Ombudsperson inspects Latvian children's homes, finds serious first violations

Ombudsperson Karina Palkova has made child rights protection one of her priorities, personally visiting children's homes throughout Latvia to assess conditions firsthand. After each visit, she discusses the findings with the institution's management. The Ombudsperson's Office says its staff are conducting thorough monitoring of such facilities and will continue doing so across all regions of the country.

Violations found in a Latgale children's home

One of the most serious cases identified so far concerns a children's home in Latgale housing around 20 children. Speaking to Latvian Radio, Palkova confirmed the facility is located in Latgale but declined to name it, as she was on her way to meet with local municipal leadership.

Earlier, on Monday, the ombudsperson had posted on her Facebook profile that the home allocates less than 200 euros per year for each child's needs — a sum meant to cover clothing and footwear for all seasons, along with other daily necessities. Palkova said this is the smallest budget figure found so far among the out-of-family care institutions inspected by her office.

A signal to municipalities

The Ombudsperson's Office explains that withholding the facility's name for now is a deliberate choice, intended to send a clear signal to every municipality and children's home in Latvia that such conditions are unacceptable and constitute a blatant violation of children's rights. The office notes this reflects the true attitude toward children — who are already in an unenviable position, forced to call a children's home their home — held by the facility's management, the municipality that founded it, and the orphan's court responsible for oversight.

The photographs Palkova made public are just one example of what office specialists have documented during inspection visits. A special report compiling systemic issues found across all inspected children's homes is being prepared and is expected to be published in November.