Abstract: The purpose of this article is to analyze the challenges facing the deinstitutionalization of social services in Albania and Poland. It presents the key legal framework that guides the process and attempts to identify the main challenges. The article emphasizes the importance of continued commitment, investment and cooperation between governments and key stakeholders committed to overcoming these challenges and ensuring the successful transformation of their social protection systems. It is also a comparison of the welfare/social assistance system between a former communist country that is now part of the EU and another that aspires to join the EU. The methodological premise was to present the challenges related to the deinstitutionalization of social services in Albania and Poland on the basis of a based on an analysis of foundational data. The framework was an (evidence based), with an emphasis on the practical dimension of deinstitutionalization analysis. The deinstitutionalization of social services in Albania and Poland is a complex and difficult process that requires the transformation of social protection systems and the development of a range of community-based services and supports for vulnerable populations. It represents a challenge for social policy, both in Poland and Albania. Keywords: deinstitutionalization, social services, process, challenges, community services, social policy