Theme
Women’s Economic Empowerment.
Description
Economic Empowerment of Families with Children (program code 06 02 26). The purpose of the subprogram is to promote the economic security of vulnerable families with children in response to the requirements of the Child Rights Code and existing challenges, in order to reduce the negative impact of families’ economic situation on various aspects of child development.
Implementing Organization
Kutaisi Municipality
Challenge
Child poverty and violence against children remain significant challenges for Georgia’s child protection and welfare system, despite the steps taken in this direction. The beneficiaries of the subprogram are families with children registered and residing in the city of Kutaisi who meet at least one of the following target groups: families whose social rating score does not exceed 120,000; families with children at high risk of poverty and in crisis situations (basis: social worker’s conclusion); families where one parent independently performs parental functions; families with weak support networks (basis: social worker’s conclusion); families where one parent is a person with disabilities; families where one parent is in conflict with the law.
Solution
. The implementation of the subprogram is aimed at long-term support for families with children, which includes three components, namely: assessment/preparation of conclusions by a social worker regarding the child and family using a biopsychosocial approach with families participating in the subprogram; economic empowerment of families; provision of positive parenting training courses. The availability of measures to be implemented for the economic empowerment of families with children through access to financial resources/income helps parents/caregivers invest in protecting their children’s dignity, welfare, safety, life, health protection, education, development, and realization and protection of other interests. Support for each family participating in the subprogram is implemented in the form of purchasing services and/or goods/products for the following purposes: professional retraining/internship for employment, starting income-generating activities or expanding existing ones – purchasing inventory. Within the framework of the subprogram budget, for each case, family financial support is determined within the limit of no more than 5,000 lari. To develop positive parenting skills in parents, activities are carried out for families participating in the subprogram to improve knowledge on child-rearing issues and positive parenting skills, in order to reduce the negative impact of the family’s economic situation and violence on various aspects of child development, specifically: strengthening interpersonal skills, which will promote effective communication between them and the child; establishing collaborative relationships between parents and children; developing social competence in children and adolescents and reducing problematic behavior with parental support; familiarization with age-specific characteristics and difficulties; proper analysis of problematic situations by the parent/legal representative; learning parental social skills and family planning. Parents/caregivers participating in the program must receive work oriented toward improving knowledge on child-rearing issues and positive parenting skills in group format, using interactive learning methods and exercises for developing specific skills, with a pre-presented training module that is adapted by the organization and based on international experience. One training group should include at least 10 sessions, which will be held twice a week. The number of participants is determined according to the number of adult members of families selected for the subprogram, maximum 10. Group work in this component will be conducted by a psychologist or social worker who must have qualification-certifying documents and at least 2 years of experience participating in similar programs. The prospective recipient of services selected within the framework of the subprogram must have desire/motivation and need. Before inclusion in the subprogram, a formal agreement must be made with the potential participant receiving services that they will necessarily attend all sessions, as the process is dynamic, sequential, continuous (moreover, theoretical material from previous sessions is reinforced in subsequent sessions through practical exercises). The group should include one parent or another authorized person from the family, preferably a direct participant in child-rearing. A person wishing to participate in the subprogram undertakes an obligation for mutual cooperation. The documentation to be submitted for inclusion in the subprogram is: a copy of the applicant’s identity document; in the case of an internally displaced person – along with copies of the passport and internally displaced person’s certificate; in the case of a legal representative – a copy of the document certifying this; when the applicant lacks an identity document, at the first stage, the basis for initiating proceedings may be a document certifying registration in the city of Kutaisi (information card) submitted by the relevant agency (LEPL Civil Registry); child’s birth certificate; in case of expanding existing business activities, additionally an extract from the business registry; identification of target group persons is carried out by social workers of the Child Rights Protection and Support Division. The relevant conclusion-recommendation developed by the municipality is transferred to the service provider organization selected through competition within the framework of the subprogram. The service provider organization will work with the beneficiary receiving services within the framework of the subprogram. Based on the social worker’s conclusion, as well as the service provider’s conclusion, which will be completed within 20 days, the decision regarding the beneficiary’s inclusion in the program will be made by the working group created within the framework of the subprogram. The group will convene as needed, within a maximum of 5 working days from the conclusion submitted by the service provider. The person wishing to participate in the subprogram will be notified of the results in writing by the Social Issues Service, no later than 5 working days from the relevant decision made by the working group. Compensation for services provided by the service provider organization will be made according to the completed work presented, during the budget year. In any component of support, the municipality considers itself to satisfy such needs that are not provided free of charge within the framework of other state programs. During the subprogram process, a maximum of 10 families will be selected to receive services (UN Sustainable Development Goal “SDG” that the program serves to achieve: 3: Good Health and Well-being).
Legal Act
Resolution No. 119 of the Kutaisi Municipality Council, March 26, 2025, Kutaisi
Regarding the introduction of amendments to Resolution No. 110 of December 25, 2024, of the Kutaisi Municipality Council “On the approval of the 2025 budget of Kutaisi Municipality” Based on subparagraph “d.a” of subparagraph “d” of the first paragraph of Article 24 of the Organic Law of Georgia “Local Self-Government Code,” paragraph 4 of Article 20 of the Organic Law of Georgia “On Normative Acts,” and Article 63 of the Law of Georgia “General Administrative Code of Georgia,” the Kutaisi Municipality Council resolves: Article 1 An amendment shall be introduced to Resolution No. 110 of December 25, 2024, of the Kutaisi Municipality Council “On the approval of the 2025 budget of Kutaisi Municipality” (www.matsne.gov.ge, 25.12.2024, No. 190020020.35.123.016702), specifically: 1. Annex No. 1 of the resolution shall be amended and formulated in the attached version. (Annex No. 1 is attached to the resolution) 2. Annex No. 2 of the resolution shall be amended and formulated in the attached version. (Annex No. 2 is attached to the resolution) Article 2 The resolution shall enter into force on March 26, 2025.
Useful Links
https://www.kutaisi.gov.ge/public/files/1743415152_%E1%83%93N119.pdf