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Competition for improvement of social services for mentally disadvantaged children
Belgrade,
17 November 2010
Minister of Labour and Social Policy Rasim Ljajic said that this Ministry, the EU Delegation in Serbia and UNICEF announced a competition for support to establishing and improving local social services for mentally disadvantaged children, as part of which €3 million will be allocated to local self-governments.
Rasim Ljajic
Author:
Fonet
Ljajic stated at the press conference that in Serbia there are 45,000 mentally challenged children, adding that the funds will be used for the development and improvement of services at a local level, such as home help, personal assistance and day care centres.
The Minister asserted that since the idea is to promote a regional approach in the development of social services at a local level, groups of at least four municipalities will have the right to apply.
The value of individual projects will range from €200,000 to €400,000, and local government will contribute at least 10%, Ljajic clarified, adding that the competition will be opened by March next year.
The Minister explained that the competition is intended for all municipalities that have established social services for mentally disadvantaged children, but do not have enough funds to improve them, and to those who do not have such services at all.
Ljajic specified that, for example, only 45 municipalities have day care for mentally disadvantaged children, used by 1,114 children. He underlined that this is very little since there are around 45,000 such children in Serbia.
Our goal is to help local governments to develop and promote these services, especially now during the economic crisis, Ljajic declared, and noted that Serbia sets aside 2% of GDP for social benefits, and that 10 percent of these funds are directed to the local level.
UNICEF Director for Serbia Judith Riechenberg confirmed that Serbia is making serious efforts to provide adequate treatment for mentally disadvantaged children, noting that they must be involved in the community, which is often not the case.
Local governments that wish to participate in the competition can expect the support of UNICEF in drafting project documentation, she outlined, adding that priority will be given to families with children with complex and severe disabilities.
Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia Adriano Martins affirmed that the European Commission report concluded that progress has been made in the field of inclusion of vulnerable groups, but noted that the capacity for providing the services must be strengthened.
Martins disclosed that the EU has been assisting Serbia in this area since 2003, as the inclusion of children with disabilities, the poor and marginalised groups is one of the important facets of EU policy.
The Minister asserted that since the idea is to promote a regional approach in the development of social services at a local level, groups of at least four municipalities will have the right to apply.
The value of individual projects will range from €200,000 to €400,000, and local government will contribute at least 10%, Ljajic clarified, adding that the competition will be opened by March next year.
The Minister explained that the competition is intended for all municipalities that have established social services for mentally disadvantaged children, but do not have enough funds to improve them, and to those who do not have such services at all.
Ljajic specified that, for example, only 45 municipalities have day care for mentally disadvantaged children, used by 1,114 children. He underlined that this is very little since there are around 45,000 such children in Serbia.
Our goal is to help local governments to develop and promote these services, especially now during the economic crisis, Ljajic declared, and noted that Serbia sets aside 2% of GDP for social benefits, and that 10 percent of these funds are directed to the local level.
UNICEF Director for Serbia Judith Riechenberg confirmed that Serbia is making serious efforts to provide adequate treatment for mentally disadvantaged children, noting that they must be involved in the community, which is often not the case.
Local governments that wish to participate in the competition can expect the support of UNICEF in drafting project documentation, she outlined, adding that priority will be given to families with children with complex and severe disabilities.
Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia Adriano Martins affirmed that the European Commission report concluded that progress has been made in the field of inclusion of vulnerable groups, but noted that the capacity for providing the services must be strengthened.
Martins disclosed that the EU has been assisting Serbia in this area since 2003, as the inclusion of children with disabilities, the poor and marginalised groups is one of the important facets of EU policy.
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