According to her, it was agreed on Monday with the mother that psychologists would come on Tuesday to listen to the children’s opinions.
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“However, a little more than an hour before the scheduled meeting time, the family representative informed that the parents had changed their minds. So today it was not possible to meet with the children and listen to their opinions. We went to the family home, but the parents did not let us in and did not answer the calls. We are ready to come to the family home again and listen to the children’s opinions tomorrow,” Lina Baranauskienė told 15min.
According to her, it is important to note that when assessing the family situation, the children’s opinions are especially significant – they are an important part of the assessment.
“We have additional questions that only the children themselves can answer,” the specialist added.
She also indicated that on Monday inquiries were made to health insurance funds and medical institutions regarding the health of the children in the large family. The service is still waiting for additional detailed information.
Social housing will be allocated to the family
Lina Baranauskienė stated that a planned meeting with the Ukmergė district municipality also took place on Tuesday.
“The most important issue discussed was about social housing for the family. The municipality made a decision to provide support to the family – to allocate social housing, and the municipality will inform the family about this additionally.
The municipality is ready to provide all the services and assistance the family needs. We plan to have decisions next week,” Lina Baranauskienė, head of the Vilnius County division of the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, told 15min.
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15min reminds that the Child Rights and Adoption Service had decided to take all seven children from the Ukmergė family, including the infant who died at Kaunas clinics, whose death was not reported to the service.
Medical staff suspected neglect of the baby because the two-month-old girl was brought to Kaunas clinics at the beginning of July in critical condition, very weak, weighing less than 2 kg, and lacking subcutaneous fat. Genetic tests revealed that the baby suffered from Patau syndrome. About 90% of babies with Patau syndrome do not survive the first year of life, and some die within the first weeks.
Prosecutors have launched an investigation to assess whether the parents delayed seeking medical help. Meanwhile, the family’s lawyer published documents showing that in June, child rights defenders who conducted an inspection following a complaint decided that the children were safe in the family.
The State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service previously stated that the decision to take the other six children from the Ukmergė family could be revoked if the parents agreed to cooperate.
“Decisions have been made, but we invite, hope for, and very much await the parents’ cooperation,” Lina Baranauskienė, head of the Vilnius County division of the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, told journalists last Thursday.
The children are still with the family. “The goal is for the children to grow up in their family with their parents, and in this case, it is definitely possible to find opportunities by selecting appropriate support measures for the children and the family,” L. Baranauskienė said.
“The baby’s health condition is just one of the reasons for those decisions. There are more circumstances that, as I mentioned, today imply the need to ensure the children’s safety,” L. Baranauskienė said. “The children have been threatened in terms of their well-being, emotional security, and development.”
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The mentioned family has been known to child rights defenders since 2018.
