The project “Support for Children on the Move” is implemented by the Legal Aid Center – Voice in Bulgaria Foundation within the INSPIRE project: Improving national support for prevention, intervention, and response to violence against children, and empowering victims and is co-funded by the European Union and the Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation (WCIF).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
The project is aimed at supporting the most vulnerable group of children – migrant children; children with temporary protection; children seeking international protection, granted protection or refused protection.
In many cases, these children are unaccompanied, part of families at risk or raised by a single parent, at high risk of violence both when trying to cross the border and during their stay in Bulgaria.
The project targets both children and their parents or legal representatives, the relevant institutions working with them and responsible for the prevention of violence and the protection of their rights.
Supporting vulnerable children on the move under the project includes the following main activities:
- MONITORING – The activity foresees the establishment of a tool and mechanism to collect data on violence committed against children in migration. The data will be collected by case managers and field researchers through direct work with children on the move, information sessions, focus groups, field research within 12 months. The aim is that the independent monitoring mechanism established will be a good model for established positive long-term practice of alerts and prevention.
- ADVOCACY – The advocacy activity aims to promote the issue of the risks of violence against children in migration and the need for maximum protection of their rights and prevention of violence through the generation and dissemination of expert content on the topic. The activity includes holding two expert roundtables in the country, producing a final report with recommendations, working with national and European institutions on the topic.
- HOLISTIC SUPPORT – Holistic support is the core of our work and the basis for effective advocacy and monitoring. The activity includes three aspects:
Case management, interactive focus groups and information sessions for migrant/asylum seeking children;
Legal assistance through counselling, administrative and legal representation for crisis prevention and intervention;
Social support for children at risk or victims of violence for prevention and rehabilitation, as well as for assessment and referral of cases to legal aid or external service.
INFORMATION
