Around 23 thousand children stay at orphanages, boarding schools.

Around 23 thousand children stay in orphanages and boarding schools, which is much more than in the Soviet time, Alexey Petrushevskiy, Director of Rehabilitation Center for Homeless Children of Bishkek mayor's office, told reporters today.During cold weather more children come to the rehabilitation center. 70 homeless children aged from 2 to 16 years stay at the rehabilitation center.He said the majority of abandoned children are ethnic Russians and Kyrgyz. "Half of children are Russians, another half are Kyrgyz. The practice shows that Dungans, Uyghurs and other ethnic groups do not abandon their children," he said."I do not know how we will live this winter in connection with raise of tariffs for heating, electricity and hot water, since orphanages do not have any privileges for that. Last year the heating bill amounted to 30 thousand som a month," Mr. Petrushevskiy said.He then talked about the abandonment problem. He said it is not enough to take away a child from neglectful parents. It is necessary to strengthen family institute instead and improve adoption system. "Hundreds of people are on waiting list for adoption. But it takes very long until the court rule a child as social orphan," he said.

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