The President of Latvia and First Lady of Latvia Iveta Vējone thanked all the families for the warmth of their hearts given to those children and care, and selfless work while helping the children grow up. Raimonds Vējonis and Iveta Vējone particularly praised the three strong families in Latvia, where many foster children have found their shelter and love. Inese and Pēteris Kaļva, Marija Pupiņa and Aldis Vītiņš, and Ārija and Jānis Martukāns received the Certificate of Recognition of the President of Latvia and First Lady of Latvia Iveta Vējone.
Iveta Vējone asked to think about the children, who spend their first days and years of life in infant children’s homes. “More than 200 babies under the age of three are growing up in their carry-cots in the four walls in complete isolation and solitude. Every child should have the opportunity to grow up in a family-oriented and loving environment. And those babies in the first instance!” said the First Lady of Latvia by calling to provide a wonderful present, families to all infants and toddlers, to Latvia on its centenary in 2018.
Minister of Welfare Jānis Reirs informed the audience on the state-planned supporting measures so that the families would have greater opportunities to help the children left without parental care. “Being aware of the responsibility in this area, the draft state budget includes annual allocations of almost five million euros for the next three successive years. I have also aimed at continued prospecting of other possible solutions that would improve the daily lives of foster families significantly and would facilitate formation of new families. We all have one goal id est to help a child to grow up in a family-oriented environment,” underlined Jānis Reirs.
In his speech, Bishop of the Latvian Baptist Union Pēteris Sproģis called for the establishment of such country, where occurrence of orphans would be impossible. “There is a need to strengthen family values and awareness that each person is created in God's image and therefore is of great value. We must work on economic growth and ordered legislation, because we may not save at the expenses of orphans. It will be only more expensive. It all must be done and much more,” said Pēteris Sproģis.
While dignifying families that helped children grow up and while standing up for those 1,470 children, who were growing up in orphanages now, Renārs Kaupers and group Latvian Voices, as well as the guys from group Eggs presented musical performances.
The President of Latvia and First Lady of Latvia Iveta Vējone organize the meeting dedicated to the Orphans Day with the aim to thank the families accepting the children left without parental care to their home, as well as to draw public attention to almost one and a half thousand children, who grow up in children’s homes.