Valentina lives in the town of Tashir in the Lori Marz. Her oldest daughter, ten year-old Ruzanna, has been living in the Vanadzor Children's Home for a year now. Valentina lives with her second husband, not Ruzanna's father. This created an unhealthy environment within the family, and she chose to send Ruzanna to the children's home. Valentina visited her daughter before the New Year. She tried to persuade the girl that New Year's Eve would be more fun at the children's home - with presents and festivities, though Ruzanna wanted to come home. "I don't want to take her home because there is established discipline here, the child's upbringing is well organized," Valentina said. "When she gets older I hope that she will find an opportunity to continue her education here."

In tears, Ruzanna managed to persuade her mother to take her home for ten days. She returned to the children's home several days ago.

Ashik Harutiunyan, director of the Vanadzor Children's Home, said that ten to fifteen children are admitted to the home each year. The overall number of children here is between 115 and 120 - instead of the stipulated 109. Today 70% of the 113 residents of the home are from the Lori Marz. "In the past they were mostly from the Spitak region. Lately, mostly children from the Tumanian region are sent here," Harutiunyan said. He added that the number of newborn babies admitted to the children's home has decreased. In the past 7-8% of children were newborns; today the figure is 1-2%.

Some 80% of the 113 children here have parents. A special working group created at the Lori governor's office finds this number is extremely high. The working group is to set up a department within the governor's office which will deal with the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups of minors and work to make the path from the community to the children's home transparent. "Today, if the parents encounter difficulties, it's easy for them to take the path to the children's home. But there are many measures one can take before sending a child to the children's home," Anahit Baroyan, a member of the working group, explained.

The state provides 63,000 drams (about $140) a months for each child for food and other necessities. In 2005, five children from three families were sent to the home through decisions of the Alaverdi mayor. Anahit Baroyan notes that there are no mechanisms for local mayors to give an account of their work or for the public to appeal against their decisions. She is not convinced that all the decisions by the community commissions are correct. "Especially if we take into consideration that in small communities there are not even commissions on guardianship and trusteeship, then it turns out that a child's lot is decided on the basis of the local mayor's subjective opinion," she said.

We were told at the Alaverdi Mayor's Office that decisions on sending the minors to the children's home were taken in accordance with criteria determined by the government. "We are only able to provide 15,000-20,000 drams twice a year in monetary aid to families in which the parents have abandoned the children. But this is not an upbringing for a child. One cannot ensure the future of a child by this alone," said Sasun Khechumyan, chairman of the municipality's Guardianship and Trusteeship Commission.

The Department of the Protection of Children's Rights of the Lori Governor's Office is to begin functioning soon. Anahit Baroyan explained that their main task would be returning children to their families. But until then 113 residents of the children's home live, get educated, see matchmakers, and get married there.