was reviewed. Reports were delivered by Minister of Education Zhuldyz Suleimenova, Minister of Healthcare Akmaral Alnazarova, and Minister of Internal Affairs Yerlan Sadenov, primeminister.kz reports.
Today, Kazakhstan is home to approximately 7 million children, which accounts for more than one third of the country’s population, or 34%.
The future of the country depends on the conditions in which our children grow up. That is why, at the National Kurultai, the Head of State instructed the development of a unified ‘Children of Kazakhstan’ Concept. Comprehensive care for children is our top priority, and the state is implementing a set of measures aimed at improving the quality of life of children. The ‘Children of Kazakhstan’ Concept includes a specific action plan to protect children’s rights in the fields of education, healthcare, safety, social protection, and family well-being," Olzhas Bektenov emphasized.
It was noted that in recent years a number of measures have been taken to improve the system for protecting children’s rights.
- The legislative framework has been significantly expanded, particularly with regard to ensuring the inevitability of punishment for crimes committed against children.
- A unified contact center 111 operates on issues related to family matters and the protection of the rights of women and children. Assistance is provided and inspections are conducted for all appeals.
- Regional commissioners for children’s rights operate in all regions.
From February 1, a special procedure for control and supervision of educational organizations based on the principle of unannounced inspections is being introduced. These measures concern issues of child safety, health improvement, and nutrition. In this regard, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministries of Healthcare, Education, Culture, Labor and Social Protection of the Population, Tourism, and Internal Affairs, together with regional akimats, to form by January 30 of the current year a register of facilities subject to special control and supervision.
To strengthen the protection of children’s rights, a new staffing standard for guardianship authorities has been introduced, providing for at least one specialist per 5,000 children. This made it possible to increase the number of such specialists by more than three times within one year. Based on these specialists, regional departments for the protection of children’s rights are being established.
At the same time, Olzhas Bektenov noted that in a number of regions work in this area is being carried out insufficiently actively. Such work has been completed only in Akmola Region, Aktobe Region, and in the capital. The remaining akimats were instructed to complete the establishment of the relevant departments within two months.
Attention was drawn to the implementation of a new form of family placement-the professional foster family-which has been in effect since July 1 of last year. Funding has been allocated for these purposes; however, work on introducing this mechanism has not been sufficiently intensified in the regions. Akimats were instructed to take the necessary measures.
The Prime Minister pointed out ongoing problem issues in the field of children’s healthcare, including shortages of medical specialists, medicines, and opportunities for child rehabilitation, as well as a lack of highly specialized professionals such as defectologists, speech therapists, and audiologists for children with special educational needs.
The need was emphasized to strengthen measures to ensure children’s safety, including in the digital environment, and to expand access to supplementary education and modern educational technologies in rural areas. Adolescents face a lack of attention and limited opportunities for self-realization.
It was stressed that work in these areas should be carried out on a systemic basis, with strengthened interagency coordination among the Ministries of Education, Healthcare, Labor and Social Protection, Internal Affairs, and regional akimats.
As a result of achieving the target indicators set out in the Concept, a sustainable system for the development, support, and protection of children should be formed.
The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Education, together with interested state bodies and akimats, to ensure high-quality and timely implementation of the Concept’s measures, to establish effective interaction with the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, and, jointly with the Ministry of Culture and Information, to organize an information campaign for its implementation.
Following the vote, the Government approved the unified "Children of Kazakhstan" Concept.
Overall coordination has been assigned to Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva.
This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today. Copyright of materials of News Agency Kazakhstan Today.