CRC/C/SRB/CO/1
page 9
(a)
Take effective measures to strengthen support, such as improved social
assistance and support to families, by developing a comprehensive child-centred family
policy to enable families to care for their children at home wherever possible and promote
positive child-parent relationships;
(b)
Enhance the professional training of social workers;
(c)
Improve the extent and quality of social and psychological support provided
to children and families in need of assistance.
Children deprived of a family environment
40.
The Committee welcomes that the placement of children outside of their families will be
decided by a judge. The Committee further welcomes the commitment of the State party to deinstitutionalize children while at the same time enhance standards in the existing institutions.
The Committee is concerned that, despite the existence of data on the general conditions of
children and a national standard for assessment of both the decision of referrals and placements
as well as the existence of review procedures, there is a lack of implementation of these
standards. The Committee is also concerned at reports of high numbers of children, particularly
children with disabilities, who remain placed in institutions, often far away from their initial
place of residence and at the low quality of care and treatment. Concern is also expressed at the
limited number of foster families.
41.
The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a)
Strengthen its efforts to move towards de-institutionalization ensuring that
supplementary structures are in place to provide adequate follow-up and reintegration
support and services for children who leave institutional care;
(b)
Implement a national assessment procedure for purposes of referral,
placement and review of placement of children to ensure that children residing in
institutions that are being closed are fully informed and able to participate in deciding on
their future placement, and that these children retain their rights to social protection;
(c)
Encourage individuals to offer themselves as foster parents, inter alia
through providing them with employment opportunities.
Adoption
42.
The Committee regrets that insufficient information on procedural aspects of adoption
was provided. The Committee encourages more permanent family environments to be considered
through the use of adoption. The Committee also notes that the State party has not ratified the
1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry
Adoption.
43.
The Committee recommends that the State party
(a)
Establish the conditions under which a child is adoptable and ensure that the
biological parents and the child have sufficient information prior to consenting to a
decision;