DECREASE TENDENCY OF NUMBER OF CHILDREN LIVING IN ORPHANAGES NOTICED IN ARMENIA

NOYAN TAPAN

Dec 24, 2008
YEREVAN

RA National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamian, on December 24,
visited Yerevan’s Zatik orphanage. According to him, everything
possible should be done to preserve orphanage’s warm atmosphere and
to create better conditions for children.

According to orphanage Director Ashot Mnatsakanian, currently nearly
80 children aged from 8 to 18 live in the orphanage. In his words,
a decrease tendency of the number of children living in orphanages is
noticed in the past years. He said that it is also due to the improval
of population’s social condition. He also reported that 118m drams
(nearly 400 thousand USD) was allocated to the orphanage from the
2008 state budget.

RA Minister of Labor and Social Issues Arsen Hambartsumian said that
the amount of funds allocated to orphanages from the state budget
increases year by year. According to him, in 2009 it is envisaged
to raise orphanages employees’ salaries by about 20%, the amount of
money allocated for food will be also increased by 20%.