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On June 25 the NA Standing Committees on Social Affairs and on Territorial Administration and Local Self-Government moderated by Hakob Hakobyan and Stepan Margaryan organized a joint discussion on the theme The Investment of the Social Worker’s Institute in the Communities.

The representatives of the World Vision Armenia, the RA Ministries of Social Affairs and Territorial Administration and Emergency Situations and the Association of Community Financiers NGO took part in the meeting.

Grigori Grigoryants, World Vision Armenia, Policy and Quality Assurance Expert, Child Protection and Education, has informed that the World Vision Armenia has been already implementing community development, as well as social, educational, health care and economic development projects for 25 years in more than 250 communities of six marzes of Armenia.

In Grigori Grigoryants’ word, taking into consideration the experience of work with socially vulnerable families, the numerous studies and various experimental programs, they have been convinced that in our country it is necessary to invest the Community Social Worker’s Institute. According to him, today in the communities there are no specialists authorized and financing by the state working with the vulnerable families and children. As to Grigori Grigoryants, the investment of the Social Worker’s Institute is an important function for implementing directly social work with vulnerable families.

The Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Social Affairs Hakob Hakobyan agreed in principle with the investment of the Social Worker’s Institute, but today, according to him, there is a lot to do, and the community as a legal entity has no sufficient means for implementing service.

In the opinion of the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Territorial Administration and Local Self-Government Stepan Margaryan, the problem can be solved by amending the law “On Social Support.” According to the Chair of the Committee, in case of small communities, the problem will be complicated, as it is mainly connected with financing, several communities should jointly implement a program, beginning from pilot programs.

The Committee Chairs proposed the participants, particularly, the representatives of the World Vision organization to submit recommendations and a project, the items of which, in case of being admissible, will be discussed and put into circulation.