CHILDREN IN ALTERNATIVE CARE NATIONAL SURVEYS JANUARY 2010 – 2ND EDITION

CHILDREN IN ALTERNATIVE CARE NATIONAL SURVEYS JANUARY 2010 – 2ND EDITION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This compilation of the following surveys has only been possible with the dedication of Eurochild Secretariat staff and interns. Zsofia Bakonyi, who worked as an intern in the Eurochild secretariat between February and June 2009, compiled the first edition with support from Eurochild intern Rusiana Dwiyanti Luthfie (June and July 2009). Agata D‘Addato (Policy Officer), Reka Velenyi (Eurochild intern from September 2009 to March 2010) and Marie Dubit (Membership Officer) undertook the mammoth task of collecting and formatting the final version. Thanks also to Anna Currado for editing the complete set of surveys. Thanks also go to Anne Williams, Chris Gardiner, Kélig Puyet, Maria Herczog for their support in the development of the survey, and finally to all the Eurochild members and partners who completed the survey. Final responsibility for the publication rests with the Eurochild Secretariat. This report is supported by the European Community Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity (). This programme is managed by the Directorate-General for Employment, social affairs and equal opportunities of the European Commission. It was established to financially support the implementation of the objectives of the European Union in the employment and social affairs area, as set out in the Social Agenda, and thereby contribute to the achievement of the Lisbon Strategy goals in these fields. The seven-year Programme targets all stakeholders who can help shape the development of appropriate and effective employment and social legislation and policies, across the EU-27, EFTA-EEA and EU candidate and pre-candidate countries. PROGRESS mission is to strengthen the EU contribution in support of Member States' commitments and efforts to create more and better jobs and to build a more cohesive society. To that effect, PROGRESS will be instrumental in: providing analysis and policy advice on PROGRESS policy areas; monitoring and reporting on the implementation of EU legislation and policies in PROGRESS policy areas; promoting policy transfer, learning and support among Member States on EU objectives and priorities; and relaying the views of the stakeholders and society at large For more information see: PREFACE As President of Eurochild I am pleased to introduce our latest publication which originates from the work of one of our thematic working groups – ‗Children in Alternative Care‘. Eurochild - the network which brings together over 80 children‘s organisations from 32 European countries - finds its strength in the commitment and engagement of its members. This collection of national surveys on children in alternative care is testament to that commitment. In early 2009 the first action of the newly created thematic working group on children in alternative care was to examine the links between children in care, poverty and social exclusion. The first step was gain a basic understanding of the situation of children in alternative care in each Member State. The results of the survey, first published in June 2009 and now updated to cover all EU Member States (plus Moldova), provide a unique resource for practitioners, campaigners and policy makers as regards situation of children who are among the most vulnerable section of society in Europe today. I would like to thank all those who contributed to such a valuable piece of work. Eurochild campaigns for the realisation of children‘s rights across Europe. We focus particularly on those children at risk of poverty, social exclusion and marginalisation. Our members are working directly with children and families or are campaigning on their behalf. Thematic working groups give members a range of forums in which to exchange knowledge and practice in specific areas and include groups on children‘s participation, family and parenting support, early years education and care, and children in alternative care. I cannot emphasise enough how valuable it is for those of us working at both national and regional levels to exchange and learn from across Europe. Through Eurochild we have access to a wealth of knowledge and experience which enables us to compare and contrast the reality of children‘s lives across different Member States. However far advanced we think our systems may be there is always something for us to learn and this collection of surveys is just one example of how this can be achieved. I congratulate the work of the thematic working group on children in alternative care and trust that their on- going work and commitment will lead to positive changes at national and regional level to ensure that the rights of every child are respected. PREFACE BY YOUNG PEOPLE It is with honour, pride and support that Power4Youth and the IFCO1 Youth Committee collaborated to compose this preface to the Eurochild Survey on Children in Alternative Care. The converging intersection of Power4Youth, IFCO and Eurochild‘s agendas are the promotion of child protection and child rights in Europe and beyond. Every child has the right to protection: the information, statistics and data which are made available through this Eurochild European-wide survey will inform policy and agenda-setting for the European Union institutions, EU member states, and other organisations and agencies working in the areas of child protection, child poverty and social exclusion. Eurochild‘s mission is ‗to promote the welfare and rights of children and young people in Europe‘. An active project addressing this production of the Eurochild Members‘ Survey on Children without Parental Care. The Eurochild Thematic Working Group for Children in Alternative Care focuses on the linkages between poverty, social exclusion and children who are in, at risk of going into, or leaving alternative care. This agenda raises the issue of the lack of statistical data directly linking poverty and social exclusion as factors for Children in Alternative Care. The aim of the members of Eurochild‘s Thematic Working Group on Children in Alternative Care is ‗to identify key issues and policy implications for achieving a better synergy between child protection policy and social inclusion strategies at EU and national levels‘. Their immense work to produce this Eurochild Survey is testament to the trojan work done on behalf of children in alternative care. Power4Youth (P4Y) is a European platform for youth with (alternative) care experience. Its origins stem from the Quality4Children Quality Standards in Out-of-Home Child Care in Europe. Since then, an active group of young people have steered, written and now work towards a P4Y mission of ‗ensuring consultation, involvement, empowerment and support for youth, in order for young people with (alternative) care experience to reach their full potential‘. As European young people with (alternative) care experience, we ourselves are all too often aware of the links between being in, or coming out of care and the issues connected with this. Poverty and social exclusion are two terms that blanket across a lot of issues and barriers for young people. Eurochild‘s publication will shed light on European member states and how we, as societies, treat this particularly vulnerable group of young people and children. It will make EU member states comparable through the statistics, policies and agendas for each nation state. A simple but effective comparison illustrates that many countries now have quality standards for children in (alternative) care which exist as written legislation rather than just guidelines. We feel this should be a priority for the European Union and its bodies and member states as we move towards a more inclusive society. IFCO (International Foster Care Organisation) is an international charity which promotes and supports family- based care as the best solution for children in alternative care. Our advocacy, training and voluntary works are always underpinned by the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Stemming from this, we have an active youth membership and youth committee, involved in our decision- making body as well as their own networking and training programmes. The IFCO Youth Committee welcomes this immense work by Eurochild which will shed light on the number of children in care systems throughout the European Union; but also provide an insight into what their life is like; which and how their needs are being met, what their outcomes are after care and what legislation, policies and standards ensure positive outcomes for all such children and young people. The importance of statistical data will inform decision-making at all levels, but necessarily so at European Union level, where immense change and protective measures can be made on behalf of all children in care, in every member state. One of the main conclusions that can be reached from literature on children in alternative care is that there is a statistical over-representation of children in alternative care as having experienced poverty and/or social exclusion. However, literature and statistical data to support poverty and social exclusion as causal indicators of children being placed in alternative care is largely under-researched and under-represented. This highlights the need for in-depth analysis of this reality in order to monitor and change this situation for children in alternative care in Europe. The European Commission and the EU Social Protection Committee acknowledge that the monitoring of vulnerable children (including children in alternative care) needs to be addressed; this recognition now needs 1 International Foster Care Organisation to be acted upon. The collection of data, its interpretation and use, to promote the well being for children in alternative care, needs to be acted on at European Union level as well as at member state level. This will ensure that we, as those accountable for child protection and well being, are continuously working for every child to the best of our collective ability. NATIONAL SURVEY ON CHILDREN IN ALTERNATIVE CARE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ………………………………………………………CONTINUED………………………………………………………….