Integrated Quality Services for Vulnerable Children
The reform process in child protection still faces a number of challenges, especially related to the exclusion of certain groups. Attitudes and practices among parents and local service providers remain unsupportive of child rights. Too often some local level institutions do not cooperate properly to deal with specific situations relating to children. Sometimes policy-makers have little knowledge about child rights, and services that could be offered to abused, imprisoned or trafficked children to be integrated into society. Many of these initiatives are new in Romania, and therefore they are not very well developed. This is the case of restorative interventions for young offenders, who could be punished by doing work for the community instead of being imprisoned (still the case in many instances). This is also the problem with the first juvenile justice courts that are being established with specialized judges, who will deal specifically with all issues regarding children, and who will take into account all the things that could influence the development and well-being of that child. Services are also being developed for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, and these could be replicated on a larger scale. Some children are not allowed to attend ordinary schools because they are HIV positive or have certain disabilities. Youngsters are leaving institutions but because they have nowhere else to go, and in the absence of programmes that would help them become integrated into society and develop life-skills, they can easily become delinquents or victims of trafficking. ACTION Assistance is being offered by UNICEF to children leaving institutions, and it is promoting alternative care services: foster parents, day-care centers, small units where a certain number of children live in a family-like environment, under the supervision of a social worker. UNICEF has also helped the local authorities to develop coherent integrated community-based services for vulnerable and marginalized children in over a quarter of counties. Furthermore, UNICEF offers assistance and counseling to women who have considered abandoning their children. It has provided support to youngsters leaving institutions, to help them develop skills needed to find jobs and be self-sufficient. Special attention has been given to young offenders imprisoned or sent to re-education centers. Knowing that prison is the most likely place for producing future future delinquents, UNICEF provides training and vocational courses for youngsters in the Craiova Penitentiary and for professionals working in this facility. Another area of intervention is that regarding the trafficking of children and women, where UNICEF acts both in terms of prevention of this phenomenon, and in reintegration into society of children and women who have escaped from trafficking. The social integration of children with disabilities is provided through education, instruments and methodologies for the evaluation of children, day-care and rehabilitation centers, counseling, and creative therapy centers for disabled children, children with HIV/AIDS and their parents. RESULTS • Women who considered abandoning their newborn babies have reconsidered such action due to counseling and incentives provided in maternity hospitals and newly developed community based services. • Youngsters leaving institutions received support through "half - way - houses" system which facilitates access to accommodation and training, in order to integrate them into society and help them obtain a job. • Children from a series of placement centers have developed life-skills, such as cooking and home refurbishing, writing curriculum vitae, and developing a business plan. • Children and mothers, adolescence and young women who were victims of trafficking have received complex services in specific daycare centers and shelters throughout the country.
• Children and women who were exposed to vulnerable satiation were beneficiaries of prevention type of services developed and implemented through community based services throughout the country.
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