Tdh in Greece (Tdh Hellas) is recognised as a key child protection actor and provides child protection services to asylum seekers and refugees, as well as innovative work on access to justice and child safeguarding. We develop creative methodologies and enhance children’s voices to be heard in decisions that concern them. Furthermore, we lead strong advocacy at the national and European levels to improve the access of children to their rights.
Since 2016, we have been providing child and family protection services to asylum seekers and refugees, including to unaccompanied children living in camps or in the urban context all over mainland Greece. Depending on the context, our approach focuses on case management, legal assistance, psychosocial support and the provision of essential aid such as clothing, food and hygiene items. Furthermore, we work on advocacy at national and EU level to promote children’s rights, improve the reception and protection of people on the move and promote issues related to their integration process, such as education.
Tdh plays a key role in improving protection measures for children in Greece. We provide child protection and safeguarding training to professionals who work with children such as staff members of national authorities and NGOs working in open accommodation facilities for refugees, primary educators and staff working in summer camps. We aim towards expanding our activities to address also athletic associations, sports clubs and other facilities that provide services to children.
Tdh facilitates the access of children and young people to child-friendly justice and promotes the use of restorative justice in cases involving child victims and offenders. This approach focuses on the needs and rights of the victims, the motivations of the offenders and the role of the local community. It aims to heal, repair and prevent harm as well as to ensure that people take responsibility for their actions. Our projects improve knowledge amongst national actors who work with child-victims and offenders on child-friendly restorative justice. We train and educate professionals working with children and empower children by teaching them their rights and by supporting them to advocate for a better protection in the justice system.
"We support children with protection concerns and their families in a multidisciplinary manner, which includes education, medical, legal, accommodation, and psychosocial support services, in order to build their strengths."
Ilias Varelakis, Case Management Team Leader in Thessaloniki
