Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA)
Montenegro
IPA AN INVESTMENT IN EUROPE. AN INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE.
Upgrading care
for children in need in Montenegro
Vulnerable young people need careful attention, and in Montenegro the EU has been helping
to prevent separation of children and families, and supporting community-based care and
the provision of better homes.
CHILDREN CARE INSIDE THE
Changes also include reform of the network of centres
COMMUNITY
for social work and the country’s day-care centres for
children and young people with disabilities. Specialised
Children who lack parental care, or who have training to enhance quality of care, provision of
disabilities, or who come from minorities that suffer additional equipment, and the introduction of new
discrimination are getting a new chance in Montenegro.
methods and tools such as case management and
Children in need are benefiting from a new framework
individual planning have upgraded services. Attendance
that is transforming institutional care, promoting at day-care centres has increased by 150 % since
fostering, and opening up opportunities in day-care 2010, from 53 to 133 in February 2013. And across
and education.
the country, proper data collection and management
have been put in place through a new electronic child
New legislation has shifted the focus away from protection database.
institutionalisation and towards care in the community.
In the country’s largest care institution, Komanski Most, “My son will acquire work habits, and, despite
the number of children dropped from 154 in 2010 to
his severe disabilities, he can still know
107 in October 2013 – a 30 % decrease. Admissions to that he needs to go somewhere, to
this institution are down, too: until 2010 the annual have obligations and, simply, to
average for admissions was 31.5, but only 21 and 23 create some rhythm in his life
children were admitted in 2011 and 2012 respectively. and become a member of
And a moratorium is now in force on placing children
society as much as all the
less than three years old in institutional care.
others without a disability,”
said Sehada Osmankadic, one
DEVELOPING FOSTER CARE
of the parents whose son just
started attending a day-care
Meanwhile, foster care is being developed. The number
centre in Peljvlja.
of foster-families has doubled over the last two years,
and media campaigns to attract foster parents have
led to a recent boost in the number of families under
training as foster carers. Training of social workers
has also been adapted, with expert support in the
introduction of new foster-care standards.
Enlargement
GROWING TOGETHER
Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA)
Montenegro
IPA AN INVESTMENT IN EUROPE. AN INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE.
LINKS TO EDUCATION
awareness about the rights of children with disabilities,
and prompted greater demand for services and
Cooperation has been promoted among authorities enhanced inclusion.
responsible for health, education and social welfare.
Staff are being trained in intersectoral approaches Training of school staff has included specialised
to supporting families and children at risk of assessment and care of children suffering autism,
separation, and new children with disabilities are being
along with models of schooling of children with autism.
increasingly included in mainstream education. The Nejra Mekic, a psychologist at an elementary school
number of children with special educational needs who has received training, said she was shown “a
that have benefited from assessment and support completely different approach towards children with
by multi-sectoral teams rose from 654 in 2010 to autism, including methodologies in communication,
1,220 by August 2013. Media campaigns have raised
and how to better respond to their needs.”
PROJECT DETAILS – Child Care System Reform
Partners:
Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Montenegro
UNICEF Montenegro
Total cost in €:
1,374,560
EU Contribution in €:
1,249,600 (91 %)
Start date:
January 2011
End date:
July 2014
Results:
Shift from large institutionalised care to smaller homes
and foster-care and community-based care;
new and modernised day-care centres;
new staff skills and greater inter-sectoral cooperation
Techniques:
Development of policies, legislation, and monitoring mechanisms;
strengthening institutions; training of staff;
development of services;
promotion of foster care
Enlargement
GROWING TOGETHER