About GIMK programme

GIMK programme is a training and consultancy programme for foster parents (guardians), carers on call, adoptive parents, the staff members of the Community Foster Home approved by the Order No BV-66 of the Director of the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of 1 June 2018. The programme consists of:

1. The Underlying training and consultancy programme for foster parents (guardians), carers on call, adoptive parents, the staff members of the Community Foster Home.

2. A Specialized training and consultancy programme for the individuals who seek to provide social care services and for the staff members of the Community Foster Home.

3. A programme of the preparation of close relatives for child custody.

4. A rolling training and consultancy programme for foster parents (guardians), carers on call, adoptive parents, the staff members of the Community Foster Home.

5. Questionnaire.

6. Additional measure about children with disabilities.

The individuals (staff members) certificated by the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour have the right to implement the programme. The programme for preparing foster parents and adoptive parents “Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education“ (PRIDE) has been implemented in Lithuania during the period from 2008 to 2018 as per the Contract entered into on 24 July 2007 by the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour with the US association Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) for the license of the PRIDE programme. From 2012 the PRIDE programme in Lithuania was renamed “Training and consultancy of foster parents (guardians) and adoptive parents” (GIMK).

An important principle of GIMK programme: everything starts with yourself. The individuals can talk openly during the training about their feelings during any particular practical task, find answers to many questions they have, evaluate whether they can become foster parents (guardians), carers on call or adoptive parents, and whether they have knowledge and skills necessary for this purpose.

The training of GIMK programme are for the individuals who intend to foster (take care for), adopt a child, to provide childcare services, for adoptive parents, foster parents (guardians), carers on call and the individuals who work in the Community Foster Home.

The objectives of GIMK programme:

To develop and enhance five necessary skills of the individuals who intend to foster (take care for), adopt a child, to provide childcare services or to work in the Community Foster Home:

Ensuring a safe environment and satisfying physical needs.

Meeting the needs of the child and compensation for the developmental disorders.

Ensuring the link of the child with his or her biological family.

Helping children in establishing safe and lasting links.

Cooperation in resolving the child and family problems.

To prepare individuals for childcare, temporary and permanent custody (care), adoption, work with the children in the Community Foster Home.

To provide continuous services to carers on call, foster parents (guardians), adoptive parents and the individuals who work with children in the Community Foster Home.

The programme is not intended to look for weaknesses or negative features of individuals. Instead it helps to reveal the qualities people can be proud of and their strengths. The individuals are encouraged during the training to remember their childhood, their experience in the particular life situations in order they could better understand themselves and others. It is always interesting and useful to learn from own experience.

Significant time and energy are necessary to adopt a definitive fairest decision. A deliberate and proper decision can protect the children from being separated from the family once again, and foster parents (guardians) and adoptive parents from failures and bad experiences.

The implementation of the new programme goes beyond merely the preparation of the individuals who intend to foster (take care for), to provide childcare services or to adopt children. The individuals certificated by the Service also provide an ongoing assistance to carers on call, foster parents (guardians) and adoptive parents, contribute to the formation of the positive public opinion about custody (care) in the family and adoption, search for the individuals who wish to look after, to foster (take care for) or adopt children. 

It is expected that GIMK programme will allow to take a closer look at the child, to see from a slightly different angle his or her world, needs and experience, also that it will improve the maturity and responsibility of the public‘s perception of our little citizens, adoption and custody (care) in the family.