Past Delegations and Exchanges
Juvenile Justice Open World Delegation - September 2013
The Juvenile Justice 2013 Open World delegation was an outgrowth of an ongoing child protection collaboration between the social services departments of Moscow and the County of Santa Clara. This collaboration started as the result of the success of a child protection Open World delegation that visited Santa Clara County in 2009. The 2013 Juvenile Justice delegation has strengthened that collaboration and extended it to include the juvenile justice departments in both jurisdictions.
The Moscow Commission hosted an Open World Delegation from Russia to facilitate the exchange of ideas and best practices in juvenile justice, Sept. 13-21. The Moscow Commission partnered with the Santa Clara County Probation Department to create a program that gives a comprehensive look at the Santa Clara County Juvenile Justice System. The program includes site visits to the Juvenile Court, William F. James Ranch, and Bill Wilson Center. The delegation met with both government and community based organizations to exchange information about the Russian and U.S. Juvenile Just Systems, and to learn about the rehabilitation services provided to youth and their families.
The delegates were: Tatayana Sergeyevna Chistyakova, Senior Juvenile Officer, Moscow City Police; Marina Nikolayevna Devina, Psychologist, Helios Center for Family & Children’s Services, Moscow; Darya Arkadyevna Korban, Social Work Specialist, City Center for Street Children; Galina Anatolyevna Kurakina, Chief Specialist, Obruchevsky District Administration, Commission on Juvenile Delinquency Prevention & Children’s Advocacy, Moscow; Ekaterina Nikolayevna Kurgina, Social Work Specialist, Moscow Addiction Research & Treatment Center, Moscow; Vladimir Nikolayevich Andreyev, Delegation Facilitator.
Building Bridges Delegation - November 2012
The Moscow Commission hosted a 12-member Social Services Delegation Nov. 5-9, 2012, for the Building Bridges to Support Children without Parental Care in Family-Based Settings Project, supported by the $57,000 grant from Eurasia Foundation U.S-Russia Civil Society Partnership Program (CSPP). The County of Santa Clara/Moscow Sister County Commission, EMQ FamiliesFirst, Santa Clara County Social Services Agency, and Russian Charitable Foundation Big Change (Bolshaya Peremena) partnered to launch a mutually beneficial training program to provide Moscow with the tools to transform the Moscow orphanage care system into a foster care system, and to provide EMQ FamiliesFirst and Santa Clara County Social Services Agency with cultural competency training to enhance their work with Russian children and families in the community.
Open World Delegation - November 2011
The Moscow Sister County Commission applied for a second Open World grant in 2010, and was awarded a grant to host an accountable governance themed delegation from Russia. The Open World delegation, hosted Nov. 13-18, 2011, met with Moscow Commissioners, local and state elected officials, government agencies and community organizations, for an exchange of best practices in accountable governance.
Learn more about the Moscow Commission's Open World grant activities.
Open World Delegation - 2009
The Moscow Sister County Commission hosted an Open World delegation from Russia Oct. 2-10, 2009, providing Russian delegates with the opportunity to meet with the Santa Clara County Social Services Agency and community-based organizations for an exchange of best practices in child welfare and foster care services, as well as to examine opportunities for future collaboration.
The Moscow Commission developed a program that addressed the Open World theme of Child Protection, with an emphasis on adoption, foster care services, and services that keep families together.
The delegates met with numerous professionals in the social services field from both government and community based organizations, as well as former foster youth. They also met with elected officials and members of our judicial system who were instrumental in creating services to aid disadvantage youth and families in our community.
The Moscow Commission was awarded its first Open World grant to host the delegation.
Delegation to Russia 2006
In April 2006, the County of Santa Clara/Moscow Sister County Commission sent a Santa Clara County delegation to Moscow to meet with Russian officials, resulting in a formalized agreement of cooperation. Included in the delegation were representatives from the County’s Social Service Department who met with Moscow’s social services professionals to discuss best practices in substance abuse prevention, education and serving the needs of at-risk populations.
Russian Delegation 2003
Moscow City Government sent a delegation of Heads of District Administration Social Services to Santa Clara County. The purpose of the visit was to share best practices in the field of social services, substance abuse prevention and education, and providing for the needs of at-risk populations.