YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. During 6 years of its activities, the Child Admission and Orientation Center of the Fund of Armenian Relief (FAR) has given shelter to 940 children aged 3-18. The center director Mira Antonian stated at the February 15 event to mark the 6th anniversary of the center that nearly 60% of the children have returned to their families and the rest are in orphanages and other institutions where they receive care and education. It was noted that most of the children - 47% do not have one of the parents. Staring this year, a pilot program to introduce the institution of guardianship has been implemented by the center in Yerevan, Gavar and Vanadzor with the assistance of the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Issues and UNICEF. According to M. Antonian, the program envisages to organize, by means of respective allocations, care of orphanage children in other families. The first stage of the program has been completed, and 79 families have expressed a willingness to become guardians. The selection of guardian families wull take place in March, after which 20 children will be placed in their care. Nelli Durain, head of the Unit on Minor Issues of the RA Police Criminal Investigation Main Department, said that a decline in the number of vagrant and beggar children was registered in Armenia in recent years. According to her, the highest index was registered in 1997 - 300 vagrant and beggar children, while their current number is about 70.

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