In many ways, socialist Yugoslavia’s tendency towards socialisation of some family functions and the establishment of a network of social institutions to take over parts of women’s reproductive work was affirmed. One of the tactics used to shift a number of domestic chores from the family to public institutions was the formation and promotion of household assistance services. Relying primarily on archival documentation, the article follows the Yugoslav experiences of building a service network, focusing on activity, user structure, basic problems and weaknesses, and the scope of social organisations for providing services to households in Yugoslavia’s capital. The main focus of the article is on the local practices of Belgrade’s services.