The Armenian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Healthcare will work with the Bari Mama (Nice Mama) NGO to stem the practice of placing children with disabilities in orphanages and to protect their right to live at home.

“This memorandum reaffirms our willingness and that of our partners to avert the admission of children with health issues into institutions and to guarantee their right to live in a family setting. This prevention is extremely important because returning a child to the family is doubly complicated once they enter an orphanage,” said Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Zaruhi Batoyan.

The ministries will work with the NGO to retrain health workers so that they can support parents of children with disabilities to make informed decisions.

During the past five years, the Bari Mama NGO has succeeded in offering options to families, thus preventing 107 children being sent to orphanages.

Bari Mama President Marina Adulyan said that the memorandum is a great step forward and signifies that her NGO will receive government assistance and support.