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Several measures were introduced from the Albanian government since the beginning of the pandemic to respond to the needs of citizens. However, as highlighted in different rapid assessments, provision of social services has been a challenge and families have been struggling to meet their needs, especially in vulnerable communities. In this context, this study was undertaken with the aim of conducting a rapid assessment of the current situation of family strengthening service provision, the services’ typology and the challenges faced by the social care workforce in two of the largest municipalities of Albania, in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. 38 participants were involved in the assessment. The methodology of the study was qualitative. Primary data were collected through six semi-structured key informant interviews with municipality social services representatives and four focus groups, two with municipality specialists, including need assessment and referral units worker, child protection worker, domestic violence coordinators, social administrators and community centers workers, and two with representatives of non-governmental organizations providing family strengthening services, while secondary data were collected through a review of relevant legislation and reports. Main findings show that provision of services on family strengthening does not follow a systematic approach; the pandemic added new challenges to social services structures in this regard; also, there are challenges related to inter-institutional collaboration, lack of coordination among services providers, weak sustainability, and a need for diversification of services and building new services; social welfare workforce capacities are limited; data management systems are developing, but lack crosslinking.
Keywords: social services, family programs, family strengthening approach, pandemic
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