SOS Children’s Villages is an international organization that provides alternative forms of care and upbringing for children who, for various reasons, have been deprived of parental care. SOS Children’s Villages places the best interests of the child at the heart of its work and is committed to upholding every child’s rights from birth. Through its projects, programmes, and services, the organization strives to provide children with what they have been deprived of through circumstances beyond their control, yet what is essential for their full physical and emotional development: a family environment, safety, the warmth and comfort of a home, and confidence in the future. A key principle guiding the work of the SOS Children’s Villages Uzbekistan Association is to provide consistent and continuous support to children and young people who have been deprived of parental care. Until they finish school, children live and grow up in SOS families, after which they can access youth support services to help them transition to independent adulthood. Another equally important area of our work is strengthening families and preventing the separation of children from their families and the resulting loss of parental care.
SOS Children's Village Khorezm is a modern model in which family houses are located in different areas of Urgench city. Some of them are in one area, and others are in another part of the city. This means that SOS Children's Village Khorezm is not located on a site separated from the environment, but consists of houses that are a natural part of the city's communities. Thus, children live in a natural environment, which reduces the risk of children being stigmatized as orphans or deprived of parental care. SOS families in Khorezm are perceived as an ordinary family, most neighbors are not aware of the difficult life history of children.
The SOS Children’s Village model differs significantly from that of a traditional children’s orphanage. This is because only a family environment can provide a child with protection, emotional healing, and the opportunity to reintegrate into society. SOS Children’s Villages do not employ rotating caregivers, cooks, or cleaners. Instead, children live as they would in a regular family, helping their SOS mother with household chores. First and foremost, we do everything we can to help children recover from severe childhood trauma, regain a happy childhood, and prepare for a fulfilling and independent life. An individual development plan is designed for each child. Our children receive everything they need to develop essential social skills and integrate into society, from learning how to manage a household to accessing additional educational opportunities that help them realize their creative potential. Secondly, we never separate biological siblings. Brothers and sisters are always kept together. Thirdly, children in SOS Children’s Villages are not isolated from the outside world. They attend regular schools, build relationships with the wider community from an early age, and have friends outside the village. And finally, our young people receive comprehensive social, psychological, and legal support through our Youth Care service. This support helps them find their place in society, become self-reliant, and build an independent future.
SOS Children's Villages Uzbekistan is a member of the international non-governmental non-profit Federation of SOS Children's Villages (SOS Children`s Villages), operating in 136 countries on all continents. More than 550 SOS Children's Villages have already been built around the world, in which about 60,000 children left without parental care live. More than 1,000,000 more children and adults receive regular support from the organization as part of family strengthening programs, educational and humanitarian projects, and projects to protect child rights. SOS Children's Villages Uzbekistan operates on the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan in accordance with the agreement "On the creation, construction, equipping and operation of SOS Children's Villages and related projects in the Republic of Uzbekistan" between the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and SOS Kinderdorf International (Austria) and Decrees of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 585 dated December 31, 1997. "On the organization of the Association of SOS Children's Villages of Uzbekistan" and No. 738 dated November 21, 2020 "On measures to further improve the activities of the SOS Children's Villages Association of Uzbekistan." The SOS Children's Villages Uzbekistan was established in 1997, and the first SOS Children's Village was opened in Tashkent in 2000. Today, there are three branches of the SOS Children's Villages Uzbekistan in Tashkent, Samarkand and Khorezm.
The children's village consists of several family houses. SOS Children's Villages do not cut children off from the outside world. The children go to regular schools, are treated in district clinics, meet with biological relatives (if this does not contradict to the best interests of the child). They live in families of 4-7 children. Each family has its own house and its inner atmosphere, design, the family itself creates comfort. Flowers are planted near the houses, sometimes there are beds where vegetables and fruits are grown. Each family lives its own life: plans and spends the family budget, decides how to spend leisure time, where to go. Children attend regular schools and kindergartens, clinics, receive additional education. In the development of children, specialists from the village assist parents-educators. Planning of the individual development of each child is carried out, where all the characteristics, needs, and abilities of the child are taken into account Life and routine, daily housekeeping, the formation of responsibility - this is what parents-educators do. For this, they receive employment history and a pension after retirement. Once a year parents have a vacation, during which an assistant replaces the parents, we call "SOS aunt". Children go to the store and pharmacy like ordinary ones, set the table and wash the dishes. In a short, everything is like in an ordinary family
According to the law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on care and guardianship, the state bodies carrying out activities in the field of care and guardianship are: ● Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan; ● Ministry of Public Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan; ● Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan; ● Local authorities. Care and guardianship activities are carried out by district, city/regional sectors for child protection. The activities of entities and individuals other than care and guardianship bodies to identify and arrange for persons in need care or guardianship are not allowed. Each SOS Children's Village has close ties with the guardianship authorities in its area, and when it becomes possible to admit a child to the children's village and the guardianship authority requests participation in the assessment of the child's situation, a joint assessment is carried out and if placement in the children's village is in the best interests of the child, the responsible body makes a decision on placing the child to the SOS Children's Village. Priority goes to brothers and sisters from one family: if they get into a foster family or an orphanage, they would be separated (perhaps forever), and SOS Children's Villages have all the conditions for them to live together.
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