Tackling Child Expoitation and Trafficking through a Multidisciplianry Approach Korca Municipality,

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Tackling Child Expoitation and Trafficking
through a Multidisciplianry Approach Korca
Municipality, Albania18th European Social
Services Conference, 21-24 June 2009
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Goal...

• The final goal of this initiative is to
  create sustainable multi-disciplinary local
  services and policies able to provide a Child
  Protection responses from complementary
  competencies

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Objectives

• Local protection structures are in place and
  effectively manage a coordinated response to
  child protection
• Strengthen the advocacy role of the
  multi-disciplinary group through close
  cooperation with the Central Government
  structures of child protection
• Child Protection Unit (CPU) and Regional
  Education Directory improve services towards
  neglected neighborhoods and periphery schools
  through implementing more Child Protection
  activities
• All participating institutions undertake/plan
  activities on child protection for the first
  time.

Prague, 21-25 JuneMunicipality of KOrca
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Situation(1)

• According to the Municipal database of 2008, out
  of 28,851 families 1,454 faimlies are
  beneficiaries of the Financial aid support scheme
  (averaging at 4,000 lekë/45 per month), which
  makes the vulnerable to social exclusion
• 150 children (Municipal database) have abandoned
  school only in 2008, in Korca.
• Many children are at risk of being trafficked and
  exploited for work as they are engaged in street
  activities, like selling, begging, collecting
  scrap, stealing little things, etc

Prague, 21-25 JuneMunicipality of KOrca
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Situation(2)

• Because of high rates of emigration many children
  are living with grandparents or other relatives
• Many of these children (40 in Korca) are not
  registered in the civil statue.
• Still, many are passing the Greek border
  illegally to work or beg in Greece, being so at
  high risk of being trafficked.
• Nutrition, medical care, discrimination and
  social exclusion are phenomena damaging
  childrens lives.

Prague, 21-25 JuneMunicipality of KOrca
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Institutional frameworkSituation..(3)

• There exist national initiatives towards child
  protection. The Ministry of Labor and Social
  Issues has created a sector Technical
  Secretariat of children
• There are national strategies on child protection
  and prevention of child forced labor and
  trafficking Only the regional Court and the
  Municipality have created appropriate structures
  to tackle child protection issues, but these are
  still weak and not fully supported structures.

Prague, 21-25 JuneMunicipality of KOrca
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Activities

• Creating Municipal Structures and funds for
  childrens rights. Public sensitizing activities,
  etc
• Case managements. Presentation, action plan,
  social file for each case. Direct family
  assistance on a case per case basis.
• Cooperation with schools and to Regional
  Directory of Education on the returned children
• Family development plans and economic empowerment

Prague, 21-25 JuneMunicipality of KOrca
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Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Child Protection
(MACP)

• Through a common agreement institutions come
  together to provide complementary services for
  children. This requires comitment and engagement
  of local structures to build a safety
  child-protection network
• The mandate of MACP is as well to advocate,
  lobby, suggest and provide for the children at
  risk.
• Pursue innovative approaches while creating new
  ideas and services contributing to the social
  well-being

Prague, 21-25 JuneMunicipality of KOrca
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Local Actions (1)

• On 2007, the Municipality of Korca with the
  initiative of Terre des Hommes and support of
  UNICEF created a Child Protection unit a
  permanent local structure with the mandate to
  protect children from the negative phenomena.
• Still, the Child Protection unit is a young
  structure with a limited mandate and little
  support from governments.

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Results...

• MACP is the most important project implemented by
  this structure in cooperation with the Regional
  Directory of Education and the support of UNICEF.
  
• The first phase of this project
  brought about very important results
• For the first time different local institutions
  came together to work on child protection issues
• 30 street children were brought back to school
• Children of one periphery school benefited from
  school uniforms
• 60 cases of children at risk were discussed in
  monthly round tables
• The child protection unit has created a referral
  network which makes up the first steps towards a
  local child protection safety net.
• 
  

Prague, 21-25 JuneMunicipality of KOrca
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Ssustainability

• Local Government Role on Child Protection is
  strengthened
• The Municipal structures initiate and implement
  initiatives which tackle many social phenomena
  that children in Albanian face today
• So, this youngstructure is now experienced,
  promoted and more empowered toward initiating and
  implementing strategies and actions towards child
  protection
• This strucure has a referral and case management
  network trained and experienced in case
  management (Institutional agreement)

Prague, 21-25 JuneMunicipality of KOrca
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Next Steps

• Local Government should.
• Strengthen the mandate/job description of the
  child protection unit
• Increase budgets for child protection
• Create meaningful data to assist excluded
  communities and create local strategies bring
  about a change in the situation
• Improve services towards family development/
  empowerment

Prague, 21-25 JuneMunicipality of KOrca
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Next Steps

• Central Government should.
• Support the national strategies and include local
  governments in policy making
• Increase budgets for child protection
• Create bridges of communication between local and
  central structures
• Create structures of child protection in regional
  institutions

Prague, 21-25 JuneMunicipality of KOrca
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• Thank you!

Prague, 21-25 JuneMunicipality of KOrca