The Coalition of NGOs for the Protection of Children in Kosovo (KOMF) has welcomed the approval of the new draft law for social and family services in the Assembly of Kosovo. At the press conference, KOMF, on behalf of 35 member organizations, presented the position of the coalition, until it was said that this draft law will affect the improvement of the condition of children.

The executive director of KOMF, Donjeta Kelmendi, said that as a coalition together with the member organizations of the coalition, they have managed to include in this law the vision of the organizations for the future of social services.

Kelmendi emphasized that the new Law on social and family services brings many innovations, including increasing the range of services, strengthening prevention services, establishing new prevention services and strengthening protection services.

She added that the drafting of this draft law was a long process of five years, for which she indicated that they were part of the working group and an integral part of the entire process throughout the drafting.

Among other things, the director of KOMF, Donjeta Kelmendi, said that this draft law envisages the creation of an open scheme for the provision of social services between public, non-governmental and private providers. She added that with the increase in the number of social service providers, it is expected that the quality and competition will also increase, for which she said that these go to the benefit of children and families in need.

Meanwhile, the director of SOS Children's Villages in Kosovo, Remzije Krasniqi, said that they awaited the approval of this law with great joy.

She added that the adoption of this law represents a moment that marks a journey to improve and increase the quality of social services, but which, according to her, also affects the well-being of children, young people and adults who are in social need.

Also, the director of the organization for Children without Parental Care (OFAP), Ibadete Krasniqi, expressed her happiness for the approval of the Law on Social and Family Services.

Krasniqi called the approval of this law extremely positive, due to the fact that for the first time the form of protection of children without parental care, for family housing, was approved.

The new Law on Social and Family Services brings several innovations which include:

Increasing the range of services, establishing new services by defining prevention, protection, rehabilitation and re-integration services, as well as classifying services into three primary, secondary and tertiary categories, thus guaranteeing the right to social services to all children and persons in need of social services, regardless of the level of urgency or danger;

The creation of an open scheme for the provision of social services between the public, non-governmental and private sectors. The open and sustainable scheme of providing social services between public institutions, the non-governmental and private sector, offers opportunities for a wider range of social services, specialized and better quality services;

The development and strengthening of family services and community-based services, the expansion of forms of protection, specifically the development of family housing after reaching the age of 18, the development of the new form of protection "Supervised independent living";

Separation of responsibilities of central and municipal level institutions, to avoid ambiguities about the establishment of social services, management, monitoring and inspection;

The separation of the function of inspection and monitoring, the strengthening of inspection through the granting of executive powers, the determination of measures, fines and sanctions, as well as the provision of the necessary capacities to perform the required functions;

Regulating the contracting of social and family services;

The new law on social and family services was approved yesterday (Thursday) by the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo./Mr. Zeneli/

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