Joint Circular No. 68/2007/TTLT/BTC-BLDTBXH guiding the management of funds to implement Decision No. 65/2005/QD-TTg dated March 25, 2005 of the Prime Minister approving the Project "Caring for Orphaned Children without Guardianship, Abandoned Children, Severely Disabled Children, Victims of Agent Orange and Children Infected with HIV/AIDS based on Community Support from 2005 to 2010"

JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines for managing funds to implement Decision No. 65/2005/QĐ-TTgdated March 25, 2005 of the Prime Minister

regarding the approval of the Project"Caring for Orphaned Children Without Guardianship, Abandoned Children,

Severely Disabled Children, Children Affected by Agent Orange,and Children Infected with HIV/AIDS

Based on Community Supportfor the Period 2005-2010"

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Pursuant to Decision No. 65/2005/QĐ-TTg dated March 25, 2005 of the Prime Minister approving the Project "Caring for Children in Particularly Difficult Circumstances Based on Community Support for the Period 2005-2010" (hereinafter referred to as the Project "Caring for Children in Particularly Difficult Circumstances Based on Community Support for the Period 2005-2010");

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs hereby provide guidelines for managing funds to implement the Project as follows:

Chapter I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. The beneficiaries of the Project are children under sixteen years old, including:

a) Orphaned children without guardianship, abandoned children: as defined in Clause 1, Article 4 of Decree No. 67/2007/NĐ-CP dated April 13, 2007 of the Government on social assistance policies for social welfare recipients and other current guiding documents implementing the Decree.

b) Severely disabled children who have physical or functional impairments affecting their ability to function, making daily living, studying, and working difficult.

c) Children affected by Agent Orange suffering from deformities or disabilities due to the consequences of chemical toxins.

d) Children infected with HIV/AIDS confirmed by competent health authorities to be infected with HIV/AIDS.

Chapter II. CONTENT AND EXPENSES FOR ACTIVITIES OF THE PROJECT

1. Activities for raising awareness and responsibility among the public and officials: - Expenses for publicity through mass media (radio, television, press); production, duplication, and distribution of communication products approved by authorized bodies: Implemented through contracts between the publicity agency and mass media organizations. The amount is calculated based on the actual products produced and market prices. - Expenses for organizing contests on assisting children in particularly difficult circumstances approved by authorized bodies. - Prizes for writing competitions on assisting children in particularly difficult circumstances decided by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs or provincial People's Committees. Prize amounts: Class A: 300,000 VND per article; Class B: 200,000 VND per article; Class C: 100,000 VND per article.

2. Supporting children in particularly difficult circumstances to learn trades and find employment:

a) Trade training support: Children aged thirteen and above who are eligible for this project, in good health, and interested in learning a trade are introduced by labor agencies to vocational training centers for short-term training. They receive one-time financial support for training costs. The duration of support is based on the actual training period of each trade but does not exceed nine months, with a minimum level of support as follows: - Support for vocational training centers accepting children from the project: 300,000 VND per child per month. - Support for food, accommodation, and travel expenses for children: 240,000 VND per child per month.

b) One-time support for self-employment after completing training in accordance with labor laws: a minimum of 1,000,000 VND per child. Specific levels of support for training and employment are determined by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee upon recommendation of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs but must not be lower than the minimum level.

3. Pilot program to transfer children currently cared for in state social welfare institutions to community care through foster families or individuals:

a) Support for foster families or individuals: - Children transferred from social welfare institutions to their families or communities through foster care arrangements receive monthly allowances and other benefits as stipulated in Decree No. 67/2007/NĐ-CP dated April 13, 2007 of the Government on social assistance policies for social welfare recipients. - One-time support for foster families or individuals to purchase personal items for children up to a maximum of 500,000 VND per child.

b) Support for social welfare institutions: One-time support for social welfare institutions implementing the pilot program to transfer children to community care up to a maximum of 500,000 VND per child for transportation, mobilization, guidance, and communication purposes.

4. Establishing pilot community care homes for children in particularly difficult circumstances at the commune level: Depending on specific requirements, conditions, and local budget capacity, the Chairman of the District People's Committee approves pilot projects for "Community Care Homes" (in cases where the central government budget provides funding, opinions of the provincial People's Committee and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs are required). Expand the model according to local regulations as specified in the Project. The contents of expenses for establishing "Community Care Homes" include:

a) Construction and repair expenses for community care homes: - The central government provides a maximum of 300,000,000 VND per community care home as targeted supplementary funding to the local budget based on the proposal of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs selecting locations for pilot community care home construction. The establishment, allocation, budgeting, and settlement of these funds are carried out in accordance with Circular No. 86/2006/TT-BTC dated September 18, 2006 of the Ministry of Finance on managing targeted supplementary funding from the central government budget to local budgets. The support includes: + Construction and repair of community care homes: 260 million VND. + Purchase of beds, wardrobes, televisions, and essential personal items for children: 40 million VND. - The local government supports the remaining portion as decided by the District People's Committee in approving the pilot project for the "Community Care Home" model.

b) Sources of funding for the care of children in "Social Houses" include: - Mobilizing from organizations, enterprises, and individuals both within and outside the country; - Monthly support from local budgets in accordance with the provisions of Government Decree No. 67/2007/NĐ-CP dated April 13, 2007 on assistance policies for social welfare beneficiaries.

c) Children in Social Houses enjoy educational and healthcare assistance policies according to current state regulations, similar to those for children cared for in other social welfare institutions.

d) Support costs for individuals directly caring for children in "Social Houses" are funded from local budgets, communities, and other legitimate sources. The level of expenditure is determined by the People's Committee of the province.

5. Pilot conversion of care methods for children with particularly difficult circumstances in state-run social welfare institutions to a "small family model" at centralized social welfare facilities:

a) The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs approves the pilot project proposal for the "small family model" for social welfare institutions under its jurisdiction; provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees approve the pilot project proposal for the "small family model" for social welfare institutions managed by localities.

b) For local pilot models: - The central budget provides maximum support of 500,000,000 VND per pilot model in the form of targeted supplementary funding to the local budget based on the proposal document submitted by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs selecting localities to implement the pilot construction of the "small family model." The support includes: + Construction, repair, and upgrading of housing at social welfare institutions according to the design of the "small family model": 400 million VND. + Expenditure for purchasing beds, wardrobes, televisions, and necessary personal living items for the "small family model": 100 million VND. - Local budgets fund the remaining activities according to the Decision approving the pilot project proposal for the "small family model" by the provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees.

c) For pilot models of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs: - The state budget allocates funds for implementing the pilot project within the regular social security budget of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs according to the approved pilot project by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

6. Assistance for severely disabled children in orthopedic correction and functional recovery: children with mobility disabilities are supported for orthopedic correction and functional recovery in accordance with Circular Joint Circular No. 46/2007/TTLT/BTC-BLDTBXH dated May 11, 2007 of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs guiding the use of funds to implement Decision No. 239/2006/QĐ-TTg dated October 24, 2006.

7. Funding for training staff working on caring for children with particularly difficult circumstances; guidance on developing plans and implementing projects; inspection, summary, and evaluation of the implementation of project activities: Content and expenditure levels are implemented according to current regulations.

8. Funding for investigation, survey, statistics, and classification of children with particularly difficult circumstances: - Content and expenditure levels for investigations and surveys are carried out according to current regulations on managing funds for surveys from state budget sources. - Funding for activities related to data collection, processing, software development for managing subjects, and providing information and data on children with particularly difficult circumstances: Content and expenditure levels are carried out according to current regulations on managing and using state budget funds for electronic information creation under information technology.

9. Funding for research to improve mechanisms and policies for caring for children with particularly difficult circumstances in the community and at social welfare institutions; drafting legal documents on caring for children with particularly difficult circumstances. Content and expenditure levels are carried out according to current regulations on managing and using state budget funds to ensure work on drafting legal documents.

Chapter III. PROCEDURES AND DOCUMENTS FOR RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT

1. To be eligible for support as stipulated in this Circular, families with children, guardians, or the children themselves in particularly difficult circumstances must submit a request to the People's Committee at the commune level for consideration, which will then forward it to the Department of Civil Affairs - Labor - War Invalids and Social Welfare for resolution; in cases where the child resides in a social welfare institution, the request shall be submitted to the Director of the social welfare institution for consideration and resolution (the application form is attached as Appendix 01).

2. Based on the request from the family or the child, the People's Committee at the commune level shall provide comments for the Department of Civil Affairs - Labor - War Invalids and Social Welfare or the Director of the social welfare institution to consider and resolve according to the provisions of this Circular and current guiding documents for implementing Decree No. 67/2007/NĐ-CP dated April 13, 2007 of the Government on policies to assist social welfare beneficiaries.

Chapter IV. SOURCES OF FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION

1. The funds for implementing the Project as stipulated in this Circular shall be allocated within the annual state budget estimate according to the current state budget allocation levels and raised from organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally in accordance with the law. Local People's Committees have the responsibility to integrate central government supplementary funds with specific objectives into local budgets to implement Decision No. 19/2004/QĐ-TTg dated February 12, 2004.

2. Funds for piloting the small-scale community and family models of the localities: - In 2007, the Ministry of Labor - War Invalids and Social Welfare will allocate within the assigned budget estimate to implement the Project; manage and settle accounts for the pilot funds for the small-scale community and family models according to current regulations. - From 2008 onwards, funds for piloting the small-scale community and family models will be implemented through central government supplementary funds with specific objectives for local budgets.

Chapter V. ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

1. For social assistance policies, medical aid, education combined with community mobilization to support and care for children in particularly difficult circumstances, continue to be implemented according to the current regulations of the State.

2. The Department of Labor - War Invalids and Social Welfare shall take the lead and be responsible for coordinating with relevant agencies to advise the People's Committee of the province or centrally-administered city to organize and implement annual activity plans locally, coordinate activities of the Project in accordance with the approved content of the Project.

3. The Department of Finance shall be responsible for allocating funds for implementing the Project according to the approval decision of the local People's Committee; coordinate with the Department of Labor - War Invalids and Social Welfare and other relevant agencies to inspect and supervise the use of funds for implementing the Project in the locality according to their assigned functions and tasks.

Chapter VI. EFFECTIVE DATE AND IMPLEMENTATION

1. This Circular shall take effect 15 days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette, replacing Joint Circular No. 08/2006/TTLT-BTC-BLĐTBXH dated January 23, 2006 guiding the implementation of Decision No. 65/2005/QĐ-TTg dated March 25, 2005.

2. During the implementation process, if there are any difficulties, units are requested to promptly report them to the Ministry of Finance - Ministry of Labor - War Invalids and Social Welfare for research and resolution.