On March 4, 2026, the second call for proposals for funding civil society organizations under the “Parenthood 2.0, More Than Care” program, initiated by the Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation (WCIF) with the support of the “Tanya’s Dream” Fund, officially launched. The aim of the program is to give voice, support and resources to parents and organizations that work to prevent separation between children and their families and to promote parental participation in public policies and practices concerning children and their upbringing in a family environment.
Who is the competition for?
The call for applications is aimed at non-profit legal entities led by parents or actively working with parents, vulnerable families and communities.
When the applicant is an NGO, a social service provider, he must propose activities beyond those that are financed by the budget of the service and are expected to perform in accordance with the Ordinance on the Quality of Social Services.
Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to the programme’s values – respect for the family, equality, inclusion and anti-discrimination – and involve parents as active participants, not only as recipients of services.
What does the competition fund?
Initiatives should be aimed at parents and children in difficult situations – parents of children with disabilities, parents with disabilities raising a child, parents living in poverty, single parents, parents with many children, representatives of different ethnic minorities, people who have suffered from violence. We expect activities to support families so that they can overcome difficulties related to the possibility of institutionalization of children, according to the existing protection system in the country. It is especially important to involve parents with personal experience in the child protection system in the initiatives, as their perspective is valuable for creating effective solutions for other families.
Support will be given to initiatives that help parents overcome difficult moments in their lives so that parents and children stay together. Applicants can offer self-help and assistance activities to parents, work to improve relations with institutions, participate in the creation of solutions related to children’s lives, seek and find support in the wider community.
The program supports the building of networks for the exchange of experience between parent groups, as well as the development of knowledge and skills among parents to improve parental capacity, as well as to advocate and mobilize the community on topics related to the prevention of family separation.
Trainings, seminars, research on parental needs, creation of networks and platforms for mutual assistance, development of new services “parents for parents”, information and advocacy campaigns, as well as initiatives with sustainable solutions to specific local or national problems are supported.
Two types of financing are available:
🔹 Local projects – up to 15,000 euros, focused on specific needs of a particular community: advocacy campaigns, trainings, mutual aid networks, partnerships with institutions, etc.
🔹 National projects – up to EUR 30,000, with a scope on the territory of the country or large regions of the country. Policy development, platform creation, networking, research, advocacy and communication campaigns are supported.
The duration of projects can be between 12 and 24 months, and each organization can submit only one proposal.
How will it be assessed?
- From the Council of Parents-Activists – a group of parents with personal experience from the protection system.
- From the Funding Committee – including a representative of WCIF, an external expert and an activist parent.
Indicative graph:
- Start of applications: 4 March 2026
- Deadline for submission: 23.59 on 4 May 2026
- Announcement of results (indicative): 23 June 2026
- Start of project implementation: June-July 2026
Project proposals are submitted entirely online through the WCIF platform. It is necessary to fill out an application form and budget, as well as attach team CVs. Forms and additional information are available at the bottom of this page.
Support for applicant organizations:
Detailed information on the competition procedure and the completion of the application form will also be provided during the online meetings that will be held in March:
- March 11, 2026, 4:00 p.m. Information meeting for the competition for civil society organizations
- March 16, 2026, 4:00 p.m. Training meeting for filling out the form for civil society organizations
- March 17, 2026, 11:00 a.m. Information meeting for the competition for civil society organizations
Participation in the meetings is done after prior registration. Registration is open until 16.03.2026, 17.00 h.
Sign up for the meetings
More information about the “Parenting 2.0, More Than Care” program can be found here.
Documents:
Guidelines for Application for Civil Society Organizations