According to latest data, there were 267 foster families with 367 children in Montenegro on 30 November 2019, the Institute for Social and Child Protection told Dnevne Novine daily.
Even though there’s a campaign promoting foster care, carried out in the cooperation with UNICEF Montenegro, the number of foster families has significantly declined when compared to some previous years. Namely, in 2016 we had 281 foster families, in 2017 – 288, while in 2018 there were 281 foster families.
The fact is that the citizens of Montenegro rarely opt for adopting a child, which is proved by the data that most foster care is family-based.
“On 30 November 2019, 312 children or 85 percent were placed in a family-based foster care, while 55 children or 15 percent were using non-family placements,” the Institute for Social and Child Protection said.
The assessment of the eligibility of an individual or a family to provide foster home is carried out by the competent social work center, in accordance with the law.
However, in order to encourage as many citizens as possible to foster care, the state provides material and continuous professional support to those who decide for foster parenting.
Besides, a foster child is entitled to a payment, which amounted to €40.86 in the end of 2019, and the amounts are aligned twice a year.
