Evaluation of the effectiveness of the use of the state allowance for the provision of foster care for activities performed by accompanying care providers and authorised persons and the quantification of the costs of the various activities incurred by accompaniment
The state allowance for the provision of foster care was introduced via an amendment to Act No. 401/2012 Coll. effective from 1 January 2013. The purpose of the allowance is to reimburse the costs incurred by accompanying carers, and registered persons who have concluded an agreement with an accompanying carer or with the relevant authority responsible for the social and legal protection of children (hereinafter referred to as the “OSPOD”) on the provision of foster care, or have been the subject of an administrative decision of the relevant OSPOD. Accompanying entities (i.e. natural or legal persons) are obliged to provide intensive support and assistance for carers and registered persons in terms of the exercising of their rights and obligations related to the performance of foster care on the basis of either an agreement concluded on the provision of foster care or an administrative decision. Whereas the costs associated with accompanying care and ensuring the adequate level of quality thereof are covered by the state allowance for the provision of foster care, in practice, it has been found that accompanying entities do not always use funds obtained from this state allowance effectively. The project will include the mapping of the needs of foster families in connection with accompaniment provided by authorised persons or the OSPOD, as well as the level of compliance with related methodologies and instructions set out by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The project will also focus on quantifying the costs of the provision of foster care (financed via the state allowance for the provision of foster care) that are incurred via the performance of the various sub-activities that are provided by accompanying entities for carers and registered persons so as to map the economic demands of such activities.
The results of the project will be used by the recipient (Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs) as the basis for the setting of more effective parameters for the payment of the state allowance for the provision of foster care, the creation of methodological materials for accompanying entities and the enforcement of other systemic changes concerning legislation surrounding, and the financing of, accompanying carers and registered persons.