European Parliament, Brussels - Altiero Spinelli, Room A3H-1
27 January 2010, 15:00-18:30
EU member states use a common analytical framework to monitor progress on social inclusion and social protection. But the framework predominately uses household data. The children most at risk are those living outside their biological families. There is currently no common framework for collecting and analyzing information on the situation of children living under protection of the state. Indeed member states have very different child protection legislation and care systems.
In 2009 Eurochild carried out a survey of the situation of children living in alternative care including residential, community and family-based care. It attempts to provide an overview of the numbers of children concerned, the profiles of children in care, their outcomes, the institutional framework and availability of data, and the existence of standards and support for children’s participation.
From this analysis we know the numbers are not negligible. Approximately 1% of children in the EU are affected (approximately 1 million children). Institutional care settings still predominate in many EU countries, and whilst there are positive efforts in most countries, much more can still be done. Baby homes for children under 3 still exist in several member states. Roma and children with disabilities are over-represented in institutional care settings. Finally, whilst the links with poverty and material deprivation are obscured by lack of data, it is clear that prevention and family support is still under-resourced in many countries.
The round table debated what action the EU can take to ensure inclusion of the most vulnerable children in its work on child poverty and social exclusion.
Programme
Host: Corina Cretu, MEP, Vice-Chairwoman of Committee on Development
Co-host: Roberta Angelilli, MEP and Vice-President of the European Parliament
15:00 Registrations
15:30-15:45 Opening
- Corina Cretu, MEP, Vice-Chairwoman of Committee on Development
- Roberta Angelilli, MEP and Vice-President of the European Parliament
- Catriona Williams, Eurochild President
- Jana Hainsworth, Eurochild Secretary General, Key findings and recommendations from the members’ survey
15:45-17:30 Round table discussion
Co-chairs: Chris Gardiner & Emmanuel Sherwin, Chairs of Eurochild Thematic Working Group on children in alternative care
- Jan Jarab, Regional Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [Speech]
- Jan Pfeiffer, Children’s High Level Group, Chair of ad-hoc working group on de-institutionalisation
- Bragi Gudbrandsson, General Director of the Government Agency for Child Protection, Iceland. Author of “Rights of Children in Institutions: Report on the implementation of the Council of Europe Recommendation Rec (2005)5 on the rights of children living in residential institutions”
- Alan Kikuchi-White, SOS Children’s Villages representative in the UNCRC NGO Working Group in Geneva. UN Guidelines on the Alternative Care of Children
- Power4Youth, Young people with a care background
17:30-17:45 Conclusions and closing words
- Corina Cretu, MEP, Vice-Chairwoman of Committee on Development
- Jana Hainsworth, Eurochild Secretary General
Click here to download the Round Table report.
Click here to view Photos taken at this event.
