The members of the Administrative Council of COFACE got together for a working meeting on 12 March. The annual narrative and financial reports for 2023 were presented and discussed. Suggestions and comments were shared. In the second part of the online meeting we had capacity-building session on EU funding and social services for families.
Lilith Alink, Policy and Project Officer at EASPD, led the session and provided an overview of key funds and how they support the development of social services linked to the implementation of different European strategies. It is widely acknowledged that social services are facing significant difficulties, such as chronic underfunding, staff shortages and challenges in transitioning to community-based and person-centered forms of services. Receiving adequate funds and making sure that these are easily accessible and used to fund quality interventions in the field is critical to overcome these obstacles. The session was highly appreciated and followed by many questions.