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Maria Lvova-Belova opened the Zavod teen centre in Valuiki, which won the national competition of teenage socialisation programmes. The centre focuses on providing psychological support for children living on the territories bordering on Ukraine. It can receive up to 50 teenagers daily. Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov took part in the opening ceremony of the Zavod centre, via videoconference.

Specialised spaces as part of the Teenagers of Russia strategic programme are opening in different regions of the country: shortly 15 more such spaces will begin their work. The Federal Centre for the Development of Teenage Socialisation Programmes, established under the Ministry of Education, coordinates the creation of these spaces.

In Belgorod, the children’s ombudsperson also visited the #YA_DOMA centre, which is scheduled to open in late December 2022. There, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights met with employees of the street social service for work with teenagers.

In addition, Maria Lvova-Belova visited the Novy Oskol educational colony. The colony girls asked the ombudsperson to work out legislation that would allow them to stay in the colony until the end of their sentence upon reaching the age of 19. The Commissioner reported that this issue is being discussed with the leadership of the Federal Penitentiary Service.

Also, the children's ombudsperson visited several healthcare institutions – the Izumrudny Gorod palliative care centre and the oncohaematology department of the children's regional clinical hospital. Maria Lvova-Belova got acquainted with the accommodation conditions for young patients, wished the children and their parents a happy New Year, and gave them gifts.

As part of the working trip, the Commissioner for Children's Rights met with Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. They discussed current issues of protecting children’s rights and implementing the strategic programmes Support Through Life and Children in the Family, and outlined new areas for cooperation.

Maria Lvova-Belova also drew attention to the need to develop recreational programmes for minors in the Belgorod Region. She proposed including children from the territories bordering on the zone of hostilities in federal programmes as well as educational and integration sessions, which are held for children from the new regions of Russia.