Balassagyarmat-based Ipolypart Fészek Children’s Home Refurbished at Initiative of Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary

Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary Dr. Ákos Kozma pays special attention to protecting the rights of children.  In this spirit, he continuously monitors the evolution of children’s rights in Hungary, so, among others, he pays regular visits to different child care institutions in Hungary.                                                                                 The ombudsman inquiry has revealed several operational deficiencies, mainly with regard to the condition of the buildings of the institutions.

At the initiative of the Commissioner, the ombudsman programme for the renovation of children’s homes was launched in 2021, with the support and participation of National Commander of the Hungarian Prison Service, Prison Lieutenant General Dr. Tamás Tóth and State Secretary for Forests and Land Affairs Péter Zambó. As part of this process, in 2021, the National Prison Service Headquarters, among others, fully renovated two children’s homes with the active participation of Szombathelyi Erdészeti Zrt. The ombudsman’s children’s home renovation programme resumed in 2022 and 2023 as well, two other children’s homes were fully renovated in joint efforts by AJBH (the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights), the National Prison Service Headquarters, the State Secretariat for Forests and Land Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mecsekerdő Zrt and VERGA Zrt. 
On 04 October 2023, the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary paid a visit to the Ipolypart Fészek Children’s Home, to which event he was accompanied by Prison Brigadier General, Deputy Director General for Finance and IT of the National Commander of the Hungarian Prison Service Mr. Tamás Farsang, State Secretary for Forests and Land Affairs Mr. Péter Zambó, Police Brigadier General, Police Superintendent of Nógrád County Dr. Gabriella Somssich, as well as CEO of Ipoly Erdő Zrt Mr. László Kiss, where Dr. Ákos Kozma announced a new stage of the children’s home renovation programme.  
 “On this occasion, I would also like to thank for the efforts taken by the institutions, leaders and staff members for participating in this effort. I hope that this forward-looking cooperation will be maintained for a very long time and that we will be able to work together for even more noble causes in the future”, as was stressed by Ombudsman Dr. Ákos Kozma in his project kick-off speech.
The Balassagyarmat-based Ipolypart Fészek Children’s Home is going to be renewed at the proposal of the Nógrád County Police Headquarters and following the issuance of the findings in the recently published ombudsman’s report in the wake of an on-site inspection conducted in September 2023.