Ljubinka Lazić

PI Centar for social work Derventa, Trive Vujića 6, 74 400 Derventa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, l.ljub@yahoo.com

PRELIMINARY COMMUNICATION

ISSN 2637-2150
e-ISSN 2637-2614 
UDC 364.4-053.2:616-007-053.2
DOI 10.7251/STED2101069L

Paper received: 26.02.2021.
Paper accepted: 20.05.2021.
Paper accepted: 28.05.2021.
http://stedj-univerzitetpim.com

Corresponding Author: 

LJubinka Lazić, PI Centar for social work Derventa, Trive Vujića 6, 74 400 Derventa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, l.ljub@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The work deals with the issue of protecting the interests of the child in the process of institutional care through the implementation of the principle of “best interests of the child” in the social welfare centers. The intention of the paper was to, through a qualitative analysis, analyze the cases of placement of children in a social care institution as well as the measures and procedures that are implemented in social protection in these cases. The research was conducted by collecting and analyzing files at the Derventa Center for Social Work. The paper presents a descriptive analysis of the characteristics of cases of separation of 26 children from 14 families in a period of ten years (2010-2020), and the intervention of guardianship institution.

The results pointed to conclusion that the children were separated from the reason of the existence of a threat by family situation, and that the adoption of this decision was preceded by a series of extensive professional procedures and interventions. Finally, the importance of the assessment of guardianship center professionals by the principle of “best interests of the child” was emphasized, as emphasized the need to improve the child protection system without adequate parental care in forms of personnel changes, systemic cooperation, development of deinstitutionalized child care and improving the system of family support.  

Keywords: “the best interests of the child”; institutional care of children; interventions of centre for social care.