The most important result of the government’s Every Child Needs a Family campaign, implemented with the support of UNICEF and EU Delegation, as well as activities of the social welfare centres, is the increasing number of children in foster families, and particularly those in non-kinship foster families.
At the end of 2010, there were 313 children in foster care, whereas five years later the number amounted to 357 – 319 in kinship and 38 in non-kinship foster families.
“The number of children in non-kinship foster families increased the most – between 2010 and 2015, the number increased more than four times (from nine in 2010 to 38 in 2015)”, the report reads.
(The origin of children in non-kinship foster families, December 2015)
The number of children under the age of three in the Mladost orphanage was reduced five times in seven years. There were 28 children there in 2008 and in late 2015 there were just five of them.
Professionally trained professionals monitor, control and provide support to foster families, through the provision of advisory services and educational work as well as organizing training for foster parents in group work.
Activities of professionals who monitor and support the foster family are: ensuring regular monitoring process; informing foster parents and children; advising foster parents; continuous assessment of the children’s needs; drawing up individual care plans; providing trainings; writing periodic reports on the progress of children and achieving the purpose of foster care; coordinating a network of support for children and families; assessment and report writing on assessment of foster families, etc.
€300 compensation per a child
On the third strategic direction, setting up a stable and efficient financing system of foster care in Montenegro is planned.
The rulebook defines the amount of monthly compensation for accommodation costs and the work of the service provider.
The foster compensation amounts to about €200 and the person providing accommodation services receives additional 30% of the sum. A child without parental care has the right to child allowance, which amounts to €30 per month.
In total, the compensation amount to about €300 per child.
“In this way, a stable funding system for all forms of foster care has been defined”, the report adopted by the government states.
Funds for implementing planned activities are provided from the budget of the relevant ministries. Campaign costs and development of the professionals training programme are provided by the European Union (through IPA 2010 and IPA 2014 funds) and UNICEF, with the technical support from UNICEF.
