12 Municipalities gather to discuss social programs

Georgia: The EU and the UN Children’s Fund are strengthening municipalities’ implementation of social programming for children and families.

The mayors of twelve municipalities gathered to discuss social programs for children and future visions.

One of the components of the project about municipalities, implemented in partnership with the National Association of Local Self-Government of Georgia (ATEA), aims to strengthen comprehensive, decentralized, child-oriented and needs-based social programming and the development of social work in municipalities better to help children and their children to the trees.

Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure held a meeting of municipalities, the UN Children’s Fund and the National Association of Local Self-Government of Georgia (ATEA) with the support of the European Union.

 “At the local level, social policy needs proper support to strengthen child protection systems and services, and our efforts in this regard are more important, including tracking additional powers to municipalities and developing research-based programs”, – stated Regional Development and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Mzia Giorgobiani.

As a result of the mentioned initiative:

• Eighteen pilot municipalities learned to develop needs-based and child-oriented social programs to support families with the most vulnerable children. These programs were based on assessing families’ and children’s needs, which allowed Pilot Municipalities to respond to local communities’ needs through relevant initiatives.

• Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti Municipal Platform was created to share experience and knowledge about planning social programs. A single service delivery system is being piloted in the region and will be expanded to other areas later.

• National legislation analysis was held to identify barriers to the involvement of municipalities in the social protection of children and families.

• The central government recognized the needs-based and child-oriented approach as the best practice of social programming and urged all municipalities to apply similar approaches.

• A situational analysis of municipal social work was conducted in 10 selected municipalities, and a concept was developed to strengthen municipal social work and services.

• A parental education and family support service model was developed and installed in 10 selected municipalities.