Last week, Eurochild was involved in organising two important events on deinstitutionalisation in Brussels. The Opening Doors Pan-European Deinstitutionalisation Campaign came to an end after 7 years (2013–2019) of dedicated and passionate work. A closing event took place on 15 January in the European Commission and celebrated the campaign's achievements. The following day (16 January), a high-level conference, Towards Inclusion 2020, marked the 10 years that have passed since the release of the Špidla report (the Report of the Ad-hoc Expert Group on the transition from institutional to community-based care).

Both events provided a summary of what has been achieved regarding the transition from institutional to family- and community-based care across the Member States, what is the current state of play, and what remains to be done. They also brought very powerful testimonies from people who lived in institutions, such as care leavers, people with disabilities, and homeless people. The European Commission was acknowledged as a champion in promoting deinstitutionalisation by introducing policies and the allocation of substantial funding. Despite the efforts made, there are still 1 million people living in institutions, including between 345,000 and 360,000 children. The work is not finished. As Katarina Ivankovic Knezevic, Director for Social Affairs, DG Employment, European Commission, pointed out: ‘we need to continue even if there is one child left in institution’.  

Both events noted a series of recommendations to end institutionalisation permanently. There is a need for a more strategic approach of the use of EU funds, as well as support and development for preventative services. Member States should take more ownership and responsibility in delivering both policies and funding. Marie-Anne Paraskevas, Senior Policy Officer at the European Commission, said: ‘Progress in deinstitutionalization is uneven across the EU. There is a lack of political commitment in many member states, and this has an impact on the level of sustainability of financing.’

There is also a lack of up-to-date quantitative data on people in institutions, including children, that is one of the major obstacles towards implementation of national DI strategies. Most significantly, we need to work together with national authorities, EU institutions, civil society and all those with first-hand experience of institutionalisation. 

For more information about the achievements and recommendations of the Opening Doors Campaign, read Lessons Learned and Recommendations to Strengthen Families and End Institutionalisation for Children in Europe.

More information about the Towards Inclusion 2020 conference, including speakers, can be found here.  

Eurochild will continue to prioritise deinstitutionalisation in 2020 by: 

  • Mapping data collection systems on child protection across the 27 EU Member States
  • Build capacity of civil society to be able to leverage EU policy and funding as well as to promote family based care
  • Ensure supportive EU budget 2021-2027 including ESF plus new provision childguarantee recognises children in alternative care
  • Continuation of EU – national level advocacy
  • Engaging and strengthen care leavers associations and networks in the work 

‘We are committed to continuing that work together in a collaborative way.’ We need powerful advocacy, we need the voices of young children who are in care and have left care, the voices of families who have been separated… these are part of the solution of ending institutional care.’ said Jana Hainsworth, Secretary General, Eurochild. 

The Opening Doors campaign can look back at many achievements. Many campaign countries, such as Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine, are increasingly prioritising child protection and deinstitutionalisation. It is particularly encouraging to observe the number of children living in family-based foster care slowly exceeding the number of children living in institutions.

On a European level, the European Semester Process now analyses deinstitutionalisation in a more comprehensive way. All EU campaign countries country Reports prioritise the transition from institutional to family and community-based care or inclusive education for the 2021-27 programming period. The new EU budget 2021-2027, prioritises the transition from institutional to family-and community-based care, promote social inclusion, and strive to improve policy coherence and protection of children’s rights, especially those at risk or in care.

But the work is not over. Much more needs to be done to ensure that no child grows up in an institution, to prevent separation of children from their families for reasons of poverty, disability or other discriminatory practices, and to build strong child protection systems to ensure children are not harmed.

Childhub

You might like..

0
82
A European Expert Group (EEG) conference on the transition from institutional to community-based care was held in Brussels on 16 January 2020, to evaluate the progress made in the deinstitutionalisation process in a…
0
2
The “Towards Inclusion” conference celebrates 10 years of coordinated EU action on deinstitutionalisation.  It aims to take stock of past achievements and set a common vision for the future. The event is organised jointly by the European…
0
3
Kosovan Eurochild member KOMF – the Coalition of NGOs for Child Protection in Kosovo – and Karim Dom Foundation of Bulgaria, have collaborated to build expertise of civil society and urge authorities to improve policies on early childhood…
0
4
Following the publication of the 2019 Country Reports, the European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care (EEG) prepared reflections on their content to provide expert support to the European Commission in the…
0
11
Croatia has updated its Action Plan on Deinstitutionalisation (DI), building on the 2011-2016 Master Plan which was extended until 2018. The new 2018-2020 plan aims to continue deinstitutionalisation process for user groups who have already…
0
9
Roma-related policies are primarily a national competence and the role of the EU in this area is to provide policy guidance, monitor implementation, and progress, provide support from EU funds and encourage the exchange of good practice between the…
0
2
19 April 2019 marks the end of the term for the European Parliament. In just over a month, in a direct vote on 23-26 May, EU citizens will elect the new House. It will be the task of the future European Parliamentarians to finish negotiations on the…
0
35
1. EU asylum applications fall to pre-2015 levels In 2018, 580 800 first-time asylum seekers applied for international protection in the Member States of the European Union, marking a return to levels recorded in 2014, before the peak year 2015…
0
14
From 29 September to 1 October, the European Commission is organising its 13th Forum on the Rights of the Child. With high-level participants from international institutions, governments and civil society, the annual conference has become one of…
0
344
For the occasion of End Child Sex Abuse Day Marija Pejcinovic Buric Secretary-General from Council of Europe has spoken against the phenomenon of “sexy selfies” posted by children. She highlights the need to prevent risky behaviour by children…
0
5
The Convention of the rights of the child was born 30 years ago and The European Parliament organised a conference with international human rights bodies and society actors to build a stronger cooperation and to improve the child rights protection.…
0
6
On 2 February 2020, a group of 15 EU member states called ‘Friends of Cohesion’ gathered in Portugal to discuss the next EU long-term budget— the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). This group of countries includes Bulgaria,…
0
3
Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict Sexual violence in conflict is a threat to our collective security, a violation of international law and a blight on…
0
34
On the European Day for the Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (18 November), a booklet is being published by the Hintalovon Child Rights Foundation, the Fund to End Violence Against Children, and with the…
0
A charity coalition consisting of Trussell Trust, IFAN, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), Children’s Society, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), StepChange and Turn2us, has been formed to ease the financial difficulties of families…