Local Partnerships at the Centre of Expanding Family-Centred Early Intervention Services

The Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities has joined efforts to expand and ensure the sustainable implementation of the Family-Centred Early Intervention (PORI) program, designed to support children with developmental disabilities and their families.

The PORI program aims to ensure that every young child with developmental difficulties receives timely and appropriate developmental support within their community—in the family, preschool, and local services.

To support the program’s expansion and sustainability, over 70 participants from 16 municipalities, including representatives of health, preschool education, social welfare systems, and civil society, gathered in Nis and Belgrade. Together, they worked on developing local intersectoral plans, protocols, and support measures to ensure consistent implementation and quality monitoring of services based on family needs and good parenting support practices.

In the coming month, local teams—supported by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities and technical partners—will conduct initial assessments and map out the needs of families and potential service users, with a focus on planning measures to strengthen parental support through PORI.

The trainings are part of the “Child Rights in Local Governments” project, implemented by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities within the “PRO – Local Governance for People and Nature” initiative, jointly led by UNOPS, UNICEF, UNFPA, and UNEP, in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Serbia and with financial support from the Government of Switzerland.