President Dmitry Medvedev ordered federal and regional authorities to jointly develop by August proposals for funding children abandoned by their parents and left in the care of the state, RIA-Novosti reported Wednesday.
Orphans whose parents are dead receive regular payments from the state, accumulating on their personal banking accounts to provide them 200,000 to 300,000 rubles ($6,500 to $9,800) upon discharge from orphanage. But abandoned children receive no such support.
Medvedev said the state should make payments to abandoned children — and take the money from the parents.
About 90 percent of children in orphanages are abandoned, with almost none receiving money from their parents, RIA-Novosti said.
(MT)