The crisis caused by the COVID-19 viral pandemic affected all segments of society. It endangered lives, health, and economic existence, and everyday life was dramatically changed. The first wave of the crisis in early 2020 brought about isolation, fear and uncertainty, particularly for families with children.

After the implemented study on the status of families with children during the COVID-19 crisis in Serbia, collection of good practice examples and challenges regarding access to rights and services for families with children during the epidemic, and the implementation of regional events for exchanging experiences and practices by representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) and local self-government units (LSUs) on this topic, the Center for Social Policy (CSP) published the study “Analysis of the status of families with children during the COVID-19 crisis in the Republic of Serbia”. The publication was produced as part of the Support to Families with Children in Crisis Situations project implemented by CSP, funded by the Balkan Trust for Democracy (BTD) and US Agency for International Development (USAID).

This review analyses the status of families with children based on available data and studies implemented in 2020 and 2021 in Serbia, related to the material status, and effects in the field of education, healthcare and social welfare. There was particular note of the situation and measures undertaken regarding the crisis in the field of social welfare, along with examples of innovative practices at the local level that enabled the better functioning of services, such as day-care for children with disabilities and personal assistant to a child (PAC). Information on the implementation of certain innovations and initiatives after the end of the state of emergency was also collected through surveys and from the events for exchanging experiences and good practice examples.

The “Analysis of the status of families with children during the COVID-19 crisis in the Republic of Serbia” study ends with recommendations for improving the social welfare of families with children in crisis situations (Overall recommendations in the domain of social and child welfare; Recommendations in the field of financial handouts; Recommendations in the field of social welfare services), presented separately for the national and local level, and formulated based on the collected study findings and proposals presented at the regional events for exchanging experiences and practices in this field.

Click here to download the “Analysis of the status of families with children during the COVID-19 crisis in the Republic of Serbia” publication (.pdf).

More information on the Support to Families with Children in Crisis Situations project can be found here.