Moving Forward on Alternative Care: Assessment of the Foster Care Pilot Project in Albania

CELCIS was contracted by UNICEF Albania in August, 2013, to carry out an evaluation of the pilot foster care project (FCPP). UNICEF had contributed to funding for a foster care project which operated in Tirana and Shkodra. The operational aspects of the projects were run by two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) called Bethany Social Services (BSS) and Every Child Albania (EC). The consultants carried out a brief literature review and a desk review of relevant documentation. They also undertook a period of fieldwork in Albania, interviewing key stakeholders and carrying out observational visits. The findings of the evaluation were that the FCPP had made a positive start to establishing foster care services in Albania. Training, procedures and support systems for 80 families had been provided. The project was successful in identifying and supporting families where a child was already living in the family, and in supporting kinship foster care. It was less successful in placing children out of institutions and into non-related foster care, where kinship care was not an option. The weakness in the FCPP was that when funding ran out for one part of the project and the cases were handed to the municipality, no further support was given to these families.