FEDERAL MINISTER OF LABOR AND SOCIAL POLICY DELIĆ VISITED CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN ZENICA-DOBOJ CANTON

ZENICA, MAY 22 (ONASA) – Federal Minister of Labor and Social Policy Adnan Delić, together with Cantonal Minister Antonio Šimunović, today visited the public institution Center for Children and Adults with Special Needs of the Zenica-Doboj Canton, with headquarters in Zenica.
On this occasion, Minister Delić visited the premises of the Center and was informed about the work of this institution and the services it provides to citizens.
The Center for Children and Youth with Special Needs, with its organizational units in Zenica, Tešnje, Žepč, Visoko and Maglaj, stands out as one of the leading public institutions in providing support to people with disabilities and developmental difficulties.
Center Director Ernad Metaj especially praised the Department for Early Intervention, which according to Center experts, represents one of the strongest departments in the country when it comes to staff capacity and the quality of work with children in the early intervention phase.
During the visit, Minister Delić had the opportunity to familiarize himself with all aspects of the Center’s work, including therapeutic programs, educational activities and other services available to users.
The minister expressed his satisfaction with what he saw and emphasized the importance of supporting and further developing such institutions that provide the necessary help and support to children and adults with special needs.
“No one is so different that they would not be similar, is the motivational message of this Center which emphasizes the essence of inclusion, which as a society we can and must strive for. During the visit, at all the doors of the Center, I also noticed the sentence ‘Everything you do for your child, you did against him ‘ and that is a sentence that we all as parents should think about, the depth of the message it carries within us”, stressed Minister Delić, stressing the importance of inclusion and equal opportunities for all citizens, but also the necessity of a responsible attitude towards the children of each of us individually.
The minister promised the support of the relevant ministry with the aim of improving the work of the Center and improving the quality of services provided to users through transfers provided in the Ministry’s budget specifically for financing projects of institutions and organizations of this type, but also regular funding from the budget after the adoption of the Law on Social Services.
The Center for Children and Adults with Special Needs of the Zenica-Doboj Canton has recently formed an Expert Body for detection, assessment, monitoring and referral of children at risk, children with difficulties and disabilities in accordance with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). that is, the transition from medical to social assessment and support for children with developmental disabilities, which is essentially a trend in the field of social protection and a model that is being implemented throughout the entire Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The public institution Center for Children and Adults with Special Needs of the Zenica-Doboj Canton continues to be a support for many families, providing professional help and support through its numerous programs and activities, and contributes to a better and more inclusive society for everyone.
For the past ten years, the Center has been a public institution under the jurisdiction of the Zenica – Doboj canton, which finances the work of the Center from the cantonal budget, and originally this Center functioned as the association Humanost. (end)