Photo: labirint42.ru
Uzbekistan will create a daytime care service for children with disabilities aged 3 to 18 through a public-private partnership, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced during a meeting on social assistance, according to his press service.
Admission to these facilities will be based on two documents: a conclusion from a psychological-medical-pedagogical commission and a social contract with the child’s parents.
By the end of this year, around 2,000 children with severe disabilities are expected to benefit from the service. This initiative aims to allow their mothers to continue working or pursue an education.
The care services will receive government subsidies and preferential loans for specific purchases. Additionally, parental payments of up to 3 million Uzbek soms per month for these services will be exempt from taxes.
During the meeting, officials also discussed the launch of the «Children's Health» information system, which will track diagnoses of children with disabilities. Based on this database, they will receive comprehensive medical and rehabilitation care, as well as educational and social services.
President Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of improving the living standards of citizens. Social assistance provided to those listed in the «Women’s Notebook» and «Youth Notebook» programs will now be extended to families in the «Registry of Poor Families.» Funding will be allocated proportionally based on population size, the number of people with disabilities, and the prevalence of low-income families in each district and city.
Recognition by local authorities of a household as «impoverished» will be sufficient grounds for receiving aid, eliminating the need for additional applications or documents from citizens.
The president also ordered the elimination of ineffective and underutilized social support programs, reducing the list to 28 essential services. The State Health Insurance Fund will assume financial responsibility for treatments and surgeries covered under social assistance programs.
To ensure targeted aid, government agencies will develop an information system called the «Registry of Poor People,» which will document families' socio-economic status, income, and assets.
During the meeting, officials reported on progress in supporting families below the poverty line. Over the past year, 48,000 people secured jobs, while 10,000 completed vocational training programs. Additionally, 38,000 citizens received social services, 32,000 children were enrolled in kindergartens, and nearly 7,000 teenagers were assigned to universities for preparatory programs ahead of entrance exams.
