable to address the psychosocial well-being of children in alternative care and explore measures to prevent their separation from biological families.
       

The event brought together representatives of government bodies, international and national organizations, child protection experts, foster parents, and young people with lived experience in the care system.
The main objective was to discuss effective ways to support the mental health of children under care or at risk of losing parental care, based on trauma-informed approaches and the need for cross-sectoral cooperation.

Participants emphasized the importance of integrating sustainable and trauma-sensitive practices, as well as building systemic support for professionals working with vulnerable children and families.
Access to quality psychosocial services was recognized as a cornerstone of child protection, especially in light of the ongoing reform of the alternative care system in Uzbekistan.

Opening remarks were delivered by Gulnoza Abidova, Director of SOS Children’s Villages Uzbekistan, and Regina Maria Castillo, Head of UNICEF Uzbekistan. International expert Lubos Tibenksy presented core principles of psychosocial support, while UNICEF Advisor Diana Isaeva shared insights on mental health and family support interventions implemented across the country.

During panel discussions and group work, participants explored topics such as deinstitutionalization, the expansion of family-based care, early intervention services, and the integration of psychosocial support into national social protection strategies. The voices and experiences of foster parents and young people who grew up in care added depth and practical relevance to the dialogue.

The roundtable reinforced the understanding that psychosocial support is crucial for children's well-being and highlighted the importance of continued inter-agency collaboration.