Serbia Europe's best in extra-institutional child care

12/8/2014 1:36:00 PM

Serbia Europe's best in extra-institutional child care

BELGRADE - In Serbia, most children without parental care live in foster families, with fewer than 1,000 boys and girls living in relevant institutions, which makes Serbia the best in Europe in this regard, Serbian Minister of Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Aleksandar Vulin said on Monday.

Foster families have eased the burden on institutions to the greatest extent possible and, as a result, fewer than 50 boys and girls under the age of three live in care institutions, Vulin said, opening a conference on progress in the process of transition from user institutionalisation to community service in Serbia.

Soon, many of those children will also go to foster families, with the exception of a small number of children with special needs, for whom foster families are difficult to find, Vulin said.

The state will thus meet an obligation from the Law on Social Protection, under which by 2015 there should be no children under the age of three in social care institutions, he said.

The number of services available at local self-government level will be increased, Vulin announced, adding that the highest possible motivation across society is very significant for success in social protection.

Vladimir Djukic, state secretary with the Ministry of Health, said that the Serbian parliament adopted last year the law on the rights of persons with mental disabilities, and noted that all social protection capabilities have been made available for persons with developmental difficulties.

Holger Schroeder, Head of Operations of the EU Delegation to Serbia, said that Serbia is a signatory of a European convention guaranteeing people with developmental difficulties the right to live alongside others in society.

We have noticed that the social protection system in Serbia is still greatly institutionalised, he said, noting that the process of de-institutionalisation calls for close cooperation of different ministries and bodies that deal with human rights, as well as for greater support to the local community and inclusion of the civil sector.

Expressing satisfaction with the fact that Serbia is the first non-EU country to organise a conference with a view to achieving progress in this area, John Halloran of the European Expert Group said that it is an important mission, not only in southeast European countries, but in western European ones as well.

It is easy to move people with various disabilities away, rather than include them into the community, said Halloran - who is CEO of the European Social Network - expressing hope that Serbia will strive to build an inclusive society.

The conference was organised by the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs in collaboration with the European Expert Group.