Labour Ministry Launches EU-funded Support Project for Single Parents

Bratislava, March 21 (TASR) - The Labour Ministry is launching support for single parents through an EU-funded project that will offer 46 comprehensive advisory service centres across Slovakia, Labour Minister Erik Tomas (Voice-SD) announced on Friday alongside Eva Markova from non-profit organisation 'Single Parent', with whom the ministry will collaborate on the project. "We're launching a major EU-funded project along with legislative changes. The project will be called 'Support for Single Parents.' We've just completed the network of comprehensive advisory services in Slovakia, with 46 offices. This network mirrors the 46 labour offices across the country. While they are overseen by the labour office, they are separate offices in order to ensure that people seeking help don't feel as if they're going to a government office," explained Tomas. According to the labour minister, each advisory office will have a psychologist, social worker, economist, lawyer and a so-called personal experience guide, who will be responsible for supporting single parents. "We'll utilise the know-how of a non-governmental organisation that already has experience in this area," he noted. The second part of the EU-funded project, according to Tomas, will involve providing financial assistance to single parents. "It should be noted that this will be a temporary contribution, divided into categories based on the individual's financial situation. We'll set specific criteria and rules depending on the number of children. The goal is to help people out of difficult situations, not to support them for years with contributions, as that would prevent them from breaking free from that cycle," he emphasised. In order to receive state assistance, the single parent must enrol in the aforementioned programme. "The project will be a pilot programme, set for two years, but the programme for each individual parent will last one year," added Tomas. lin/df