Caring parents in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina could soon exercise additional rights thanks to amendments to the Law on Caring Parents prepared by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.
The most important novelty relates to the expansion of the circle of persons who can achieve the status of parent caregivers, but also to the possibility for parents to retain that status even when their children stay in preschool and educational institutions for more than four hours a day.
FBiH Minister of Labor and Social Policy Adnan Delić pointed out that the aim of the changes is to enable more families to get the support they need.
“Until now, the status could only be achieved by foster parents, and now we are expanding that circle. We have made it possible for children to stay in certain institutions for more than four hours a day, without the parents losing their right to this status,” Delić said.
According to the data of the competent institutions, more than two thousand parents currently use this right in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They receive compensation in the amount of the minimum wage, with paid contributions for pension and disability insurance.
Parents of children with severe disabilities face numerous challenges every day, from health care to physical exertion and constant care for their loved ones. This is precisely why associations have been asking for additional support from institutions and the improvement of legal solutions for years.
The status of the caregiver parent ends in the event of the beneficiary’s death, voluntary renunciation of rights, establishment of employment, or 65 years of age of the caregiver parent.
The adoption of the proposed changes would represent a new step towards strengthening social protection of one of the most sensitive categories of the population in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and additional support for families who daily fight hard for a dignified life for their children, reports Black Chronicle.
