Digital Innovations in the Process of Identification and Reporting of Economically Exploited Children and Children in Street Situations - The case of the Municipality of Tirana
Abstract :The phenomenon of children in street situations and their economic exploitation, has found a wide spread during the last three decades in Albania. The democratic system of government in the transitional period faced a series of challenges. The most sensitive and vulnerable to insecurities were children, who started working on the streets, begging, cleaning car windows and performing activities inappropriate for their age and well-being. Despite the efforts of state institutions to avoid these problems, the social protection system has not reflected the necessary efficiency to guarantee the provision of services in order to protect the rights of vulnerable groups and the rehabilitation of children. Deficiencies in the legislative framework, delays in the establishment of structures and mechanisms at the central and local level, have been some of the reasons that have weakened the system and worsened the situation of children in Albania. During the last ten years, important steps have been taken in order to reform the social care system, with a special focus on children living on the streets and those who are economically exploited. The coordination of state bodies with many non-governmental organizations has been promoted, which are strongly committed to protecting the rights of children through the development of programs and models aimed at reducing risk by providing child-friendly and easily accessible services. The analysis of the phenomenon of children in street situations has been at the center of many studies, which have aimed to demonstrate a social profile of children and their families, exploring the needs and aspirations of these children living in particularly difficult circumstances [1]. Both the street and working children may often suffer abuse and negligence [2]. Nonetheless, according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, it is identified that every child is authorized to a standard of living adequately for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development [3]. The challenges of children in street situations and economic exploitation are almost similar, regardless of continent and state. An encouraging initiative has been taken by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Philippines through a pilot project, where a housing and development program was designed with the support of 391 families [4]. It is often necessary for children in street situations to feel the state's commitment to concrete action, as long-term strategies and policies take a long time to implement. Identification and reporting of children in situations of economic exploitation and in street situations in the Municipality of Tirana is performed by the Community Field Center, assisted by 8 teams operating in the field and two psychosocial staff respectively for each team [5]. Considering the welfare of children as a priority, the center exercises its activity every day, in order to be as close as possible to the needs of children who are in difficult situations. The success of the field teams in the function of identification and reporting has come as a result of consulting and coordination with other state structures, in order to reduce the number of children exploited economically and in street situations. However, the challenges in meeting the objectives have not been easy. Field experts have encountered difficulties in the process of reporting, analyzing and processing data. In this context, there is a need to create a digitalized and unified system for data collection and processing, which can be achieved by equipping each field team with a tablet, in which a system of identification, referral and reporting will be installed according to the Decision of the Council of Ministers [6]. In line with the local government mission for effective, efficient and closer governance to the citizens [7], special protection of children's rights [8], guaranteeing the welfare and social inclusion of children in need of social care [9] and the strengthening of child protection structures [10], digitalization is a necessary process, which will reflect significant results in identifying children in street situations and economically exploited. This process will be transparent and will guarantee the inclusion of all links of the child protection system, aiming at a reduction of the phenomenon and awareness and rehabilitation of children in street situations and economically exploited. Successful initiatives piloted by the Municipality of Tirana, have generally served as a reference model for other municipalities in the country, which are engaged in the implementation of successful practices. Keywords : Children in street situations, economic exploitation, insecurity, protection system, digitalization
