A strategy needs funded services
Bertolini said: “All children should grow up in a family.” The delegation welcomed the 2022–2026 strategy but urged dedicated resources and mechanisms to guide implementation. UNICEF and the EU also highlighted the role of civil society and their work to strengthen organisations’ participation in childcare reform.
Disabled children remained overrepresented
In July 2022, UNICEF had reported that disabled children accounted for over 70% of children in residential care institutions. It expressed concern about prolonged placements of very young children and called for community services, family-based alternatives and measures to prevent separation. The agency said the pandemic had slowed deinstitutionalisation.
Family support expanded in Kraljevo
In April 2023, a newly equipped developmental counselling unit opened in Kraljevo. Its model combined health, education and social-work teams, including home visits and preschool support. Parent Sandra Pesic described the understanding and practical help her family received. UNICEF reported that the wider early-intervention programme had reached 19 municipalities.