Lisa Korir and Yuliia Ushchapovska, enrolled in the one-year MAPP program, wrote their Policy Lab report in collaboration with the European Center for Social Welfare Policy and Research. The policy brief has the title Expansion of Social Protection Programmes to Address Child Poverty in Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia and can be downloaded here.
The research project will be presented on 14 May and will delve into the critical issue of child poverty in these three nations. It will highlight the high levels of child poverty even before the pandemic and the negative impact of COVID-19. It will summarise the key features of the pre-pandemic social protection programmes in the three countries and describe the governments’ efforts to expand such programs to better protect children from poverty. The comparative analysis of the governments’ responses will examine the effectiveness of these efforts to increase the adequacy of support, expand the coverage of beneficiaries while targeting only those truly in need, and do all this with the least amount of bureaucratic red tape.
The presentation will also shed light on the significant challenges governments face in expanding social protection programmes, such as incomplete legal frameworks, deficiencies in information systems, and resource constraints. We will conclude by presenting a set of general recommendations applicable to all three countries, alongside specific recommendations tailored to each nation.
We believe this presentation will be of particular interest to students concerned with social policy, child welfare, and the pandemic's impact on vulnerable populations. We look forward to welcoming you and engaging in a fruitful discussion following the presentation of our findings.
Presentation Details:
- Date: May 14, 2024
- Time: 15:00 CET
- Location: Room QS B-421, CEU