Lithuania gives social services workers 11 top awards and 150 commendations

Social Protection and Labour Minister Inga Ruginienė presented 11 Star of Goodness awards and more than 150 commendations to social services workers from municipalities across Lithuania on Tuesday, LRT reported, citing BNS. The ceremony at the Seimas, Lithuania’s parliament, marked Social Workers’ Day.

Ruginienė thanked workers for their professionalism, responsibility and ability to preserve their humanity in difficult situations. The Star of Goodness is the highest award presented by the social protection and labour minister to people who have made an outstanding contribution to the sector.

President Gitanas Nausėda thanked social workers for seeing people as individuals and providing practical help. Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas said social workers were needed in schools, healthcare facilities, care homes and municipalities. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said their work strengthened solidarity, families and communities.

The 11 award recipients were Saulė Bakienė, a social worker at Suvalkija Social Care Home; Lendra Bukauskienė, head of the Social Support and Care Division at Telšiai District Municipality; Ramunė Dobrovolskienė, a social worker at Zarasai Social Care Home; and Birutė Gudauskaitė-Girčė, activities coordinator at the care centre of Šilalė District Social Services Home.

Also honoured were Vida Gudžinskienė, president of the Lithuanian Association of Social Work Schools; Lijana Jančauskienė, a case manager at Vilkaviškis Social Assistance Centre; Birutė Melianienė, a senior social work organiser at Vilnius City Social Services Centre; and Zigmunda Menclerienė, deputy director for social affairs at the Tauragė branch of Adakavas Social Services Home.

The other recipients were Asta Šidlauskė, deputy director for social work at the Independent Living Home; Danutė Trukšinienė, director of Strėvininkai Social Care Home; and Audronė Vareikytė, social affairs adviser to the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania.

The Ministry of Social Security and Labour says more than 17,000 people work in social services in Lithuania, including about 5,000 social workers. It says the average social worker’s salary has risen by 65% over the past five years. In 2026, the average take-home pay for social workers at budgetary institutions was 1,510 euros, while the starting salary could not be less than 1,192 euros.

A new collective agreement for the social services sector, due to take effect in January 2027, provides for additional paid leave, more time off for employees raising children and higher pay for specialists with advanced qualifications. Lithuania’s official Social Workers’ Day is September 27. It has been observed annually since 2004 on the initiative of the ministry and the Lithuanian Association of Social Workers.