Theoretical foundations and experience of monitoring of observance of rights and well-being of children in the residential care institutions: review of publications

The relevance of examination of children’s welfare is determined by the practical need for monitoring and evaluating of the success of policies, programs and projects in the field of social welfare and protection of children''s rights. The methodology of such monitoring is currently under development and revision of traditions. Traditionally, the social sciences considered the children as passive participants of social interaction, and their opinion was ignored. Childhood was understood not as a standalone stage of life, but as a period of preparation for adult life. The monitoring of the observance of children’s rights and welfare was focused on the contribution to the children''s development. The children’s welfare conception in the new sociology of childhood is oriented to a considerable degree on the activities and experiences of children while they are children. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has ratified the right of children to express their views and to be heard. Currently there is a rapid development of two main areas of the monitoring taking into account the new interpretation of children’s well-being: the monitoring of securing of children’s rights (or assessment of compliance of the real situation with the content of the basic legal documents), and the monitoring of child welfare (current state of children, satisfaction of their needs, quality of life). The peculiarities of monitoring of orphaned children’s welfare are determined by the specific deprivation environment of the care institutions, where children’s well-being is at risk. Today the development of methods for monitoring the state of orphaned children is still incipient. Formulation of clear objectives in the field of orphaned children’s welfare raised in the care institutions, and consistent monitoring of their achievements will contribute to a real improvement of the welfare of this vulnerable social group of children.