Availability of Services for Families of Children with Disabilities in Lithuania by View of Heads of Social, Health and Education Institutions in the Alytus Region

Abstract

Family support is a crucial component affecting the functioning of parents of children with disabilities within society. Sufficient services that cater to both child support and the parents' quality of life are required, or else the state labor market runs the risk of losing able-bodied citizens who are responsible for raising children with disabilities. Thus, the research has twofold aim: to review the system of public services for families raising children with disabilities in Lithuania, and to analyze the availability of services from the perspective of managers of service-providing institutions. A structured interviews was conducted to collect information from eighteen experts who are heads of education, health and social services departments of municipalities and subordinate institutions, responsible for decision-making in the organization and provision of services to families raising children with disabilities in the Alytus region. According to research findings, the Alytus region has the potential to provide education, healthcare, and social services following legal provisions. However, the current range of services is inadequate in practice. Typically, most services are available only upon parental request for children with disabilities, with certain services not being available for numerous reasons. Based on the research findings, the insufficient provision of services in the Alytus region is mainly attributable to a shortage of service staff and limited financial resources. At the same time, the study highlights a slow responsiveness of the municipalities and their subordinate entities towards communicating and collaborating, as well as with parents of disabled children.