An interdepartmental meeting on the protection of children's rights was held in Beshenkovichi

On February 7, an interdepartmental working meeting was held at the district executive committee to discuss current aspects of the activities of prevention entities in the Beshenkovichi district concerning the state protection of children.

The important discussion was attended by the Chairman of the District Executive Committee G. V. Unukovich, the Chairman of the District Council of Deputies G. M. Shvedov, the Deputy Chairman of the District Executive Committee A. I. Erashov, members of the commission for juvenile affairs, the leadership and specialists of the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the District Executive Committee, educational institutions of the district, as well as the prosecutor's office, the Department of Internal Affairs, the Department of Emergency Situations, the central district hospital, the Beshenkovichi district branch of gas supply enterprise "Chashnikigas", the district energy and gas inspection, the settlement and cash center, the territorial center for social services of the Beshenkovichi district, and rural executive committees.

Since January 1, 2025, a number of normative legal acts on the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of minors have been amended. Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 18 "On additional measures for the state protection of children in dysfunctional families" has lost its effect.

The new procedure for recognizing children as being in a socially dangerous situation (SPS) and in need of state protection, as well as the criteria and indicators for a socially dangerous situation, are established by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 1055 dated December 30, 2024, "On recognizing children as being in a socially dangerous situation and in need of state protection," which has entered into force.

The document defines the algorithm for identifying children in SPS, maintaining their records, the procedure and timelines for assessing living and upbringing conditions, ensuring control over the conditions of maintenance, upbringing, and education of minors, the procedure for recognizing such children as being in SPS and in need of state protection, as well as their return to parents.

The Resolution regulates the work of organizations in recognizing children as being in a socially dangerous situation and in need of state protection, defines the procedure for conducting a social investigation, making a decision on the presence of criteria and indicators of a socially dangerous situation in a family, controlling its implementation and termination. The document also defines how a decision will be made on the removal of a child and the registration of children recognized as being in a socially dangerous situation and in need of state protection, establishes norms for the implementation of measures to eliminate the criteria and indicators of a socially dangerous situation, the implementation of a plan for the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of the child, and specifies the conditions for making decisions on returning a child to parents, on applying to the court with a claim for deprivation of parental rights, on removing a child without deprivation of parental rights, and on terminating the execution of a decision on removing a child.

The Deputy Chairperson of the Commission for Minors of the District Executive Committee, A. A. Builova, spoke in detail to the attendees about the main directions in the activities of state bodies and organizations of the Beshenkovichi district in recognizing children as being in a socially dangerous situation and in need of state protection. The chief specialist of the Department of Education of the District Executive Committee, E. L. Safonova, spoke about the specifics of organizing and conducting social investigations. The inspector of the Department for Emergency Situations, A. A. Milashkin, spoke about the interaction of the Beshenkovichi Department for Emergency Situations with educational institutions, rural executive committees, and other prevention entities in identifying unfavorable living conditions for children. The main emphasis is on the early detection of family dysfunction. Indifference, formalism, and irresponsible attitude to work are unacceptable in all matters concerning children.

Today, the criteria for a socially dangerous situation include, for example, cases where parents or one of them do not meet the basic vital needs of the child, do not supervise their behavior and lifestyle, as a result of which the child commits acts containing signs of an administrative offense or crime, as well as situations where parents or other persons involved in the upbringing and maintenance of the child lead an immoral lifestyle that has a harmful effect on the child, abuse their rights or mistreat children, which poses a danger to the child's life or health.

Each criterion corresponds to a number of indicators of a socially dangerous situation for children. Including, if:

✓ parents systematically (two or more times within two consecutive months) fail to comply with the recommendations of medical workers regarding medical prevention, diagnosis, treatment and (or) medical habilitation, medical rehabilitation of the child, which threatens his life and health;

✓ within one month from the date of registration of birth or from the date of arrival at a new place of residence (place of stay), they do not ensure the registration of the child at the place of residence or place of stay;

✓ both parents or a sole parent have not been working or engaged in any other activity not prohibited by law for more than three months, etc.

Parents should also know that an indicator of a socially dangerous situation is now considered if:

✓ facts of bringing parents of the child to administrative responsibility, exemption from administrative responsibility for committing an offense provided for in Article 10.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus (failure to fulfill parental duties) have been established against the parents of the child two or more times within a year;

✓ in relation to parents, other persons involved in the upbringing and maintenance of children, facts of bringing to administrative responsibility and (or) exemption from administrative responsibility for committing offenses provided for in Articles 10.1 (intentional infliction of bodily harm and other violent actions or violation of a protective order); 17.1 (illegal sowing, cultivation of plants or fungi containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances); 18.15 (driving a vehicle by a person in a state of intoxication, transferring control of a vehicle to such a person, or refusing to undergo a check (examination); 19.1 (petty hooliganism); parts 2–5 of Article 19.3 (drinking alcoholic, low-alcohol beverages or beer, consumption of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues in a public place, or appearing in a public place or at work in a state of intoxication); 19.4 (involvement of a minor in antisocial behavior); 19.5 (engaging in prostitution); 19.8 (distribution of works promoting a cult of violence and cruelty), 19.10–19.12 (propaganda or public demonstration, production, distribution of Nazi symbols or attributes; distribution, production, storage, transportation of information products containing calls for extremist activity or promoting such activity; illegal production, distribution of methods or other materials on how to make explosive devices and explosive substances); 25.11 (non-compliance with the requirements of preventive supervision or preventive observation) of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus.

The subjects of prevention have been tasked with strictly observing the requirements of the legislation concerning the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of minors. Children are our future, ensuring their safety, preserving their life and health is a common task for all of us.

"Zarya"