TOGETHER IN HELPING THE CHILDREN WITHOUT PARENTAL CARE

Belgrade, 11 December 2003 - Organized by the Foundation of HRH Crown Princess Katherine at The Royal Palace today, there was the twenty second coordinative meeting of the Commissariat for Refugees, international NGOs, UN agencies and organizations, local and international Red Cross.

The meeting was dedicated to the social and legal status of the children in Serbia and Montenegro, and above all to the most vulnerable groups of children such as the children without parental care, children of refugees and IDPs, Romany children and children with special needs.

At the meeting the plans and programs were presented by the Head of the Division for child and family care of the Ministry of Social Affairs Mrs. Dobrila Grujic and the Programs Director of the humanitarian organization from the United Kingdom “Save the Children”, Mr. Andrew Dunn.

The present at this meeting paid most attention to foster families, as the healthiest way to raise children without parental care.

The aim of this meeting was to put NGOs together, for only through working together the most vulnerable groups of our population can be helped.

Toward the end of the meeting, the participants were joined by HRH Crown Prince Alexander II who, despite his many obligations, took a moment to address the present and share a few ideas with them. One of them is going to be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting with representatives of “Telecom Serbia” and the Foundation of HRH Crown Princess Katherine, and it is the introducing of a phone line offering expert help to the most endangered groups of children. When the meeting was over, the Crown Prince wished happy holidays to the guests, on behalf of his wife, Crown Princess Katherine and himself.

The next meeting of NGOs was scheduled for 22 January 2004, at 10:00 a.m.