Continuing Efforts - Advancing Alternative Care for Children Outside Biological Families

Within the Programme PRO - Local Governance for People and Nature, the second training aimed at enhancing the capacities of professionals for assessment, continuous support, and monitoring of foster families was held in Kragujevac form March 12 to 14, 2024, with the aim of ensuring quality care for children who cannot live with their biological families.

Out of a total of 18 municipalities involved in the training program for direct work with foster families, this time 12 municipalities were included - Ćuprija, Kragujevac, Bor, Niš, Kragujevac, Zaječar, Šabac, Jagodina, Leskovac, Velika Plana, Loznica, and Užice.

The trainings conducted, along with additional continuous professional support, ensure that workers from foster care centres and social welfare centres enhance their knowledge for the implementation of standard and other forms of family placement for children.

The trainings are implemented by UNICEF and the Association of Foster Care and Adoption Centres, within the “PRO - Local Governance for People and Nature” program, jointly implemented by the United Nations agencies in Serbia - UNOPS, UNICEF, UNFPA, and UNEP, in collaboration with the Government of Serbia and with the financial support of the Government of Switzerland.

Besides training, this program also envisages other forms of direct support to foster families, including initial training for new and enhanced training for existing foster families.