Thanks to the efforts of many concerned people, a resilient 6-year-old boy in Kyrgyzstan is now in a safe and loving home!
Timur* spent a few years with his father and stepmother. But their home was deemed unsafe for him and when Timur was four he was placed in a private orphanage, since his biological mother’s whereabouts were unknown. Timur became trapped in bureaucratic limbo as child welfare workers neglected to manage his case properly. Since parental rights were not being terminated, Timur was ineligible for adoption.
Providentially, few years after Timur was placed in the orphanage, AFFEO partners in Kyrgyzstan established a relationship with the orphanage staff. This was part of an effort to raise awareness among prospective foster and adoptive parents of orphans in the community.
Once the orphanage staff saw our partner’s depth of expertise and experience with the child welfare and protection system, they shared about Timur’s situation and how it pained them to see him stuck in the orphanage.
AFFEO’s partner went to work immediately to get Timur’s case managed properly. This included a social investigation by child welfare authorities to locate any relatives and determine what type of placement would be in Timur’s best interest. After thorough assessments by child welfare authorities, Timur’s father relinquished his parental rights and the search for Timur’s biological mother began. Against seemingly high odds, Timur’s mother, Irina, was successfully located! She had lost contact with her son when he was just two years old as she escaped domestic violence, shedding light on the complex set of circumstances that led to their separation. The child welfare authorities completed their social investigation and made the decision to reunite Irina with her son.
Today, Timur and Irina receive ongoing financial and emotional support, ensuring a stable and nurturing environment for their family. Timur loves being with his mom and enjoys playing games and reading with her.
How heartwarming to see Timur and Irina reunited! Won’t you pray that the Lord would continue to provide the support Timor and his mother are enjoying? And that God would greatly assist those who are doing all they can to improve child welfare laws and policies in Kyrgyzstan, as well as taking measures to ensure that existing ones are applied properly? Such laws and policies are crucial to protecting children and ensuring that every child has a path to a family in a timely manner. Please pray with us that many vulnerable children, like Timor, would find a permanent, loving family in Kyrgyzstan.
* Not Timur’s real photo