A. Parental counselling and guidance and parental responsibilities
ISNA has 203 Child Welfare Centres (CBI) and 15 Full Development Centres (CDI) in 117 of the country’s municipalities, plus 11 shelters and three re-education centres for offenders. ISNA has implemented a permanent Parents’ School programme in the child welfare centres and full development centres. This programme has covered 4,698 families and 8,354 children. In the re-education centres for offenders, up to 50% of families – an average of 244 – of 487 inmates attend these schools.
The multidisciplinary teams of the Family Tribunals have an education unit and run guidance days on child rights and parental responsibilities. The work carried out is listed below.
Figure 12
Group guidance days. (2004-2006)
Activity/year
2004
2005
2006
Educational days for awareness of and guidance on rights and duties of family members and users of Family Tribunals.
Working days
Attendance
Working days
Attendance
Working days
Attendance
Parents’ school
627
6,373
591
5,402
462
5845
Children
210
1,347
119
604
233
3,104
Adolescents
246
1,500
254
1,264
75
600
Families
24
53
223
645
Total
1,083
9,220
988
7,323
993
10,194
Publicizing rights and duties, regulated by the Family Code and the Domestic Violence Act in institutions outside the tribunal.
Source: Education Section, Department of Coordination of Multidisciplinary Teams of the Family Tribunals.
ISNA has 11 centres or shelters caring for children separated from their family environment for various reasons, such as: illegal exit from or entry into the country, ill-treatment, abuse, negligence, living on the street, abandonment, sexual abuse, commercial sexual exploitation, and trafficking in persons. When ISAN takes in a child or adolescent, the following actions are carried out:
Welcome or reception of children by order of a government authority;
Temporary hosting in the centre or shelter, depending on age and gender;
Provision of clothing, personal grooming accessories and feeding;
Interview to identify family background, nationality and circumstances;
Arrangements to involve the child in the activities of the centre or shelter.
From the legal standpoint, children are informed of their circumstances, that they are under protection and not deprived of their liberty or in detention, on international arrangements for their repatriation (if they are foreigners), and the average length of stay in the establishment. The Public Prosecutor of the Republic and the National Civil Police are notified in cases of violation of rights with criminal consequences. Children are interviewed, requesting the presence of a representative of the Attorney-General of the Republic. Where appropriate, they are handed over to their parents or guardians, after assessing and determining the proper legal measure in accordance with the ISNA Act, and they are discharged with or without follow-up. Where appropriate, formalities are carried out for repatriation to their country of origin.
The children under ISNA’s responsibility are 51% boys and 49% girls. Eighty per cent are from urban areas and 20 per cent are from rural areas.
Figure 13
Age ranges of children in ISNA care
0 < 3
3 < 6
6 < 9
9 < 12
12 < 15
15 < 18
18 and over
Total
11.3%
8.9%
12.1%
16.1%
25.2%
25.7%
0.6%
100%
Source: ISNA
The number of children temporarily separated from their parents and under ISNA’s institutional care is as follows:
