FAQ

Growing and developing in the family is a child’s natural right, thus, family care is always in the best interests of a child. The guardianship centre, the municipality, and the territorial unit of the service must make every effort to find a family capable of care. First, a guardian is sought among relatives and persons related to the child by emotional ties (family friends, neighbours, godparents, etc.), then the guardians’ family or guardians on duty are sought. If there is no family of guardians (custodians) or on-call caregivers who could take care of the child temporarily, the child can be placed in a household.

Child guardianship in a childcare institution can only be determined in exceptional cases where it is not possible to care for the child in a family, a childcare centre, or  a household. In such case, a child guardianship institution (social care institution) which best meets the child’s interests, i.e. age, level of development, special needs, is chosen for the child.

A a child under the age of three may be placed in a child care institution in accordance with the procedure established by law only in exceptional cases and only with the approval of the Service and may last no longer than three months, except if the child requires specialised health care and/or nursing services the provision of which cannot be is ensured when the child is placed in guardianship in a family, guardianship centre or household, or if separating the child from his siblings would violate his best interests.

1. to ensure the child’s physical and mental safety;
2. to take care of the child’s health and schooling;
3. to educate the child;
4. to decide the issues related to the child’s interests in co-operation with the interested state and local government institutions;
5. not to obstruct the child’s visitation with his biological parents provided this is not detrimental to the child’s interests;
6. to inform the child’s parents and close relatives about the child’s development, state of health, studies and other material issues if they request so;
7. to organise the child’s leisure activity, taking into account his age, state of health, development level and inclinations;
8. to prepare the child for independent life and work in the family, civic society and the state.

After appointment of long-term guardianship of a child to you, it is necessary to coordinate the essential decisions related to the child under guardianship with the Child Rights Protection Service. If it is determined that the child is not being cared for properly or if the child’s environment has changed for any reason, the guardianship may be revoked or terminated.

In case of long-term guardianship, the State and Vilnius City Municipality allocate funds for child maintenance from their own budgets. However, it is important to remember that you, as a long-term guardian, must ensure suitable and safe conditions for the child to grow and develop.

It doesn’t matter if you are the owner of the housing or rent it, or if you use the housing on the basis of other rights – the only thing that matters is that the child in your housing has his own space for sleeping, resting, doing homework, and playing.

If you have never had children or never worked with children, you may feel that you should not consider child guardianship without any experience raising children. Indeed, it is not necessary to have raised children to be able to care for them, what is more important is a great desire to open the doors of your home and your heart to young people who need to be loved and protected. Of course, if you don’t have experience, you might be worried. But from the very beginning, when you start attending training for guardians, you will become a part of the guardian community. When you become e a guardian of a child or young person, you will receive assistance and support of the specialists of the guardianship centre, you will communicate with guardian families through self-support groups and various events, you will be able to attend training and get specialist advice, you will have your own guardianship coordinator with whom you may share your worries and difficulties.

In order to become a guardian, you must complete the training. They shall take place no later than three months from the date of receipt of the documents at the institution. The duration of the training shall not exceed 3 months. Usually, group lessons are held at least once a week. You will be informed orally or in writing not later than 10 working days to the start of the training. It’s important to know that it’s not the child who is important to you, but you are important to the child. The child’s interests and needs must be taken into account.

The training for guardians takes place according to the common training programme GIMK for foster parents and guardians (custodians). It is a 30-hour training which consists of 10 group topics and at least 2 individual meetings. Depending on the circumstances, there may be more individual meetings.

Guardians will receive an introductory 30-hour training under the GIMK Common Training Programme for Foster Parents and Guardians. The training consists of 10 group topics and at least 2 individual meetings. Training is optional for close relatives (grandparents and adult siblings of the child deprived of parental care) when they become guardians.

If you cannot participate in the training for objective reasons (you are away at the scheduled time, due to an illness or for other objective reasons), you should inform the social workers. They will inform the Child Rights Protection Department no later than within 3 working days and return all received documents. If you miss 2 or more topics, you will be offered to complete training with another group.

Information regarding social support for guardians and foster parents prepared by the Ministry of Social Security of Labour of the Republic of Lithuania is available at: https://socmin.lrv.lt/lt/veiklos-sritys/socialine-parama-kas-man-priklauso

– A child deprived of parental care who has reached the age of majority shall be paid an allowance of a fixed amount upon his own application, while he is studying at a full-time general education school or after finishing it by September 1 of the same year, if he is not employed at that time.

– An orphan who has reached the age of 18 and who was deprived of parental care, who was placed under guardianship for in a guardianship institution, household or with guardians, shall be granted a one-time settlement allowance equal to 18 MLSs, if he does not continue to study in a general education school, boarding school, vocational school or is not supported by the State in a guardianship institution.

–An orphan who has reached the age of majority and a child deprived of parental care studying in a general education school, boarding school, vocational school, an allowance shall be paid upon graduation from the educational institution or upon leaving it.

– To receive an allowance, the following documents must be provided:

1. an application, indicating where the applicant previously lived or studied;
2. an identity document;
3. a certificate concerning his graduation or withdrawal issued by an educational or state institution, or a certificate concerning the termination of child guardianship allowance payment;
4. a certificate from the municipality of the city (district) where the child previously lived or studied, stating that he was not paid a settlement allowance.

– The amount of the allocated allowance is transferred to the personal bank account of the orphan and child deprived of parental care.

– If the beneficiary of the allowance does not have a personal account, the payer of the allowance opens it in the bank of the beneficiary’s choice.