In Turkmenistan 87% of the children aged 0-17 years in formal residential care are children with disabilities.
UNICEF published a policy brief on Keeping Families Together in Central Asia that emphasized the goal of eliminating the institutionalization of children with disabilities by 2030. It highlights how nearly 60,000 children aged 0-17 years across Central Asia live in residential care. This number might be higher given the limitations in data availability, consistency and coverage. It is estimated that 203 children for every 100,000 children, on average, live in residential care across Central Asia, which is almost double the global average of 105 per 100,000.
As Regina De Dominicis UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia stated:
“The rate of children in residential care can reflect the strength of a country’s child protection system, with a higher rate signaling a system that is failing to keep families together”.
What are the causes and consequences of child institutionalization?
Child institutionalization in Central Asia is driven by a complex interplay of social stigma surrounding disabilities, economic disparities, and inadequate family support systems. Deeply ingrained prejudices against disability, coupled with insufficient community-based services, pressure families to institutionalize children, particularly those with disabilities, due to limited alternative options.
Children with disabilities are the most vulnerable as they are up to 30 times more likely to live in residential care facilities in Central Asia than other children. Except for Kazakhstan, the share of children with disabilities in residential care increased between 2015 and 2021, demonstrating deep-rooted social norms and limited community-based services for children with disabilities.
In Turkmenistan 87% of the children aged 0-17 years in formal residential care are children with disabilities.
Percentage of children with disabilities aged 0-17 years in formal residential care of the total number of children in formal residential care in Central Asia for 2015 and 2021.
Source: UNICEF
Economic hardships and social inequality further exacerbate these challenges, as vulnerable families struggle to access essential resources and support, making institutionalization a last resort. Additionally, the lack of comprehensive family support services, early intervention programs, and accessible resources leaves families ill-equipped to care for children with additional needs, contributing to family separation.
The consequences of institutionalization are profound and long-lasting, depriving children of the love, care, and stimulation essential for healthy development and increasing their vulnerability to social exclusion. Notably, marginalized groups, including children with disabilities, those affected by migration, and children from impoverished backgrounds, are disproportionately represented in institutional care settings, highlighting the urgent need to address systemic inequalities and provide targeted support to these vulnerable populations.
How to address child institutionalization in Central Asia?
UNICEF proposes policy recommendations to the governments of Central Asian countries to facilitate the closure of large-scale institutions, strengthening families and prioritizing family-based care alternatives.
- Comprehensive child care reforms are essential, with a focus on keeping children with their families whenever possible and gradually phasing out large-scale institutions. This involves redirecting resources towards robust family support services, including early intervention programs, parenting support, and financial assistance to alleviate the pressures that often lead to institutionalization.
- If alternative care becomes necessary, it should prioritize family-based solutions, such as kinship care or foster care, ensuring adequate support and training for caregivers. This includes strengthening support for extended family members caring for children and investing in the development of professional foster care services. The sources also emphasize the importance of protecting children in alternative care through robust safeguarding policies, data collection and monitoring, and public awareness campaigns to promote the benefits of family-based care.
Photo credit: Galina Sorokina / UNICEF Kazakhstan.
