Fall in the number of street kids

Over the first nine months of 2009 there were 8 thousand less street kids taken off the streets than in 2008.  The Ministry for the Family, Youth and Sport reports this as reflecting a 30% drop, and says that the reasons include migrant workers returning to Ukraine and the work of the social services with “problem” parents.

The trend is seen in all regions of Ukraine. Rostyslav Tymkiv, the Head of the Lviv City Council’s Department for Children’s Issues, confirms the drop and says that in Lviv following “raids” carried out by their department, education workers and the police, there has been a 10% fall in the number of street kids. He believes that the result is thanks to work with the parents on dealing with the situation. Ihor Hnat, Head of the charity “Social Adaptation Rehabilitation Centre” which grapples with the issues of street (or neglected) kids, agrees, but adds that Ukrainian children have also been helped by the economic problems in Europe.

“The economic crisis in Europe prompted some migrant workers to return to Ukraine and those parents have now set about bringing up their kids”.  There are also other factors which should not be rejected such as the closing of slot machine halls which were irresponsibly letting in minors.