TIRANA, Sept. 9 /ATA/ – Civil society organisations in Albania will be able to help identify children and families in need of alternative care, promote family-based care and support municipalities in preparing and delivering services, under new rules approved by the Council of Ministers.
The decision, published in the Official Gazette, sets out the criteria and procedures for involving civil society organisations in supporting alternative care services. Their role will be technical and professional, with no decision-making authority.
Organisations seeking to participate must meet legal, professional, organisational and financial requirements, including at least five years of documented experience in child protection, alternative care or social services.
They must also have multidisciplinary teams including licensed social workers or psychologists, use structured case-management methods and have the capacity to provide services in line with quality standards.
The rules require financial sustainability and transparency, internal financial controls and staff integrity checks, including background checks for people working with children, as well as safe facilities and practices.
Municipalities will identify needs, conduct transparent selection procedures, assess organisations’ capacities and sign cooperation agreements. A commission appointed by the mayor will evaluate applications, including through field inspections where necessary.
At national level, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will coordinate implementation and align practices, while the State Social Service will provide technical and methodological support to local authorities and monitor the quality of assistance provided by the organisations.
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