History of Department of Social Services (DSS)
The Department of Social Services (DSS) is one of the leading Government Departments of the People's Republic of Bangladesh under the Ministry of Social Welfare.
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The Department of Social Services (সমাসজসেবা অধিদপ্তর) was established in 1961. The mandate of the Department of Social Services is to provide services to the vulnerable groups of society, the poorest of the poor, the marginalized and the disadvantaged groups. Our service goes further than just bringing services to these groups. It is our brief to deliver on our mandate in a manner that will engage and empower communities to participate actively in the improvement of their quality of life so as to build their self-reliance, which is a prerequisite to sustainable development.
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The main objective of the department is to reduce the poverty of hardcore poor through human resource development and organize the poorest segment of people and aware them of their rights, problems and requirements and build up capacity for their self-sustainability.
Read: Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW), Bangladesh
The Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW) is one of the important ministries of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh working for human resources development. The Department of Social Services (DSS), under the Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW), has been implementing several multidimensional programmes like socio-economic development and protection of rights besides social safety-net for the destitute, poor, orphan, senior citizens, widows, vulnerable children, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and marginalised people of the country. The Department of Social Services has a glorious history in the implementation of programmes since 1961. January 2 was declared as the “National Social Services Day” and enlisted in category B by the Cabinet Division on June 04, 2012. From the perspective of social philosophy and development policy, to inspire the social workers who are involved in this mammoth task, in 1999 on the eve of the inauguration ceremony of “Shamajseba Bhaban” the Honourable Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh declared January 02 as “National Social Services Day”. Through the celebration of this day, a speed has been infused with a new life to the social services programmes which revived the social workers.
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Functions of the Department of Social Services (DSS)
The Department of Social Services (DSS) is working to ensure Social Protection and Social Safety nets for the poor vulnerable people of the country as well as socio-economic development, rehabilitation and reintegration, poverty reduction, human resource development, community empowerment and other development activities for the vulnerable aged persons, the persons with disabilities (PWDs), orphans, children at risk, destitute, poor and helpless persons. Moreover, DSS is running a good number of programmes for poverty reduction and human resource development. Among the programmes, development services provide for juvenile delinquents, training and rehabilitation of the socially disadvantaged women, counselling, training and rehabilitation of orphan and vulnerable children, development and rehabilitation of vagrants, safe custodian women, adolescent, destitute and helpless. The programmes of the DSS which have been undertaken much earlier are now in conformity with the provisions of the Roadmap for National Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction (NSAPR) of the Government and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
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Social Safety Net Programmes
a) Old Age Allowance
b) Widow Allowance
c) Bede Community Development
d) Hijra Community Development
e) Cancer, Kidney & Liver Syros
f) Livelihood and Living Standard Development of Tea Labourer
g) Underprivileged Community Development
h) Rehabilitation for Beggar
Poverty Alleviation Programmes
a) Rural Social Services (RSS)
b) Rural Mothers' Center (RMC)
c) Urban Community Development (UCD)
d) Rehabilitation and shelter for the burnt and disabled
Hospital Social Services & Community Empowerment
a) Medical Social Services
b) Hospital social services at Dhaka metropolitan / district levels
c) 30% free treatment
d) Registration of Voluntary Organizations
Child Protection Programmes
a) Sarkari Shishu Paribar
b) Baby Home (Chotomoni Nibas)
c) Day Care Center
d) Sheikh Russell Child Training and Rehabilitation Center
e) Capitation Grant
f) 1098 Child Help Line
g) CSPB Project
Disability-Related Programmes
a) Allowance for PWDs
b) Stipend for Students
c) Disability Detection
d) Training for PWDs
e) Education for the visually impaired
f) School for the visually and speech impaired
g) National Center for Special Education
h) Institutions for mentally handicapped children
Prevention of Social Degradation
a) Adolescent Development
b) Disadvantaged Rehabilitation
c) Safe Home & Shelter Home
d) Probation & After Care Services
Professional Skills Development
a) National Academy for Social Services (NASS)
b) Regional Training Center
c) In-House Training
d) Seminar and Workshop