Family and Child Support Services

1. Family and Child Support Services Breakout Session 3 Building and Reforming Child Care Systems Bishkek, 12-14 May 2009

2. Focus on Development of Human Capital and Resources • General prevention of vulnerability (education, health care, income, employment, housing, guarantees of human rights fulfillment for all) • Entire system is geared towards empowerment, social inclusion and focused on reaching the most vulnerable • Provision of safety nets in situations of crisis, including social security and cash benefits

3. Services for children and families at risk • Statutory Services (non-delegable government functions that decide on eligibility for services and funds to be used, assess the needs, plan, refer to services, monitor outcomes) - case management - gate keeping • Family Substitute Services (provision of out-home care for children without parents or whose best interest it is to be separated, temporarily or permanently, form parents) - adoption - kinship care - foster care - small group home - small institutions • Family Support Services (all families, including the above)

4. Examples of Family Support Services: • Day care centers, extended day care, head-start services • Family outreach (respite services, wrap-around services, personal assistants for disabled) • Psycho-social support services (counseling, self-support groups, hotlines, diversion mechanisms) • Legal support (representation, mediation)

5. What are “qualitative” and "equitable”” FS Services? • See Quality as the quality of outcomes • Objective measures of service outcomes (independence, self-reliance, healthy lifestyles…, as per Plan) • See Equity as equal quality of outcomes • No statistically significant differences among different groups on outcome indicators • No statistically significant differences among in-group and out-group social cohesion and social distance

6. Who can provide FS services? • State - services founded/organized by national, regional, local government authorities - new services provided by former residential institutions • NGOs and private service providers - accredited and contracted by the government (national or local) to provide specialized services

7. What needs to be assured? • Quality standards (safety, skills and competences of staff, content of service…) • Licensing • Accreditation • Inspection (standards are TOOLS for inspection!!!) • Professional support and training for service providers both, for state and non-state providers

8. Why do we highlight the need for “diversity” and “continuum” of services? • The central role of social services is to fight poverty and social exclusion (prevent separation/disintegration of families) • In order to do so, social services have to be accessible to those who need them and to cover the wide range of needs for all population, at all ages; • Therefore, the respect of the so called “4 A’s” in the social services field is crucial:

9. Key requirements in social services field Available – development of the services spectrum, sustainability, continuity, well geographically distributed Affordable – everybody can benefit from the services at a reasonable cost. Accessible – community-based, mainstreamed and/or specialized services, gate keeping mechanisms, Accountable – financial and organizational transparency/ good governance Choice – person with disabilities have the right to accessible information, and a framework that provide a possibility to choose and define his/her individual project Qualitative – person centered services, monitoring mechanisms, standards and principles 9

10. What about the money? • It is more expensive and less effective to invest in institutions, but… • Transitional costs are significant and necessary • All services should have guaranteed financial sources (local, national level) • Redistribution of funds on the government level is also possible • Some new solutions can be introduced without significant addition in costs • Cost should be calculated per capita rather than per establishment

11. From Pilot Projects to System • Political commitment • Technical knowledge • PLAN !!! • Synchronization of actions and various sectors within the system • Joint effort (all relevant ministries – no single ministry can do it alone) • Coordination, implementation monitoring - from the highest level (who has the “power” over ministries? local authorities? Institutions?)

12. What effect at policy level? • New procedures and planning “tools” • Revision of the gate keeping system ; • Maps of needs and services; • Data collection, coherent information system at national level etc. • New types of services to be designed and regulated by law, especially for the “transitional phases”; ex. early detection centres, day centres, mobile teams, vocational training, mediation for employment, supported housing etc. • New types of qualifications and functions (ex. support teachers, mediators etc.); which means articulated policies between various ministries

13. What effect at local level? • A stronger visibility of users and user’s interests and needs; • Recognition of the role of NGOs in introducing new types of services (flexibility, multi-disciplinary, person-centered) • A regulatory framework allowing municipalities to use their resources for the local needs; • (Sub) contracting and funding procedures • Decentralization • Statistical and planning tools at local level; • Needs-driven policy at local level