CHILDREN AT RISK: SOCIAL POLICIES AND SERVICES AND THEIR IMPACT IN ALBANIA

Abstract

Albania society has experienced a prolonged transition which is
accompanied with substantial changes that have caused effects on families
and especially children’s lives. Groups of children at risk of social
exclusion in Albania are: working and street children, children in conflict
with law, poor children, Roma children, children who are subjected to
violence and trafficking, children involved in the phenomenon of the
blood feud, children with disabilities and children living in rural areas.
This categories shares very difficult experiences such as living in
minimal conditions, suffer lack of access to key services such as lack of
health services, very low attendance and lack of access to educational
institutions. These consequences associate with lack or inadequacy of
appropriate service provision and lack of coordination between the
responsible structures.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the situation of children at
risk in Albania, policies and services for this category, their impact as
well. For the realization of the study are used methods of secondary data
analysis combined with qualitative data provided through semi-structured
interviews with key persons in different decision-making level, and focus
groups with children at risk.

Key findings are related with lack of policies to address the
prevention, protection, assisted voluntary return, repatriation and
reintegration of trafficked children; gaps in the implementation of the
National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Children; lack of
coordination between institutions and services; services and programs at
central and local level for children as Children Protection Units are not
spread across all the territory; there is a reduction in the number of
residential and day services and increase of community once, etc.
Research findings conclude with the need for improved social care
legislation and creating of suitable legal acts, which emphasizes the role of
stakeholders in supporting children; Foreseen policies that address the
prevention, protection, assisted voluntary return, repatriation and
reintegration of trafficked children; to include the elimination of child
labour in general policies and national programs; creating multi-sectoral
mechanisms to identify victims of trafficking, especially trafficked
children, etc.