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Family is important to all of us, of particular and utmost importance for children. The best environment to bring up a child is the caring and supportive family, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative Tanja Radocaj told reporters at a press conference.

“The history of humankind had periods when people especially under totalitarian regimes believed institutions were the best places for bringing up children. Today, we know that is not true,” Mrs. Radocaj noted, adding that since 1990s the scientific evidences came to prove that the care given at institutions negatively affect the children, especially their skills and capacities to form family links.

“Family appears to be the only place where we learn what is family, how to establish sustainable family relations. Each child needs at least one caring and loving adult who will consider child-related needs, react to their emotions, and form sustainable relations with them. That is called attachment - without that we may not learn of loving and caring after others and ourselves,” UNICEF representative stressed.

To remind, the International Day of Families is observed on the 15th of May every year. The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 and reflects the importance the international community attaches to families. The International Day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.

Armenia celebrates the International Day of Families since 2011 in accordance with changes introduced to the Law on Holidays and Memorable Dates.