| Abstract [eng] |
Over the past decade, the child care system in Lithuania has undergone fundamental changes related to the process of deinstitutionalisation, the essence of which is the transition from large institutional care homes to services provided in family and community settings. This issue acquires a public administration dimension, as the organisation of child care depends on municipal decisions, resource allocation and inter –institutional cooperation. Despite uniform legal regulation at the national level, the accessibility and quality of child care services remain uneven across the largest Lithuanian municipalities. Data from the National Audit Office and other institutions indicate that service effectiveness often depends on local management capacities, financial priorities and a lack of systematic quality monitoring mechanisms.Although in the context of deinstitutionalisation care centres have become the main infrastructure for providing support, their effectiveness depends on strategic decisions made by local self –government. These decisions relate to strengthening specialists’ competencies, developing sustainable funding and non –financial infrastructure, and the ability to establish clear mechanisms for inter –institutional cooperation. Such decisions create the preconditions for transforming institutional culture from bureaucratic control towards the creation of public value. The research seeks to answer the question: what administrative factors influence the quality of child care services in a family environment? The object of the research is the assurance of the quality of child care services in a family environment and the administrative factors that determine it. The research aim to reveal the specific features of ensuring care quality in the largest Lithuanian municipalities. The research employes a complex research strategy, including analysis and synthesis of scientific literature, theoretical modelling, content analysis of legal acts and strategic planning documents, and analysis of secondary statistical data. For the empirical study, a qualitative method was chosen: semi –structured interviews with a target group consisting of the heads of care centres in the largest Lithuanian municipalities. Qualitative content analysis was applied to analyse the data, allowing for a deeper examination of managerial processes through the practical experience of managers. The research showed that the quality of child care is formed through a complex interaction of administrative factors. The most important factors include municipal strategic preparedness, funding, human resources, specialists‘ competencies, inter –institutional cooperation, involvement of foster carers, accessibility of psychological support and organisational flexibility. At the same time, quality is limited by high workloads, fragmented support, duplication of functions and bureaucratic formalism. The research results revealed a tension between administrative control and individualised support. Therefore, the most effective solutions are associated with the ability to balance formal accountability with responsiveness to the needs of the child and foster carers. Based on the results, recommendations were provided focusing on more sustainable funding, strengthening inter –institutional cooperation and specialists‘ competencies, ensuring continuity of psychological support, and introducing more flexible organisation of care centre activities. |
