Eurochild and UNICEF release new analysis of how National Action Plans commit to helping children in alternative care with a focus on data coverage and indicators that will be used to measure progress.

For the approximately 760,000 children in alternative care in the European Union, the European Child Guarantee is a crucial opportunity to measure progress on deinstitutionalisation and the transition to community and family-based care. In doing so, it can catalyse reform and meaningful improvement of the lives and prospects of one of Europe’s most disadvantaged groups of children.

With Eurochild and UNICEF’s newly published policy brief, Children in alternative care in the Child Guarantee National Action Plans - A summative analysis, we assess available National Action Plans (NAPs) and issue our recommendations to ensure effective policy monitoring for these children.

Key findings from our analysis:

Based on Eurochild and UNICEF’s earlier research in the DataCare project, we know that data is regularly collected and published on children in alternative care in countries in Europe. This data can be used to calculate basic indicators for measuring progress in deinstitutionalisation and transition to community- and family-based care.

To aid the EU and Member States in their work to take this forward, Eurochild has analysed the 20 publicly available (as of 1 March 2023) European Child Guarantee NAPs to assess how Member States commit to measures to address inequalities for children in alternative care, and if these measures will be monitored effectively.

Below are key findings from our analysis:

  • 16 countries include specific measures and actions to support children in alternative care in their NAPs.
  • 12 countries refer specifically to measures to improve the situation of care leavers in their NAPs, such as supporting the transition to independent living or continued state support to meet their needs.
  • 7 countries specify the need for dedicated measures for children with disabilities, due to their disproportionate representation in alternative care placements.
  • 17 countries are using existing data to describe the situation of children in alternative care in their NAPs. Most commonly used variables for data on children in alternative care are age, sex, and disability status.
  • 10 countries have monitoring frameworks including some or all of the indicators that Eurochild and UNICEF ECARO have recommended through our DataCare research.
  • 8 countries specify how EU and/or national financial resources will be used to fund measures to reduce the risk of poverty and increase the social inclusion of children in alternative care.

Recommendations for action:

These results show that there is a real momentum for change to improve the availability, quality and international comparability of data on children in alternative care across EU countries.

Therefore, Eurochild and UNICEF encourage countries in Europe to develop comprehensive monitoring and evaluation frameworks for children in alternative care and strengthen their alternative care information systems to close data gaps and improve data quality and comparability over time. Children themselves have a critical role to play in these processes too.

Specifically, Eurochild and UNICEF are recommending:

  • For the European Commission and in particular the Social Protection Committee – Indicator Sub-Group to:
    - Develop guidance on monitoring progress in EU child policy implementation and evaluating outcomes for children – engaging also civil society and children in this process;
    - Use the available data from national sources on children in alternative care to fill in the gaps in EU-level data collection in this area;
    - Invest in the methodological work required to allow more comparable results.
  • For Eurostat and National Statistical Offices in the EU to actively engage in the operationalisation of the Guidance on Statistics on Children endorsed by the 70th plenary session of the Conference of European Statisticians in 2022.
  • For the European Commission to continue supporting Member States through the Technical Support Instrument in the implementation and monitoring of their national strategies and action plans on children’s rights and the European Child Guarantee.
  • For Governments to seize the available policy instruments and support mechanisms and work with National Statistical Offices on assessing the quality of their data systems on children in alternative care, and develop and implement data improvement plans – engaging also civil society and children in these processes.

Further information:

Photo: ©UNICEF/UN0220898/Anush Babajanyan VII

Coverage of Children in Alternative Care in the Child Guarantee National Action Plans Analysed under the DataCare Project
Source

Childhub

You might like..

0
27
Since 2000, there has been a firm commitment by the European Union and its Member States to the deinstitutionalisation of children in institutional care and support for their transition to care that is family- and community-based. The European…
0
53
The European Commission's European Guarantee for the Child initiative is key in reducing child poverty and social exclusion at a European level. A report published by the Eurochild Working Group on Child Guarantee provides recommendations for the…
0
An analysis by Eurochild Member Hintalovon Child Rights Foundation/ECPAT Hungary. The release of the Hungarian National Action Plan of the Child Guarantee was awaited with much eagerness by Hungarian civil society…
0
7
At the beginning of 2022, the National Network for Children Bulgaria held 6 webinars on the topics of the European Child Guarantee, which include Health, Nutrition, Early Childhood Development, Housing, Education and High-Risk Communities. The…
0
6
International stakeholders such as Eurostat, the European Commission, and OECD gathered in Geneva for the 70th Conference of European Statistician to approve new guidance about statistics on children, which includes…
yes
0
64
Child participation in all aspects of modern society is extremely important for the good development of children. Furthermore it is important that children belonging to vulnerable groups that are already marginalized in society have an increased…
0
5
The COVID-19 pandemic, and the accompanying measures put in place to control it, are having a dramatic impact on some of Europe’s most vulnerable children, families and communities, compounding structural weaknesses in child protection and welfare…
0
267
The national action plan for tackling child sexual exploitation brings together for the first time actions by the Government and a range of national and local partners to protect children from this largely hidden form of child abuse. Sexual…
0
36
SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence Niksic organised the First National Webinar under the J/TiP project "Improving provision of services and awareness to combat Trafficking in Persons in the Balkans, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro…
0
16
The guidelines were developed in recognition that the implementation of the UNCRC is lagging especially for children at risk of losing or without parental care. These guidelines are result of five years of discussions and negotiations between the…
0
34
On 7th April 2020, Eurochild held a remote meeting of a team working on the question of Children in Alternative Care. A representative of the Know-How Centre for the Alternative Care for Children attended the meeting along with 38 other…
0
12
The revised and updated 2005 Schengen Action Plan clearly marks the distinction between Romania’s accession to the EU and, respectively, to Schengen. Planning the Schengen implementation process is being made under a two stage approach covering…
0
61
On Saturday, May 28, the first National Workshop of Participatory Action Research was held within the REVIS project - response to peer violence among children in schools and adjacent settings. The aim of the workshop was to support students and…
0
38
On 14 February 2019, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and UNICEF presented a Draft National Strategy for the Exercise of Children's Rights, Action Plan 2019–2023. Along with representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and…
0
32
The Minister for Justice and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) aim to offer all children a child-friendly justice system which would protect them against violence, abuse and negligence, while at the same time preventing risks of…