12 October 2020

Coalition of NGOs for Child Protection in Kosovo – KOMF in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare have held a thematic workshop on drafting the Law on Social and Family Services. The thematic workshop addressed the issues:

• Organizing social services;
• Open social services scheme/Public-private partnership;
• Contracting social services;
• Contracting models.

Regarding the organization of social services, KOMF announced that the new draft Law on Social and Family Services strengthens an open scheme of service delivery between public, non-governmental and private providers. This was also the proposal of KOMF addressed to MLSW through the KOMF Position on the new Law on Social and Family Services.

Regarding the second point for contracting services, KOMF member organizations spoke about the difficulties with financial sustainability due to lack of sustainable funding from MLSW and municipalities. KOMF presented the recommendations from the monitoring of social services in municipalities.

KOMF emphasized the need for establishing sustainable scheme by municipalities to outsource social and family services to the non-governmental sector. Contracting must be done by purchasing social services, in order to ensure sustainable and long-term financing. Providing support through subsidies is not sustainable and is not considered as the most appropriate form of financing the non-governmental sector services. Municipalities must adhere to the minimum standards of MLSW when contracting services. Municipalities must conclude contracts with licensed and proven non-governmental organizations with experience and professionalism in providing social and family services, on behalf of the municipality.

The workshop involved stakeholders as professionals from MLSW, Centers for Social Work and KOMF member organizations directly involved in welfare and social services issues.

This activity was organized in frame of the project “Strengthening Social Services for Children and Vulnerable Families”, funded by the Swiss Embassy in Kosovo and implemented by the Coalition of NGOs for Child Protection KOMF, as well as the project “Joint Action for Decentralization ”, funded by the European Union, managed by the EU Office in Kosovo and implemented by the Coalition of NGOs for Child Protection in Kosovo – KOMF in partnership with the Organization for Children without Parental Care – OFAP, SOS Children’s Villages Kosovo and KMOP. [:]