Roadmap for Future Reforms Serbia Ljiljana Lucic, State Secretary, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy Sofia, July 2007

Framework for Reforms - International framework UN Convention of Rights of the Child UN Millennium Development Goals World Fit for Children Declaration EU documents

National Framework Poverty Reduction Strategy (2003) National Plan of Action for Children (2004) Social Welfare System Reform Strategy (2005) Strategy for EU Accession of the Republic of Serbia (2005) Other sector strategies relevant for improving the position of vulnerable groups Legal framework: – New Law on Financial Support to Families with Children – New Family Law – Amendments to the Law on Social Protection – Intersectoral Protocol on Protection of Children from Violence, Abuse and Neglect

Main results of the reform to date Reform in Serbia started in 2001… Regular payment of cash benefits reinstated (cash assistance and child allowances) Cash benefits paid from central level are universal and guarantee minimum financial security Increased access to cash benefits and increased number of beneficiaries Linking priorities and objectives in social welfare with objectives of sustainable and overall municipal development

Main results of the reform to date… De-institutionalization resulted in: decreased number of children in institutions, increased quality of life of children remaining in institutions and development of support programmes for youth leaving institutions (supervised accomodation, half-way houses, temporary cash benefits for care leavers, positive discrimination in employment) Increased number of children in foster care Stable financing of foster care (central level) and increased amounts for foster care allowances Priority development of alternative forms of care – community based services (Day Care Centers, home care, shelters…) Transformation of institutions initiated

Roadmap for Further Reforms Adoption of new Law on Social Protection (2008) based on new reform principles, lessons learned and experience from pilots Further decentralization and de-institutionalization, as the main reform objectives Introducing quality assurance systems: Standards, licensing and accreditation Introducing control systems: Monitoring (including data base development), supervision and inspection

Further development of services at local (municipal) level Pluralism of services (statutory, non-statutory) Pluralism of service providers (state and non-state) Widening the scope of services Developing holistic services as per beneficiary needs Ensuring financial means for financing local level services

Mechanisms for development of quality community based services Monitoring of strategic national plans using clearly defined indicators Strategic planning of social and child protection at local level, based on: Partnership of relevant stakeholders Needs of beneficiaries Stable financing

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