The conference was attended by the heads of the Croatian social institutions providing services to disabled people, the representatives of non-governmental organisations and the organisations of parents and service beneficiaries. The representatives of about 50 institutions from our country were included in the conference lasting for two days.

The conference participants were welcomed by the deputy mayor of the City of Rijeka Željko Jovanović, who emphasised that the City of Rijeka was making its efforts to support the services provided for disabled people, expressing his hope that the conference would provide guidelines in order to further upgrade the level of social welfare. In addition to Jovanović, the conference was also attended by the head of the City Department of Health and Social Welfare, Ankica Perhat, who addressed the participants presenting the social welfare system in Rijeka.

The head of the Social Welfare Department of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Tatjana Katkić-Stanić said that in the City of Rijeka and the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County many social welfare project had been initiated and she expressed her confidence that they would also participate in the social welfare system reform.

"It is envisaged that in the system reform, local self-government would be authorised to organise in their respective surroundings social services in the best perceived manner. It is also predicted that social welfare services would become deinstitutionalised and social welfare centres reorganised in the reform," said Katkić-Stanić, mentioning that the Ministry, the City of Rijeka and the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County should jointly apply for EU funds.

The participants were also welcomed by the head of the county department of health and social welfare Ivo Afrić and the president of the international association of service providers EASPD Franz Wolfmayer, who pointed out that the objective of the association was to include more members from Croatia and promote the idea of transferring the social welfare service to the local level.

The organisers of the conference are the Rehabilitation Centre "Fortica – Kraljevica", the Rehabilitation Centre Stančić, Psychological Centar "Val" and the international association of service providers EASPD from the Netherlands.

The conference was organised under the patronage of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and the City of Rijeka.
(S.R.)