The Queen’s Speech; compassion for the disadvantaged.
Yesterday the world listened in as the Queen announced her government’s carefully considered proposed legislations. It was the Children and Social Work Bill in particular which caught our attention…
“An extension to the right to a Personal Adviser, someone who will make sure care leavers receive the support they need as they transition into adulthood”
What this Bill states is already the very ethos of Love Russia!
We’re delighted that 70,000 looked-after children in this country are about to receive better support. The large majority of children in Russia’s state care system, as in the UK, have living parents who are unable to look after them. The Russian government has been steadily and effectively improving the quality of state orphanage care, however, with estimates of the number of orphans in need in Russia ranging from 650 thousand to 4 million (if including street children), it is clear that help is desperately needed for these young people when the time comes to learn adult independence. Of those leaving state orphanages, 9 out of every 10 will live on the streets and end up turning to crime, addictions or suicide.
At the heart of our charity to help orphan children and young people are ‘personal advisors’. We often refer to them as Mentors, and they’re already helping young orphanage leavers in Russia to find a secure home, find jobs and deal with problems. Most orphanage leavers have had traumatic and damaged childhoods, making the adjustment to adult life extremely hard. They rely on the compassionate Christian guidance of Love Russia Mentors not only to learn the basic practical skills of how to care for themselves, but also the emotional development needed to interact in society and form healthy relationships.
Our Mentors are deeply compassionate and giving people who work tirelessly to be parents to so many abandoned children who never experienced the love of a family during their years spent in institutions.
Are you in agreement with the Queen and her government about how best to help young people leaving care? Could you be a friend to some of the some of the estimated 15,000 young people leaving an orphanage each year?
These teens are frightened and unprepared for adult life, but, with help from a Mentor and the life skills, education support and guidance they give, we know that their futures can be very different. We know that more than 9 out of every 10 young people helped by our Mentors grow socially, spiritually and confidently, and embrace a future with hope.