Ukmergė family blocks child rights specialists from hearing children

Child rights specialists were unable to hear the views of children in a family from Ukmergė whose removal from their parents is being considered after the parents refused to let officials into their home, the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service told LRT on Tuesday.

Lina Baranauskienė, head of the service’s Vilnius County division, told BNS that specific decisions on the situation are expected next week.

BNS reported that the service last week decided to remove seven children from the family, including a two-month-old infant who had died at Kaunas Clinics. The service later said it had not been informed of the infant’s death when the decision was made.

The children’s mother had agreed that psychologists would visit the family home on Tuesday to hear the children’s views. However, just over an hour before the planned meeting, a family representative said the parents had changed their decision.

“We went to the family’s home, but the parents did not let us in and did not answer our calls. We are ready to visit the family home again and hear the children’s views tomorrow,” Baranauskienė said in a comment conveyed by BNS.

She said the children’s views were particularly important in assessing the family’s situation because they were a significant part of the decision-making process and only the children could answer some questions.

After meeting Ukmergė district municipality officials on Tuesday, the service also decided that the family would be provided with social housing. The municipality will inform the family and is prepared to provide all necessary services and assistance, Baranauskienė said.

The children have not been removed from the family. The service is assessing the situation, while a court must approve any final decision to remove them.