Minister of social welfare, family care and demography Damir Gutić met with the Secretary General of the Union of Municipalities Mišelom Manojlović, Secretary of the Committee for Social Affairs Ivanom Nedović, as well as with the directors of day care centres for children and young people with developmental disabilities and difficulties from Tivat Srđanom Krunićem, Bijelog Polja Ensadom Omerovićem i Nikšića Radovanom Dragnićem. One of the topics discussed at the meeting was the establishment of a sustainable funding model for day care centres for children and young people with developmental disabilities and difficulties. The meeting was also attended, on behalf of the Ministry, by the Head of the Directorate for the Development of Social and Child Protection Services Ivana Šuković.
The meeting highlighted the importance of further strengthening institutional support for these institutions, improving service standards, and ensuring adequate funding in order to secure the sustainability of services at the local level.
Minister Gutić emphasized the commitment of the Government of Montenegro to improving the social protection system and providing high-quality services to children and young people with developmental disabilities and difficulties.
“The Government of Montenegro remains committed to building an inclusive society in which every child has equal opportunities for development and progress. By strengthening support for children and young people with developmental disabilities and difficulties, we are investing in a fairer and more humane future for all“, the Minister said.
Secretary General Manojlović pointed to the challenges municipalities face in ensuring the continuity of day care centres’ operations and emphasized the need for closer cooperation and the involvement of the health and education sectors in order to establish a sustainable funding model for these and other integrated services, which are increasingly needed in Montenegro.
She informed Minister Gutić about the objectives of the project supporting children and young people without parental care, launched by the Union of Municipalities with the support of UNICEF in Montenegro.
“In addition to the measures undertaken by the state, we believe that through joint activities we could contribute to ensuring that certain services essential for this most vulnerable group, particularly after leaving institutional care, are regulated in a systemic and sustainable manner,” Manojlović emphasized.
The Minister supported the idea and expressed the Ministry’s readiness to participate in its implementation, provided that its sustainability is ensured in accordance with the strategic documents adopted by the Government of Montenegro.
