Child and Family Care in Serbia- Social Welfare -

Jelena PešićThe Republic Institute for Social Protection

Belgrade, 2013

Basic facts about country EU membership candidate Total population – 7,120,666 Children – 17.6% Upper-middle income country facing considerable social cost of the economic

crisis: Unemployment rate – 26% (2012), 50% among young people Poverty – increased from 2008 to 2010:

General population - from 6.1 to 9.2% Children – 7.3 to 13.7%

Number of families receiving social cash benefits is constantly rising

KEY FACT > 8.8% population benefit from Social Welfare System

Key regulations Social Welfare Law – 2011Family Law – 2005Law on financial assistance to families with children –

2009

Mainstream of the reformLicensing of professionals and service providers introducedService quality standardization establishedPlurality of service providers guaranteedSpecial-purpose funds introduced to support less developed municipalitiesTransformation of residential institutions and development of alternative

models of family supportBanning institutional placement for children age 0-3Residential capacity of individual institutions limited up to 50 usersDevelopment of foster careBetter and wider protection of abused and neglected children

Social Welfare Law adopted in 2011.

Child care system

CENTRAL LOCALCASH BENEFITS:Social allowanceDisability allowanceChild allowanceMaternity leave allowanceParental allowanceSTATUTORY SERVICES:Foster careResidential care

One-of cash paymentsPreschool allowance for children

from economically vulnerable families

Community based services (Day care centers, Home care, Shelters, Supported housing, )

Counseling-therapeutic and social-educational services

MULTISECTORAL APPROACHES

Social welfare/child care system

140 Social Work CentersAmong 85 Institutions 19 residential care for children and

youth: 11 residential care for children and youth, 5 residential care for children and youth with disabilities, 3 institutions for children and youth with behavioral problems

5 Regional centers for fostering and adoption

Government

Ministry LESP

Republic Institute for Social Protection

Local social services

Present in 137 (out of 175) local communities > 33 different types of local social services

15 types of services are intend to children and youth 9 types of services for adults and seniors and 9 types of services are equally used by all age groups of

users, and those services are classified as services for family

Serbia

Residential care for children and youth Residential care for children and youth with disabilities Institutions for children and youth with behavioral problems Regional centers for fostering and adopting

The main facts

Number of children and youth in residential care decreased by 48% in 2000 – 2011 period

Serbia is now among the countries with the lowest rate of institutionalization in Europe

Out of the total number of children separated from their biological families around 80% are placed in foster care

Children and youth in formal care

2000 2005 2008 20120

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

1961

3106

4229

5438

3554

3006 2331

1763

5515

61126560

7201

foster care institution all

Basic characteristics of residential care

Summary • More than 170 services for children available at local

level• Services for children with disability in 65% of all

municipalities – day care centers in 70 municipalities, home care in 37 municipalities…

Community based

services• 4 institutions closed; remaining 19 are being

downsized and transformed to provide new services (shelters, day-care centers, supported living, respite care, high-quality small group homes for children with complex disability)

• 70% of institutions have capacity for residential placement in line with the new law (less than 50 users)

Residential institutions

• 5 Regional centers for fostering and adoption established and fully operational

• 3 new Centers planed for early 2014• More than 4.000 foster families certified

Fostering

Professional challenges

Create and develop new and upgrade existing services for family support

Remove adults (young adults) from institutions for children and youth and ensure adequate residental care

Incerase number and territorial coverage of local social srevices for children and youth

Develop cross-sector cooperation (Social welfare with Education system and Health care)

Better knowledge on issues and needs of families at risk provided to general public

Improve competence structure and increase total number of professionals working with children and families

Thank youRepublic Institute for Social Protection

www.zavodsz.gov.rsTerazije 34, Belgrade+381 11 36 21 565