CRC/C/15/Add.213 page 9 Children deprived of a family environment/alternative care 42. The Committee welcomes the adoption of the Marriage and the Family Act (1998) which introduces and promotes the concept of foster care as a way to reduce the number of children in institutions. However, the Committee is concerned that foster care and other forms of family-based alternative care are not sufficiently developed and available. 43. The Committee is further concerned at the continuing predominant use of institutional responses to provide assistance to children in difficulty and that these children have limited contact with the outside world and are not given the educational and vocational skills necessary for them to make an independent living once they leave the institution at the age of 18. The Committee also expresses concern at the low quality of care and conditions in some of these institutions. 44. In light of article 20 of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Take effective measures, including the development of strategies and awareness-raising activities, to prevent and reduce the abandonment of children; (b) Take effective measures to increase and strengthen foster care, family-type foster homes and other family-based alternative care and correspondingly decrease institutional care as a form of alternative care; (c) Place children in institutions only as a measure of last resort and as a temporary measure; (d) Take all necessary measures to improve conditions in institutions, in accordance with article 3 (3) of the Convention, and increase the participation of children; (e) Provide support and child rights-oriented training for personnel in institutions, including social workers; (f) Improve considerably the quality of care and the living conditions in institutions and make sure that standards of care are systematically monitored, and establish regular periodic review of placement in accordance with article 25 of the Convention; (g) Provide adequate follow-up and reintegration support and services for children who leave institutional care; (h) Pursue additional avenues for cooperation and assistance in this respect with UNICEF, UNDP and other international organizations. Adoption 45. The Committee notes the existence of the National Board on Adoption and of regulations for organizations involved in domestic and intercountry adoption. However, taking into account the very large number of abandoned children, the Committee is concerned at the lack of a