Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the Kotayk branch of the Armenian charitable foundation SOS Children’s Villages. Accompanied by Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan and the foundation’s leadership, the Prime Minister toured the center, hosted children under the organization’s care, and communicated with them and employees.
The staff of SOS Children’s Villages presented the Prime Minister with details about the foundation’s activities, services provided, and work carried out.
The Kotayk branch of the foundation currently provides care to 70 children aged 3-18, 34 of whom are boys and 36 are girls. There is 1 child in the 4-5 age group, 9 children in the 6-9 age group, 9 children in the 10-11 age group, 35 children in the 12-16 age group, and 16 children in the 17-18 age group. The children attend preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, and vocational schools.
In accordance with the Government’s decision of May 8, 2025 on concluding a grant agreement with the Armenian Charitable Foundation “SOS Children’s Villages” and on dissolving the “Gavar Orphanage” State Non-Profit Organization, from May 26 of this year, the care and upbringing of children cared for at the “Gavar Orphanage” SNCO has been organized in the Kotayk branch of the “SOS Children’s Villages” Foundation.
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It was noted that care close to the family environment is organized in 10 separate, appropriately furnished houses, where a maximum of 8 children live. Specially trained specialists are engaged in caring for children.
Prior to the re-registration of children, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Foundation for a period of 5 years and a nominal grant was allocated to the latter, taking into account its 35-year unique experience in providing care close to the family environment in the Republic of Armenia, as well as 76 years of activity in about 130 countries. A grant agreement in the amount of 251 million 458 thousand drams was signed with the organization for the organization of care for beneficiaries during the period from 26.05.2025-31.12.2025.
The initiative is conditioned by the Government’s policy of realizing the right of a child to live in a family, reforms implemented in the field of child protection, prevention of children’s entry into round-the-clock care institutions, and expansion of alternative care services.
The Office to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia
