Centar delays day centre opening, says it cannot find suitable space
Parents say project was approved and financed with World Bank support; the municipality says the only obstacle is locating an acceptable facility.
The Municipality of Centar has not opened the planned day centre for children with disabilities and developmental difficulties, despite a campaign promise by mayor Goran Gerasimovski that the centre would open in early 2027. Parents say the delay persists even though a project and funding have reportedly been approved.
A parent of a child with a disability, who used the SAKAMDAKAZHAM.MK platform to report the problem, told reporters that the service is crucial because it would provide free professional support for children with disabilities and developmental challenges. He says he contacted the municipality several times and was told the funds allocated in the municipal budget for 2026 have already been exhausted and that any continuation of activities will depend on available financial resources.
Disagreement over why the project is stalled
The parent said he then contacted the Association for Dyslexia "Einstein" and learned the project had been approved by the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth, with financial support from the World Bank. "According to the information received from the Association, the project is already approved by the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth, with financial support from the World Bank. The funds for establishing the service have been provided through the project, and its implementation is currently stalled due to unresolved administrative issues related to the Municipality of Centar. In other words, according to this information, there is an approved project and secured funding for establishing the service, but its implementation is uncertain," he said.
After receiving that information the parent again asked the municipality for a clear explanation whether there is a real risk the project will not be implemented because of administrative obstacles, but he received no answer.
"As a parent, I cannot understand how there can be an approved project, secured funds and an organization ready to establish the service, and yet children and parents continue to wait because of unresolved administrative issues. Maybe for the institutions this is just another administrative procedure, but for us, the parents, the situation is much more serious. Every day we face a shortage of accessible professional services, high costs for individual treatments and constant uncertainty whether we will be able to provide our children with the support they need. Many families are financially and emotionally exhausted. Some parents are forced to choose which treatments they can afford and which they must give up. That is exactly why opening such a centre would mean a huge relief for families," he added.
The Municipality of Centar responded that the project to open a day centre for children with disabilities was applied for and approved by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, with a grant provided by the World Bank, but the municipality cannot find a suitable premises. "At the moment, the only challenge is finding a suitable space for the implementation of the project and the opening of the centre. There are no administrative obstacles. The municipality already secured a space for the implementation of the project, but it was not accepted by the commission of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the World Bank because of the proximity of a café to the entrance of the building. At the moment work is actively under way to find another space that will meet all the established criteria. The participation of the Municipality of Centar in the project's budget is very small, so funds for this purpose will always be provided. There is no risk of losing the approved funds, because there are no administrative issues, the only problem is finding a suitable space, which is being actively worked on," the municipality said.
Photo: SDK.MK)
