During the second two panel discussions of the regional conference “Effective Social Protection: Supporting Children, Families and Communities in the Fight Against Poverty” held in Skopje today, the role of social services, case management and revenue transfers in reducing poverty was discussed.

Dusan Tomsic from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy noted that the Western Balkans have a strong tradition of providing social protection and care services through centers, ie through the Social Work Centers. However, in many of these countries, such centers are often divided by different professional responsibilities and do not offer a comprehensive assessment of children’s vulnerabilities.

That is why with the social reform the Labor Ministry introduced case management. This means that every family receives a social worker who will take care of the needs of the family and lead their case from start to finish, Dusan Tomsic said.