Article 7 Children with Disabilities

356. The Republic of Serbia will stand with all the views expressed in paragraphs 94-95 of the Initial Report of the Republic of Serbia to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/SRB/1).

357. Within the framework of the process of implementation of the Strategy for Development of Social Protection and the National Action Plan for Children, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, in co-operation with UNICEF, completed three-year activities for the implementation of the project Transformation of Residential Institutions for Children and Development of Sustainable Alternatives ⁶⁶. A group of project activities concerns the development of fostering with special focus on the development of so-called specialized fostering, inter alia, also for children with disabilities, as well as to review of acting of medical workers at maternity hospitals and it also concerns prevention of placement of children with disabilities at social protection institutions. The Comprehensive Plan of Transformation of Residential Social Protection Institutions for Children from 2009 to 2013 was prepared as the outcome of activities of the institution transformation group. This documents ensure planned acting of the social protection system and helps those who make decisions to plan the method, time and framework of decrease of total capacities of the institutions for placement of children (for 50% within the period of 5 years), improvement of protection quality at the institutions concerned (through strengthening of expert capacities and improvement of the placement conditions) and changing over of a part of the capacities of these institutions to development of services in the local community for rehabilitation and support to children. In April 2010 the elements of the plan were also adopted by the Government, as the Decision on Network of Social Protection Institutions for Placement of Beneficiaries ⁶⁷. This should be stressed in particular because it was planned that the capacities of the institutions for children, which remain free and at the disposal, would be changed over to development of services in the local community for support and rehabilitation of children, also including children with disabilities and difficulties.

Note #66

Within the framework of activities for the improvement of protection of children without parental custody and intensification of application of protection measures for children in less restrictive environment, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy signed an Agreement with UNICEF on implementation of the project Transformation of Institutions for Placement of Children and Development of Sustainable Alternatives – A Child's Place is within the Family, which is funded by the EU. This project included four segments of improvement of protection of children without parental custody: (1) transformation of institutions for children; (2) improvement of monitoring and regulatory mechanisms at institutions; (3) development of specialized fostering and (4) strengthening of the role of medical system in early support to family with the aim to prevent institutionalization of children with disabilities. This project was nearly EUR 2 million worth.

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Note #67

The decision governs the network of social protection institutions for placement of beneficiaries established by the Government, and the competent authorities of the autonomous province, respectively. The decision was adopted in accordance with tendencies and principles of reform of the social protection system and the key national documents, and defined the basic activities of social protection institutions for placement of beneficiaries and established precisely the capacity in accordance with already achieved results of the reform of social protection system, actual needs and commitments to apply less restrictive protection measures.

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358. During the implementation of the project, the co-operation with the Ministry of health was reached with the aim (а) to prevent placement of children born with risk or severe mental or physical difficulties at the social protection institutions immediately after birth, directly from maternity hospitals and (b) to organize education for the employees of the social protection institutions regarding use of physical suppression (constrain) of beneficiaries placed at the social protection institutions for children and adults with disabilities, in compliance with international conventions and standards for protection of this group of beneficiaries. The guidelines (procedures) for support to parents having children with disabilities were also formulated and the activities aimed at strengthening of the role and capacities of field services were also implemented.

Practice

359. The number of children with disabilities registered with the social welfare centres indicates the tendency of constant increase each year. In 2007 there were 10,927 of these children and in 2008 there were 11,512 of them while in 2009 their number was increased to 12,315.

360. The Table below shows the number of children with disabilities placed at the social protection institutions, including presentation of fluctuations within the last 5 years ⁶⁸.

Note #68

Source – the data from the Information System of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

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361. Support to the process of deinstitutionalization also has the dimension of increase of living quality of children placed at the social protection institutions. Within this issue, the project The World I Belong to – Natural Environment for Children with Mental and Physical Disabilities was implemented in the course of 2008, in partnership of the Centre for Protection of Infants, Children and Youth in Belgrade and the Savski Venac Society for Assistance to Mentally Challenged Persons and the Stari Grad Society for Assistance to Mentally Challenged Persons. The objective of the project was to ensure assistance and support to children with disabilities placed at the institution concerned. The project resulted from the necessity to co-ordinate the quality of protection of these children with their best interest and the best interest of their natural family. The engagement of volunteers, who make the world of these children richer having intensive contacts with them and in partnership with their children, gradually creates the pre-conditions for the return of children to their natural environment. The implementation of the project was supported by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

362. The festival of theatre performances of children with disabilities placed at the social protection institutions, children without parental custody and children from the local community was organized for Easter holidays in 2010. The festival A Flower on My Palm lasted for a month and was organized by the Sector for Care of Families and Social Protection, Dr Nikola Šumenković institute for children and persons with disabilities, the local self-government of Petrovac. The festival A Flower on My Palm as well as all accompanying activities were aimed at integration of persons with mental disabilities in the wider social community and elimination of prejudices about them present in the society.

Also, the first inclusive festival Musical Notes for Everyone at the level of the entire Republic of Serbia was organized by the Male Pčelice institute for placement of adults. The festival lasted for 3 days in the course of November 2010 and had about 400 participants.

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