According to a recent Child Care services mapping in Georgia, there are currently 2,285 children living in large scale residential settings including so called special boarding schools.(Mapping of Child Care services in Georgia -November 2008, Natalia Kakabadze , edited by Joanna Baskott, Chart 5.3-this figure includes boarding schools and kindergartens.)

Beneficiaries of schools with residential care can be children with special educational needs due to disability or behavior problems but in reality the majority are simply children without parental care.

This project aims at supporting the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia to optimize the network of Special Boarding schools in Georgia and help establish an effective gate-keeping mechanism that would ensure that children referred to special education institutions are indeed in need of such care.

Detailed assessments of over 400 children currently residing in 8 boarding schools a) Kokhnari b) Gumati c) Kutaisi d) Signagi Zemo Bodbe e) Gurjaani CP school f) Chiatura g) Samtredia and h) Kachreti will take place with the aim of de-institutionalization. On the basis of achieved results, the team will put forward specific recommendations for optimization.

Objectives of the project:
a) Comprehensive assessment of beneficiary children and their families-the real statuses of the children entering the service, carrying out physical and psychological and social assessments of each child, using SW assessment tools (please see an explanation below) and the GABSI method. This comprehensive assessment will produce clear recommendations for each child in terms of whether reunification or some other placement is appropriate, and what support would be needed to achieve the best interests of the child.
b) Rapid assessment of the programs existing in these institutions, as well as the physical environment at the institution and the capacity of the staff working there to carry out existing and new development/educational programs.
c) Participate in the consultations, together with relevant stakeholders from government Ministries, local NGOs and other entities concerned with the future plight of children in boarding schools to put forward a set of recommendations for these types of schools in the country and develop plans for further deinstitutionalization.

Upon completion of the project, it is expected that EveryChild Georgia will have a clear picture of physical, psychosocial and academic needs of all children residing in these schools. Awareness of the plight of children in boarding schools will be raised amongst Government partners in order to develop a realistic strategy for these schools in the rest of Georgia.