Information about Berat region
- Facts from the history of Berat Region
- Address of the Council of Berat Region
- A summary about the situation of children rights in the Region
- Local strategy developed about child protection
- Address of the Observatory for Children's Rights, Berat
- Role and responsibilities of the Observatory for Children's Rights, Berat
- Address of the Children Rights Unit (CRU)
- Role and responsibilities of CRU of Berat
- Role and responsibilities of CPU Berat
1. Facts from the history of Berat Region
Berat has a population of 231,683 and a number of households of 61,439. Berat has 25 local units of which 4 are municipalities and 21 communes. Berat is one of the oldest and most important centers of Albania with special values ??. It was known as an inhabited Illyrian city, and finally Albanian. Religious buildings with the most important monuments are known for striking architecture. During the transition period the county has undergone substantial demographic changes. The population has declined by 13.4% due to emigration and movement within Albanian territory, ranking Berat the third region in the country regarding this phenomenon. According to the reduction of the number of residents during 1989-2001, Skrapar district is the first comparing to all the districts of Berat.
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2. Address of the Council of Berat Region
Bulevardi ''Republika''
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3. A summary about the situation of children rights in the Region
The situation of children in the Berat Region varies in different local units. It depends on the geographical position which brings economic difficulties to families. The economic situation directly affects the living, education and entertainment of children. In Berat region there are 63.342 children aged 0-18 years old . Based on the statistics received from schools, there are about 57 children who have dropped out of school during 2010-2011. These children are mainly part of the Egyptian community, Roma community or/and groups with many social problems.
Reducing dropout from schools has been one of the most important objectives of the DAR and is considered as such by the directories of schools, teaching staff and Student Governments. The focus are those schools where the number of Roma children is high, such as "Sh.Lakra", "Morava", "5 May", "Uznove", "Hinke"; DAR monitors their attendance at preschool, elementary and high school (9 years), their integration into the learning process and the differentiated educational work. About 94 Roma children out of 103 completed the 2010-2011 school year and about 28 Roma children are part of preschool education. In Berat region, Roma community represents a significant part of the population, and therefore awareness campaigns initiatives are being taken to help the Roma community; mainly to support Roma children to attend school.
In 2011 Child Rights Unit was establish in the structure of Regional Council, Services Directorate in accordance with Law No. 10347. The Child Protection Unit, a project of Save the Children, was set up in Berat Municipality in 2008. Following the Law 10347 in 2010 there has been an extreme work in terms of recognition and protection of the rights of children from different associations. Local governments generally have not planned any funding especially for children, but only to provide basic services for economic aid, the cost of repairs and other expenses for education, health, culture, etc.
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4. Local strategy developed about child protection
Berat currently has no regional strategy for children, but the regional plan of action for children is being developed. It will be in line with the national plan of action for children and it will be attached to the regional development strategy of Berat region.
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5. Address of the Observatory for Children's Rights, Berat:
Rr: ’’Kostaq Koxhaku”, (Sipër Farmaci “Klodi”)
Berat, Shqipëri
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6. Role and responsibilities of the Observatory for Children's Rights, Berat:
Observatory for the Rights of the Child is a structure of civil society established in Berat region in 2011, which aims to collect information from all governmental and local institutions and to study the situation of the realization of children's rights at the regional and national level.
The main tasks of the Observatory:
- Periodical collection of data from the departments of Health, Education and Social Protection in the local and regional level.
- Preparation and dissemination of quarterly reports (based on the national model) on child well-being indicators.
- Preparation of annual reports on the progress of the implementation of policies for the realization of children's rights in regions;
- Periodical collection of reports on surveys by various national and international agencies;
- Maintain and update the database regularly with information collected from local institutions; use the database to help the preparation of reports;
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7. Address of the Children Rights Unit (CRU)
Bulevardi’’ Republika’’ Pranë Këshillit të Qarkut Berat
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8. Role and responsibilities of CRU of Berat
It was set within the framework of the Regional Council in 2012 and it has the following duties:
- monitor and evaluate the implementation of laws and policies to protect children in the territory of the region;
- identify and coordinate the cases of child rights violations in the territory of the region;
- coordinate the functioning of multidisciplinary groups to identify, analyze and refer cases of domestic violence;
- cooperate and exchange information on the treatment of children's rights with each structure responsible for health, education, police, local government or civil society;
- organize informative and educational meetings and training for children's rights at the regional level;
- report to the District Council the progress of implementation of children's rights in the territory of the region;
- report periodically to the State Agency for Protection of Child Rights statistical data and information on the implementation of children's rights in the territory of the region.
- Monitor and assess law and political execution on children's rights protection in regional level
9. Role and responsibilities of CPU Berat:
The Children Protection Unit in the Municipality of Berat was established within the administrative structure of the social services of the Municipality Berat in 2009 as a pilot project funded by Save the Children. This unit lately was closed as there were no funds coming from the Municipality of Berat. This Unit had an important role in identifying problems of children and their treatment. It has helped in the registration of Roma children and their school attendance.
Its duties are:
- assess and continuously monitor the situation of children at risk until they are not at risk;
- identify and co-ordinate in a multidisciplinary way the protection, referral and analysis of cases in the territory of the Municipality;
- sensitize the community, organize informative and educational meetings and trainings for children protection in the territory of the Municipality;
- collaborate with social service administrators, school psychologists, family doctors, enforcement authorities, social workers of public and private centers for the improvement of child protection; serve as an informative or referral point for other support services;
- refer different cases;
- report periodically to the Governmental Agency for Protection of Children's Rights statistical data and information on the situation of child protection in the territory of the Municipality.
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Prepared by: Estela Koka,
Expert, Observatory for Children's Rights, Berat