Between 1 and 3 million street children live on the streets of Russia and Eastern Europe. Since the breakdown of communism the plight of the poor and disadvantaged has substantially deteriorated. Children “escape” from poor, abusive or violent households or have run away or “graduated” from orphanages.
All children have in common the legacy of unstable emotional relationships, a negative self-image, social stigma, violence, exploitation and uncertain futures. ChildAid supports projects that look at long term solutions for children living on the streets.
Hundreds of thousands of children throughout Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus are abandoned to orphanages. They lead lives lacking in love and support and are all too often subject to abuse and violence. ChildAid works towards an alternative to institutionalisation for children living in orphanages and gives children who have spent a lifetime in residential care a new home and vocational skills when they would otherwise graduate to a life on the streets.
Children with disabilities form one of the most marginalised and deprived groups in the former Soviet Union. For generations, they were regarded as "mistakes" and locked up in institutions. This legacy remains and it is still common for children with disabilities to be put into orphanages where they receive little or no stimulation or love. ChildAid is working towards a change of attitude towards these children by providing education, quality residential care and family support.