In 2009, 32.3 thousand residents of the Vitebsk region received targeted support.

February 5, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. Social service workers in the Vitebsk region must improve the quality of public services in the Year of Quality. This task was set today at a meeting by the Chairman of the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Mikhail Leschinsky, BELTA correspondent reports. Special attention should be paid to categories of citizens in need of state assistance. A more effective mechanism for providing targeted social assistance, infant formula for children under two years of age, and control over the implementation of other payments and benefits should be established. In 2009, 32.3 thousand residents of the region received targeted support in the amount of Br6.5 billion. Assistance to low-income families with children under two years of age increased by 27%. 10.7 thousand people received it. The creation of new day care centers for people with disabilities will contribute to improving their quality of life. It is planned to open them at the territorial centers for social services for the population in Beshenkovichi, Ushachi, Liozno districts and the Oktyabrsky district of Vitebsk. It is also necessary to maximize the number of social facilities equipped with a barrier-free environment. Currently, their share is only 45%. In addition, social service workers need to revise their approach to providing paid services. According to the results of 2009, 49.6% of paid services were home-based social assistance services, 42.9% were contributions for the maintenance of round-the-clock care departments, and only 7.5% were one-time services. These figures indicate insufficient efficiency in the provision of paid services by territorial centers, emphasized the chairman of the committee. -0-