With the support of the European Union a new house for children in street situations opened in Belgrade
Belgrade, 23 January 2025 - As a part of the “European Union Support to Social Housing and Active Inclusion” programme (EU SHAI), the event was held today, that market the opening of the house, where more than 300 children will be supported through the Drop-in Shelter social care service.
"The new and larger space enables us to provide improved services to youth, and opens new possibilities and opportunities for work with children. Our organisation exists for already 20 years, and this is the most impactful project that we ever had, and I would like to thank EU and UNOPS for their invaluable support”, highlighted Marko Tošić, Director of the Centre for Youth Integration.
The “Enhancing the capacity of the Drop-in Shelter for children in street situations in Belgrade” is implemented by the Centre for Youth Integration with the overall aim to improve the provision of innovative open community-based social care services to provide the necessary support to children in street situations in the municipalities of Zvezdara, Palilula, Vračar, Stari Grad, Savski Venac and Voždovac.
„I am very pleased that today, together with our partners, the Center for Youth Integration and the UNOPS Serbia office, we opened a new house for children in street situations in Belgrade. The users of the Svratište service are children between ages of 5 and 15 who are exposed to multiple risks. This space is their safe environment, where they find human kindness, warmth and support they need”, said Emanuele Giaufret, Ambassador and Head of European Union Delegation to Serbia.
"The inclusion of all these children needs to be secured not only by laws, but more importantly by assigning enough public funds to ensure the provision of the needed services. The national and local budgets, the legal and institutional framework need to ensure that every child can enjoy the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, Treaties and Conventions. The EU will continue supporting initiatives such as this one, with the aim to safeguard children based on child rights and support them in finding a happier and safer future", he added.
Within the project, one house has been purchased and equipped with all necessary furniture, household appliances and other utilities needed for the provision of adequate support for children. This will contribute to the further enhancement of both capacities and outreach of the Drop-in Shelter service, which is currently in the licensing process.
„By expanding the capacity of the Drop-in Shelter through the provision of new premises, we are ensuring that high-quality, comprehensive services are available to children in need. Let me also take this opportunity to reiterate that this initiative is more than just a shelter—it’s a place for children to find safety, receive psychosocial care, and have the chance to grow, learn, and build friendships, all of which are crucial for their social inclusion and long-term well-being”, said Michela Telatin, Director of the UNOPS Multi-Country Office in Serbia.
“As the representative of UNOPS, the implementing partner of the SHAI project, I am proud of these results, achieved thanks to the guidance and collaboration of the European Union, line ministries, local self-governments, and civil organisations. This initiative stands as a beacon of progress, demonstrating the power of partnership and the tangible impact of targeted social inclusion measures”, she added.
Until now, 340 children have been supported through the Drop-in Shelter service, which besides providing basic needs such as clothing, food and hygiene, encompasses different individual and group support. More than 200 children have received psychosocial support, while 90 children have been supported in learning and education. This support, in addition to basic needs, is the prerequisite for empowering children and enhancing their social inclusion in the community.
In addition to activities organised in the CYI premises, within the project families of children in street situations were supported through more than 600 field visits to substandard Roma settlements.
“I really love this house, it is much bigger than the old one and I do not find it hard at all to get used to the change. I cannot wait for singing lessons in the attic and for our choir to become even better ”, said a beneficiary of the Drop-in Shelter.
In the upcoming period, the Centre for Youth Integration plans to establish a social enterprise, to ensure the sustainability of the organisation and of the Drop-in Shelter and to provide new opportunities for the most vulnerable population.
About the Programme
The project is implemented with the “European Union Support to Social Housing and Active Inclusion” programme, funded by the European Union (27 million Euros) and implemented by UNOPS. Through 19 social housing and active inclusion projects, the Programme has provided adequate housing solutions and tailor-made active inclusion measures for 350 vulnerable families, with more than 1200 members. In addition within the Programme, five small-scale infrastructure projects have been implemented, to improve living conditions in the substandard settlements across Serbia. This project is a part of the last Open Call aimed at providing support to civil society organisations, through the provision of new premises for the provision of social care services and the establishment of new and improvement of existing innovative open community-based social care services.