The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in the Czech Republic is in the process of reforming children’s social and legal protection, particularly focusing on Child Protection Authorities (OSPOD in Czech), which are established by municipalities to assist at-risk children and families. Currently, these authorities complain about being overwhelmed by administrative tasks.

The proposed amendment, set to take effect in 2025, is expected to relieve social services of the duty to represent children in court as colliding guardians and may also involve renaming the office. The Ministry’s aim is to streamline the OSPOD while strengthening its competencies.

Zdislava Odstrčilová, Chief Director of the Family Policy and Social Services Section, clarified that the government does not intend to abolish the OSPOD. She emphasized that their role must remain, but currently, they only intervene in cases involving highly endangered children. The proposed changes aim to redirect their focus towards working with families who may be in situations that could potentially lead to the removal of their child.

“We need to strengthen family support so that they can handle difficult situations independently. At the same time, we must identify endangered children as soon as possible and address the situation with authority,” Odstrčilová added. Courts decide to remove children from their families based on proposals from child protection authorities.

The number of OSPOD employees has doubled since 2011, mainly due to identifying more endangered children cases. However, these authorities currently have limited tools at their disposal beyond social work, and they do not influence benefits or housing.

The proposed reform aims to address these limitations and allow child protection authorities to play a more managerial role, collaborating closely with municipal social workers, who would have new tasks. Social service workers have highlighted their daily challenges, including difficulties in finding qualified employees and facing limitations in decision-making at the municipal level. The reform seeks to create a more efficient system for child protection and family support, ensuring the well-being of at-risk children and families in the Czech Republic.

Article by Prague Forum