The Support to Child Welfare Reform Project has been developed as part of the European Union’s programme of assistance to Georgia. The Terms of Reference of the project were developed in partnership with the Government of Georgia and the tender was won by a consortium of organizations led by EveryChild, a UK based NGO which has been active in child welfare in Georgia since 1999. The other partners are BMB Mott McDonald (Denmark) and Partnership for Social Initiatives (Georgia).

The aim of the project is to support the Government of Georgia in the reform of the national child care system in line with the principles and standards laid down in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The project aims to achieve five main results by the end of November 2009:

• Secondary legislation and child welfare policy framework necessary for the implementation of the child welfare reform strengthened
• Child welfare system functions transferred to the MoLHSA and the responsible central and regional structures are delivering relevant modern statutory child care services with operating procedures in place that will allow the government to effectively manage the new child care system
• Capacity at national and lower administrative levels to plan, manage, and monitor the reformed child care system, including specialised bodies for the control on standards and norms, is strengthened
• Capacity of the implementing bodies at the lower administrative level to offer child care services to vulnerable children and families is created and strengthened
• Throughout the country people have a better understanding of the importance for a child of growing up in a family environment, and what can be done to create such environment

The project provides direct advice and support to the Ministry of Labour Health and Social Protection but also works closely with the Ministry of Education and Science and Government Commission for Child Protection and Deinstitutionalisation.