Misir Mardanov
Azerbaijan's Ministry of Education and Hilfswerk Austria have signed an agreement on a project to develop a model of cooperation on fostering and main services to families between local authorities and nongovernmental organizations.
Education Minister Misir Mardanov said that the main purpose of the agreement was to build cooperation between the ministry and Hilfswerk.
'The project was passed by the European Commission. Its overall cost is 640,770 euros which will be provided by Hilfswerk. The project objective is to build a mechanism to create a family system of fostering in Azerbaijan as an alternative to guardianship,' the minister said.
The three-year project includes the preparation of criteria for the choice of foster families and children and funding mechanisms. Fifty families, who are candidates for fostering, will be chosen as part of the project and given training. Small family groups for 10 children will be set up. In addition, 25 social workers will be trained to work on the project.
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