The three Centers for counseling and legal assistance for children are now operational

The centers were established in the month of April. Each team consists of 3 professionals – a service coordinator, a lawyer providing legal representation, and a psychologist. They will provide the following services: coordination of work in the case of children in contact or conflict with the law, those with risky behavior, victims or witnesses of crimes, participants in legal and administrative procedures; informing and counseling children and families – legal, psychological, social, health and educational; targeted prevention for children at risk; provision of expert assessment or specialized assistance in cases of children in contact and conflict with the law for the needs of institutions related to the case. Efforts will also be made to change society’s attitudes regarding the perspectives for children from vulnerable communities in contact or conflict with the law.

The center in Pazardzhik is located in the “Iztok” district, in a separate office rented by IGA. In Plovdiv, it is located in the “Iztok” district (Stolipinovo), in the office of the Regional Development Foundation “ROMA – Plovdiv”, and in Lom it is located in the office of the “ROMA-LOM” Foundation.(The three Centers will be presented separately in subsequent publications.)

The teams of the Centers will undergo training, and an expert of the beneficiary will carry out periodic monitoring of the services.

A total of 210 persons are primarily included in the scope of the project, regardless of their financial situation and without discrimination based on gender, disability, age, etc.: 120 vulnerable children from the three Roma communities, victims or witnesses of a crime, and children in conflict with the law under the age of 18, as well as 90 representatives of Roma informal groups, civil organizations and Roma mediators working in the target community.