News
LFFA Celebrates Its Twentieth Anniversary
On September 9,th 2014, at the Grand Palace Hotel, the Latvian Foster Family Association celebrated its twentieth year anniversary. Congratulatory speeches were given by the Minister of Welfare of Latvia Uldis Augulis, the presidential advisor Karīna Rāviņa-Vimba, the Chairman of American-Baltic Investments and LFFA advisory board founder Hamid Ladjevardi, and the Swedish-Latvian cooperation network manager Lars Westerlund.
The Association’s Managing Director Ilze Golvere thanked those in attendance, family representatives, LFFA supporters and friends, expressing that the Latvian Foster Family Association provides support for families in whose care children have been left without their biological parents. She emphasized, that only in a family environment rather than that of an orphanage, could a child grow and develop into becoming a socially well-adjusted human being. The loss of loving care of their biological parents has deeply scarred these children. It is important to help these children understand that they are very much deserving of love, and that they are not responsible for being abandoned by their biological parents.
Uldis Augulis explained that the LFFA, along with the Welfare Ministry, aim to improve the well being of children in Latvia and to encourage their love and care. For the next five years, the Ministry of Welfare aims to reduce the number of children in orphanages by 60%.
LFFA advisory board founder Hamid Ladjevardi emphasized the need to reduce the institutionalization of childcare in Latvia, and to ensure that these children receive the kind of care that can only be found in a family atmosphere and environment. “Of the 8,095 children without biological parental care, 5,050 live with guardians, 1,155 live with foster families and 1,890 live in orphanages. It is bewildering, when we look at the allocated financing, that orphanages are a higher priority than guardians and foster families. Currently, Latvian municipalities and the government, the largest contributors to the welfare of children, pay anywhere from 430 to 1140 Euros per month per child in an orphanage. By contrast, 54 Euros per month is paid to a person for fulfilling duties of a guardian, the legal caregiver of a child without parental care and then only 46 Euros per child per month for maintenance. There is a huge imbalance here that needs to be addressed so that as many children as possible are raised in caring and nurturing foster families instead of institutionalized care homes.” Mr Ladjevardi invited LFFA supporters to become involved in efforts to increase the level of care in orphanages, and within three years to increase the financial support foster families receive to at least 240 Euros per month.
Twenty years ago the Association was founded with a membership of 20 families. Today, that number has grown to 175 families and 345 children across Latvia.
The Latvian Foster Family Association would sincerely like to thank the Grand Palace Hotel and Bernhard Loew, Hamid Ladjevardi and Vīna Studija for providing the premises and refreshments for the anniversary celebration!
The Association also would like to thank all supporters with a special mention going to the Association’s patroness First Lady Dace Seisuma, Lars Westerlund, “Daugavas Vanagi”, SIA “CEMEX”, SIA “Naftimpeks”, SIA “Elektrolux Latvia Ltd”, AS “Latvijas Gāze”, SIA “Gemoss”, SIA “Spilva”, and the American Latvian Chamber of Commerce and its members.
— September 12, 2014
On September 9,th 2014, at the Grand Palace Hotel, the Latvian Foster Family Association celebrated its twentieth year anniversary. Congratulatory speeches were given by the Minister of Welfare of Latvia Uldis Augulis, the presidential advisor Karīna Rāviņa-Vimba, the Chairman of American-Baltic Investments and LFFA advisory board founder Hamid Ladjevardi, and the Swedish-Latvian cooperation network manager Lars Westerlund.
The Association’s Managing Director Ilze Golvere thanked those in attendance, family representatives, LFFA supporters and friends, expressing that the Latvian Foster Family Association provides support for families in whose care children have been left without their biological parents. She emphasized, that only in a family environment rather than that of an orphanage, could a child grow and develop into becoming a socially well-adjusted human being. The loss of loving care of their biological parents has deeply scarred these children. It is important to help these children understand that they are very much deserving of love, and that they are not responsible for being abandoned by their biological parents.
Uldis Augulis explained that the LFFA, along with the Welfare Ministry, aim to improve the well being of children in Latvia and to encourage their love and care. For the next five years, the Ministry of Welfare aims to reduce the number of children in orphanages by 60%.
LFFA advisory board founder Hamid Ladjevardi emphasized the need to reduce the institutionalization of childcare in Latvia, and to ensure that these children receive the kind of care that can only be found in a family atmosphere and environment. “Of the 8,095 children without biological parental care, 5,050 live with guardians, 1,155 live with foster families and 1,890 live in orphanages. It is bewildering, when we look at the allocated financing, that orphanages are a higher priority than guardians and foster families. Currently, Latvian municipalities and the government, the largest contributors to the welfare of children, pay anywhere from 430 to 1140 Euros per month per child in an orphanage. By contrast, 54 Euros per month is paid to a person for fulfilling duties of a guardian, the legal caregiver of a child without parental care and then only 46 Euros per child per month for maintenance. There is a huge imbalance here that needs to be addressed so that as many children as possible are raised in caring and nurturing foster families instead of institutionalized care homes.” Mr Ladjevardi invited LFFA supporters to become involved in efforts to increase the level of care in orphanages, and within three years to increase the financial support foster families receive to at least 240 Euros per month.
Twenty years ago the Association was founded with a membership of 20 families. Today, that number has grown to 175 families and 345 children across Latvia.
The Latvian Foster Family Association would sincerely like to thank the Grand Palace Hotel and Bernhard Loew, Hamid Ladjevardi and Vīna Studija for providing the premises and refreshments for the anniversary celebration!
The Association also would like to thank all supporters with a special mention going to the Association’s patroness First Lady Dace Seisuma, Lars Westerlund, “Daugavas Vanagi”, SIA “CEMEX”, SIA “Naftimpeks”, SIA “Elektrolux Latvia Ltd”, AS “Latvijas Gāze”, SIA “Gemoss”, SIA “Spilva”, and the American Latvian Chamber of Commerce and its members.