According to the office of the presidential ombudsman for children’s rights, a centre for missing children is to be set up in Russia in the near future. According to the ombudsman, Pavel Astakhov, a delegation from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Kids in the USA was to visit Russia in February at the invitation of the ministry of the interior of the Russian Federation, especially for the purpose of exchanging experiences.

Anna Fedotova, the chief executive of the ‘Kursk Station: Homeless Children’ movement views this step as being appropriate for the times whilst considering its target audience should include adults as well as children. Her NGO’s experience demonstrates that circumstances have rendered adult parents homeless. She pointed out that by helping them we can prevent children from becoming orphans. In her opinion the centre ought to be provided by the state so as to benefit from the resources that could be available, including the potential of a close working relationship with the ministry of the interior. At the same time, Ms Fedotova was convinced that such a centre would not be a panacea. ‘What we need to do is stop families getting into trouble in the first place’, she emphasised.