Measurement and indicators are at the heart of improving performance in policy and practice. Unless we measure an issue or problem, chances are it will be ignored and nothing will get done.

Child well-being is notoriously difficult to measure, but there are more and more examples of where it is being done with good effect on policy development. This conference is framed within the European Union’s Social Inclusion agenda which has identified the eradication of child poverty by breaking the cycle of intergenerational inheritance as one of its key objectives. To help achieve this goal, the EU monitors income poverty and material deprivation and there are plans to develop common indicators that better reflect child well-being. The objective of this conference was to feed into that debate.

The EU social inclusion agenda also aims to bring about policy change through mutual learning and exchange of practice across Member States. This conference offered the platform to share how indicators are being used: in policy development at national and regional level, in advocating for children’s rights and well-being, in improving practice and setting standards in service delivery to families and children.

A further question of discussion was how indicators are being informed by children and young people themselves. In addition to workshops on this issue, a group of young people from five member states participated in the conference and brought some of their reflections on the issue.

Presentations:

Wednesday 11 November

OPENING

• Vladimir Spidla, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Brussels, Belgium (Youtube Video Message, Transcript)
• Titos Christofides, Deputy Minister to the President of the Republic (Audio file (English) to come soon)

Thursday 12 November

PLENARY:  GOOD POLICY, GOOD INDICATORS – WHY THEY MATTER

• Sotiroula Charalambous, Minister of Labour and Social Insurance of the Republic of Cyprus (English translation)

• Eric Marlier, International Scientific Coordinator, CEPS/INSTEAD Research Institute, Luxembourg (upon request)

• István György Tóth, Director, TARKI Social Research Institute Inc

WORKSHOP SESSIONS 1: INDICATORS IN PUBLIC POLICY

• WORKSHOP 1.1 Indicators & advocacy
  Rosanna Singler, Centre for Economic & Social Inclusion, UK
• WORKSHOP 1.2 Indicators & listening to children
  Professor Klaus Wahl, German Youth Institute, Munich, Germany
  Jean Gordon & Daniel Kropf, Universal Education Foundation
• WORKSHOP 1.3 Indicators & evaluating outcomes for children
  Richard Thurston, Senior Principal Research Officer, Welsh Assembly Government, UK

KEY NOTE SPEECH: NO DATA, NO PROBLEM, NO ACTION

• Paul Kershaw, Director of the Social Care and Social Citizenship Research Network, Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP), British Columbia, Canada 

WORKSHOP SESSIONS 2: INDICATORS IN SERVICE DEVELOPMENT & DELIVERY

• WORKSHOP 2.1 Early years education & care
  Aldo Fortunati, La Bottega di Geppetto, President, Early Childhood Research and Documentation Centre, Italy
  Anastasia Houndoumadi, SCHEDIA – Centre for Artistic and Pedagogical Training, Athens, Greece, member of DECET network– Diversity in Early Childhood Edcuation and Training
• WORKSHOP 2.2 Parenting & family support
  Eva Westerling, Project Director, Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), Sweden & Ylva Söderlind, Project Director, Children’s welfare foundation, Sweden
  Kate Mulley, Policy and Research Manager, Action for Children, UK
• WORKSHOP 2.3 Children’s participation
  Michel Vandekeere, Research Director, Observatory for childhood, youth and youth care, Belgium
• WORKSHOP 2.4 Children without parental care
  Jean Anne Kennedy, Kersti Kukk & Hava Ryustem, Power4Youth

Friday 13 November
CLOSING PLENARY – LOOKING FORWARD

• Francisco Asensio Garcia, Head of Unit responsible for childhood, Ministry of Health and Social Policy, General Directorate of Social Policy, Families and Children, Spain 
• Philippe Courard, Secretary of State for Social Integration and the Fight against Poverty, Ministry of Social Affairs and Public Health, Belgium  

Networking and post-conference activities amongst participants is very important for us. You missed to speak to someone or lost someone's contact details? Click here to request the participants list with e-mail addresses.

Download the Annual Conference Background Paper (Policy Briefing) here. 

Download the Flyer here.

Download the Programme here.

Download the Family Picture here.

Download the final Press Release: Ending child poverty - Measuring is the key! here.

Download the Report of the Annual Conference here.