All municipalities will have the same minimum basket of social services for people with special needs as of next year, the Saeima Social and Labor Affairs Commission agreed before the final reading in plenary. To implement this, additional funds have been earmarked in the state budget for local governments.
The main idea behind the amendments to the Law on Social Services and Social Assistance is how municipalities organize assistance for people with special needs – adults, children, and victims of violence. All municipalities will have the same minimum basket of social services.
The law will require all municipalities to provide social services such as home care, access to a crisis center, a group home or apartment, long-term social care and social rehabilitation, shelters and night shelters, daycare and social rehabilitation.
This idea is not new: the Ministry of Welfare started discussing this proposal four years ago. The discussions show that not all municipalities will be able to provide all mandatory social services at once, so there will also be a transitional period.
The Parliamentary Commission on Social Affairs and Labor will return to this issue next year, with a view to assessing in detail the availability and cost of the services in each local authority.
The vote in the Saeima on these changes to the law is scheduled for December 19.
