Ministry plans to streamline family consultancy centers

The Ministry of Social Affairs is preparing a draft work plan aimed at streamlining the performance of family consultancy centers, Acting Ministry Undersecretary for Social Development Abdullah Al-Sadhan said.
The ministry will deal severely with chaotic family consultancy services being run by privately owned centers whose workers claim to be social experts and propagate their services via mass media, he was quoted as saying.
The work plan will be issued within a maximum of 60 days, he said, adding that it will determine the qualifications and responsibilities of family consultancy workers in these centers.
The issuance of the draft plan comes in response to the creation of legalized family counseling services and the creation of centers capable of undertaking such roles efficiently, he said.
He said the ministry has ten initiatives that will be implemented through 38 social development centers, in addition to 300 private committees spread over different parts of the Kingdom.
They will provide a series of family awareness programs to receive those who may need financial support either directly or through governmental or private sector funding, he said.
Budgets at social development centers are reaching some SR 130 million from cash and in-kind donations from wealthy families and philanthropists.
These funds are subject to strict control by certified accountants who are assigned to check expenditure and revenues, he said.