Description

The Child Protection Unit operates within the framework of the National Emergency Response Mechanism for unaccompanied minors in precarious living conditions under the General Secretariat of Vulnerable Citizens and Institutional Protection.

The program consists of two units:

Info Desk:

• Consists of caseworkers and lawyers.
• It operates Monday to Friday from 10.00 to 20.00.
• Unaccompanied minors served by the Info Desk team are either referrals directly from the National Mechanism, spontaneous arrivals at our office, or unaccompanied minors identified by the streetwork team. Social workers, psychologists and lawyers recognize and assess the needs of each child, with their best interests in mind. The aim of the program is the protection and immediate support of unaccompanied minors who either live in precarious conditions or are completely homeless, through their immediate accommodation in emergency shelters. As part of the Info desk, street work is carried out in many areas of Athens with the participation of the Mobile Unit team as well as interpreters, with the aim of identifying unaccompanied minors who need support and do not have access to Services.
• As part of the cooperation of the program with the Asylum Service, the caseworkers of the Info Desk are present at the Regional Asylum Offices of Attica, on the days when asylum registrations of unaccompanied children living in precarious conditions are carried out in order to inform them in time about their rights in Greece, the National Emergency Response Mechanism and program services.

Mobile Units:

• The two (2) Mobile Units of the Child Protection Unit operate Monday to Friday from 08.00 am. until 23.00 pm and on Saturday from 11.00 am until 19.00 pm within Attica.
• The Mobile Units consisting of social workers, social scientists, psychologists, and drivers, receive orders from the National Emergency Response Mechanism to transport unaccompanied minors who live in precarious living conditions or in complete homelessness, to Emergency or Long-Term Accommodation Structures.

The program provides interpretation in Arabic, Farsi, Dari, Kurmanji, Sorani, Bandini and Urdu.