1. What does Firefly do in Russia? 2. Why close orphanages? 3. What happens to the kids if orphanages are closed? 4. Has this happened anywhere else? 5. Why does Firefly work with children with disabilities? 6. Why Russia? 7. Would you work somewhere else? 8. How do you accomplish your goals?
1. What does Firefly do in Russia?
We are working with government and public officials to close orphanages by creating programs to support birth families. We also promote the establishment of foster homes, small group homes, and domestic adoption when living with birth families is not an option. Back to Top 2. Why close orphanages?
For children to develop into healthy adults, they need the love and attention of caring adults. It is just as important to touch, play with, and talk to babies, toddlers, and children of all ages as it is to feed, clothe, and shelter them. Babies raised without affectionate human contact have been proven to develop poor physical, mental, and social skills. While people who work in orphanages try very hard to take excellent care of the children, research has shown they cannot offer the care the children need. The impact on the children is extremely harmful. Research has documented that for every month a child spends in an orphanage, the child will have measurable physical, cognitive, and social delays. As the world confronts a growing number of orphaned children due to HIV/AIDS, poverty, and war, it is imperative to create solutions that give children the chance to live healthy lives. Back to Top 3. What happens to the kids if orphanages are closed?
The best solution for children is to grow up in the care of their birth families whenever possible, whether that means preventing abandonment in the first place or returning them back to their homes. Creating support systems for families can reduce abandonment, abuse, and neglect. When this doesn’t work, the next options are small group homes, foster care, and, ideally, permanent adoptive families. These new families also need training and support to succeed in offering the love and support children need. Back to Top 4. Has this happened anywhere else?
The United States, Canada, Great Britain, and many nations have moved from institutional care to family preservation, foster care, small group homes, and increased adoption. Back to Top 5. Why does Firefly work with children with disabilities?
Firefly works with children with disabilities because they are pushed away and diminished by Russian society today. By helping these children, we can raise the bar for all children. Back to Top 6. Why Russia?
Russia needs our help now. The Russian government has made it a national priority to keep children out of orphanages and in families, and Russian leaders are implementing this work. Firefly can offer global best practices to improve the speed and quality of Russia’s change by using the knowledge of nations that have already moved their children from orphanages to foster care and other forms of care. Back to Top 7. Would you work somewhere else?
As we develop tools and techniques that work in Russia, we are eager to share our work with other nations, both by offering trainings and materials and expanding to new locales. Back to Top 8. How do you accomplish your goals?
We provide best practices training to leaders who want to close orphanages. These leaders need and deserve the expertise and support of their international peers. Countries such as the United States, which have already paid the bitter price that learning has demanded, have an obligation to the children of the world to share their expertise. We are drawing on that knowledge, and are implementing programs that have already proven successful. Back to Top
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