Yesterday in Zenica, the SOS Foster Care Center was officially opened, a new specialized service supporting children and families, developed in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, SOS Children’s Villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and the Ministry of Labor, Social Policy, and Refugees of the Zenica-Doboj Canton (ZDC). This center represents an important step toward strengthening family-based care and building a system that provides children with what they need most: security, stability, and a sense of belonging.
Malik Garibija, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages in BiH, emphasized that the opening of the center in Zenica expands the network of professional and accessible support:
“By opening the SOS Foster Care Center in the ZDC, we are expanding the support network for children and families and strengthening the vision in which every child has the opportunity to grow up in the warmth of a family home. Foster care is one of the most humane forms of care because it provides the child with security, stability, and a life-changing relationship. I thank the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and the Ministry of Labor, Social Policy, and Refugees of the ZDC for their support and partnership. Together we are building a system that equally recognizes the needs of children and families.”
The opening of the center is the result of long-term cooperation between the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and the SOS Children’s Villages in BiH in developing family-based care. Federal Minister of Labor and Social Policy Adnan Delic highlighted that this center represents the strengthening of the entire social protection system:
“The opening of the center in Zenica is the result of our long-term and close cooperation with SOS Children’s Villages, which for years has diligently developed family-based care in the Federation of BiH (FBiH). By supporting these projects, we strengthen not only one service but the entire social protection system. Each new center means less institutionalization, more support for families, and more opportunities for children to grow up in a family environment that provides them security and a sense of belonging. That is precisely why it is important for the Law on Social Services to finally pass the final parliamentary procedure, because only that law will enable services like this to become standard. This is the direction we must take.”
Strong support for the establishment of the center was also provided by the Ministry of Labor, Social Policy, and Refugees of the ZDC. Minister Antonio Simunovic emphasized the importance of this resource for local communities and all foster families:
“By opening the SOS Foster Care Center, we have gained an important resource to strengthen the system of support for children without parental care and all foster families who take on the noble responsibility of caring for a child. The new center will particularly improve support for foster parents through professional assistance, education, and counseling, which is crucial for quality family-based care. Through joint work and long-term cooperation with SOS Children’s Villages in BiH, we are creating new support models that contribute to the well-being of children and the strengthening of families in the ZDC.”
The opening of the SOS Foster Care Center in Zenica is an important step toward a society where children grow up loved, safe, and supported, and families have access to professional, accessible, and continuous services. Foster care does not require perfection. It requires people ready to provide love, a home, and security.
The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy thanks all partners, institutions, and local communities that contribute to the development of family-based care and the strengthening of the child protection system in the FBiH.
