Contents
The 10
th European Forum brought over 300 participants together to discuss the protection of children in migration. A side event on guardianship for unaccompanied children preceded the Forum. The background papers and links to webstreaming of all discussions, including the side event, as well as a selection of photos, are available
here. The report and other outcomes will be added to the webpage in due course. Many thanks to all our speakers and participants, and those who otherwise worked with us in preparing the Forum.
and
21.12.2016
Proposal for a regulation on the establishment, operation and use of the Schengen Information System (SIS) in the field of police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, amending Regulation (EU) No 515/2014 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1986/2006, Council Decision 2007/533/JHA and Commission Decision 2010/261/EU
Article 20 – provides for subcategories of missing person such as unaccompanied child, runaway, etc., to be further defined in implementing measures
Article 22.1(b) – provides for DNA profiles to be added, e.g. for missing children
Articles 32 and 33 – provides for preventive alerts to be issued, subject to procedural safeguards – in the case of potential parental abduction
REC-RDAP-AWAR-AG-2016, TOPIC : Action grants to educate and raise the awareness of girls and boys about gender-based violence as a way to prevent it at an early stage (budget 2,000,000 EUR)
REC-RDAP-VICT-AG-2016, TOPIC : Action grants to promote the access to justice and support of victims of gender-based violence and the treatment of perpetrators (budget 4,000,000 EUR)
See, among others, page 49 and section 4.6 on direct exhortations to children
Education and training in Europe: Investment on the rebound but inclusion remains a challenge
This year's edition of the European Commission's Education and Training Monitor shows progress towards important EU targets, but also highlights that Member States need to make their education systems more relevant and inclusive, in particular regarding the integration of newly arrived refugees and migrants. Europe relies on effective education systems to equip young people with the skills they need to build their lives as citizens and develop their professional careers. Schools, universities and vocational education and training institutions are the foundation of economic growth, job creation, innovation and social cohesion. In its
2016 edition of the Education and Training Monitor published today, the Commission analyses where the European Union and national systems stand, and shows that Member States face a dual task of ensuring adequate financial investment and offering high quality education to young people from all backgrounds – including refugees and migrants. Tibor
Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, said: "
Europe's education systems can play a crucial role in helping us tackle important issues like persistent youth unemployment and slow economic growth, as well as new challenges such as the refugee crisis. But education will only play its part if it delivers good results. Today more than ever we need to ensure that education enables young people to become active, independent citizens and find fulfilling work. This is not only a question of securing sustained growth and innovation. It is a question of fairness." Commissioner
Navracsics will present today's results during a press conference at 12:30 CET livestreamed on
EbS. A
press releaseis available in all EU languages as well as a
factsheet and country sheets.
Call for Member States to intensify efforts to relocate unaccompanied children.
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/press-releases-pdf/2016/12/47244652435_en.pdf
Useful report covering EU28 and Norway. Includes a section on access to education for children of asylum seekers.
Subscribe to Eurofound email alerts here:
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/crm/default
Barnahus, child advocacy centres, and child friendly centres have many commonalities as they all work towards preventing re-victimization of child victims of violence by putting the child’s experiences and story in the centre. They complete their work in coordination with multiple sectors under one roof and in a child-friendly manner, limiting the need for multiple interviews. Their work helps to ensure that child victims and witnesses of violence can tell a complete story and it helps to streamline care and support services.
However, there are also differences as the Nordic model of the Barnahus is an integral part of the public child welfare and judicial systems. During the forensic interview, the child’s story is recorded and submitted as valid evidence for court proceedings. The child does not have to appear in court and due process is upheld. Child Advocacy Centres and child-friendly centres, on the other hand, provide multi-disciplinary services to support the child and may coordinate with the police and prosecution, but they are usually not directly linked with the court system and the child generally has to appear in court.
Both models have clear advantages – the Nordic Model is accepted as part of the system and is acknowledged as a professional unit ensuring that children do not have to appear in court. The child-friendly centres, which are not so strictly integrated into the system, have many other advantages and freedoms and the existing centres show remarkable work in the areas of advocacy, developing preventive initiatives and in support services. Some are also offering treatment for offenders and in particular young offenders.
The challenge for the Barnahus community is to strive to achieve increasingly higher standards and quality to ensure that the services provided are in the best interest of children and that they not in any way further traumatise children seeking justice and care. A certification system has not yet been developed for the Children’s Houses – but it could be an idea to discuss the relevance of having an A-level definition. However, we do have the new quality standards and tools developed by the PROMISE project as inspiration, which can help us raise our ambitions higher and higher. Reviews, evaluations and feedback from children, young people and caregivers is also necessary.
The PROMISE vision is for all children who are victims of violence globally to have rapid access to justice and care.
From 2017 until 2019 we will upgrade the media and communication efforts to serve an inclusive Barnahus Movement. Interested countries in the EU, wider Europe and globally will be informed and take part in the Movement. All outputs, outcomes and reflections from PROMISE I and the foreseen PROMISE II will be shared with interested countries and advocates.
Pilot country progress
- PROMISE II: A project application has been submitted to the European Commission which will focus on national level implementation in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Poland, Romania and the UK. If funded, activities will include national roundtables, drawing up of frameworks and agreements, training for Barnahus staff, workshops for judges, national and European dialogue, and development of a methodology for gathering the perspectives of children.
- Germany: is planning to open a Children’s House “light” in Leipzig – as the first of 3 (Hamburg, Leipzig and Frankfurt). The City of Leipzig, the State of Saxony and the Government of Germany are foreseen be involved long term in ensuring the sustainability. The World Childhood Foundation will fund select equipment, staff, and training.
- Practical preparations continue in a number of pilot countries. We hope to see multiple countries launch MD/IA service provision in early 2017.
The manual is available for re-use
November 2016 publication of testimonies of undocumented children:
Ahead of Universal Children’s Day on 20 November 2016, PICUM launches a collection of testimonies*, which highlights the challenges faced by children and young people considered irregular or undocumented migrants and the strength it takes to overcome them day by day.
This "Progress Report” outlines key achievements and progress in the 12 countries participating in the Global Strategy Beyond Detention. It is designed to guide decision-makers and practitioners in identifying and remedying any shortcomings in national frameworks pertaining to detention. It also highlights some successful initiatives by UNHCR and other stakeholders across the world to end the detention of children. Since the launch of the campaign mid-2014, there have been 4 EU countries engaged in the Global Strategy :
Hungary, Lithuania, UK, and Malta. Specific information related to the achievements on the three goals of the Global Strategy (1. End the detention of children ; 2.Ensure ATDs are available in law and implemented in practice ; 3. Ensure detention conditions meet international standards) in are available in the Report under the section page 38 (results by country). More information on the Global Strategy, including National Actions Plans for each country, is also available on
www.unhcr.org/detention webpage.
A sign in is required and access to some of the materials is free of charge. The overall fee for full access looks to be €45.
The course consists of seven topical modules:
1. International standards and monitoring systems
2. The history of children’s rights in the context of human rights
3. Interdisciplinary children’s rights studies
4. Juvenile justice
5. Violence against children
6. Children’s right to participation
7. Children’s rights and global health
The report outlines children and young people’s experiences of navigating the Irish immigration system, accessing legal advice and legal representation, and the impact of immigration status on access to education and employment. Its key findings include: Children are largely invisible in Ireland’s immigration system. Until 16, they are assumed to have the same immigration permission as their parent, but cannot access confirmation of this position. There is no legislation or guidance on the appropriate permissions to be granted to children. This lack of clarity results in inconsistency in the immigration permissions granted to children when they turn 16, even in identical circumstances. The immigration status and access to citizenship for children in care is not adequately addressed. Despite being in the care of the State, they are not automatically considered to be lawfully resident. Their immigration permission still depends on their parents. Children cannot easily access information or specialised legal advice about their immigration status. They are frequently unaware of their duty to register with GNIB at 16 years, or their eligibility for naturalisation.
This is a four nation UK research project funded by the ESRC that explores how social workers communicate with children in their everyday practice and how social workers and children involved in these encounters experience and understand them. The research is a collaboration between Cardiff University, the University of Sussex, Queen’s Belfast University and the University of Edinburgh. The research aims to generate new knowledge that will enhance the quality of social work education, practice and policy and in doing so improve children’s experiences of policy and practice outcomes. Specifically the research will:
ü Identify how social workers communicate with children in practice, from early encounters
to established relationships, encompassing the high priority areas of child protection and ‘looked after’ children
ü Enable practitioners and children to reflect on specific practice encounters,
helping to identify the barriers to and enablers of effective communication
ü Identify how practice in this domain could be improved and develop paper-based
and video/digital resources to enable these improvements to be realised.
It includes resources. Access to some resources (for social workers and other professionals) requires a sign in.
http://www.talkingandlisteningtochildren.co.uk/about-tlc/
The overall aim of this Policy Paper is to stimulate and contribute to a discussion on the potential development of better measures to protect children and young people from a range of online business practices, as part of a wider project designed to make the Internet a better place for kids.
The paper highlights how different Internet business models work, and provides examples of commercial practices that, typically, have flown under the radar of policymakers – and in many cases still do.
All the examples and issues outlined in the paper were analyzed through the lens of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which is the pillar upon which eNACSO bases its work.
The collected information was triangulated and analyzed with the aim of assessing the impact of the main Internet business models and the resulting online marketing practices on the lives of children.
The analysis then looked at the extent to which these models and practices might comply with or break EU regulations or violate or uphold children’s rights as enshrined in the UNCRC.
The outcomes and feedback received from eNACSO’s child participation processes were integrated into the report along with the findings arisen from Focus Groups with young people providing children’s and adolescents’ perceptions of online advertising and advergames, privacy and data collection.
Lastly, the draft was sent to experts in the field of data protection, advertising to children, alcohol policies and a legal firm for feedback, which was a lengthy but invaluable process to reach the final stage and publication.
To download the final draft of the report click here
To download the launch event report click here
To download the executive summary click here
To download the press release click here
I have previously circulated information on the Italian memorandum of understanding – but for anyone who missed it the first time around it is good practice that could usefully be explored by more Member States:
n 2014, Italian network member, Bambinisenzasbarre, obtained the signature of a “Memorandum of Understanding”, an agreement between the Italian Minister for Justice, the National Ombudsman for Childhood and Adolescence and Bambinisenzasbarre, regarding the fulfilment and protection of the rights of children of imprisoned parents. Bambinisenzasbarre’s President, Lia Sacerdote, signed the Memorandum, which is valid for 2 years, on 21 March 2014. The charter is applicable in all Italian prisons and certainly represents a significant milestone for the work of the Italian charity. It is due to be renewed on 21 March 2016.
Article 1 of the Memorandum covers decisions regarding judicial authorities who are encouraged to take into account the rights and needs of any underage children of an arrested or detained person who still has parental responsibility; giving priority to alternative measures to pre-trial detention. Authorities are required to provide contact between a pre-trial detainee and their child in respect of the child’s rights as laid out in Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Memorandum also includes the recommendations made by the Children of Prisoners Europe network with regards visiting conditions and provisions for children of imprisoned parents, such as providing a suitably equipped children’s space in all visiting rooms, complete with resources for babies (bottle warmers, changing tables, etc.) and young children (toys, drawing tables). The signatories also commit to implementing all necessary actions to ensure that the location of the prison for parents of minor children is compatible with guaranteeing direct contact between child and parent during the sentence. The Memorandum also requires that a child be able to visit his/her imprisoned parent within a week of the arrest and on a regular basis from then on.
The full text in its various languages can be accessed here:
“For the first time in Europe and in Italy, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by the Minister for Justice, the Ombudsman for Children and Adolescence and by the not-for-profit organisation Bambinisenzasbarre which represents the 100,000 children who cross the Italian prisons gates every day. The Charter of Children of Detained Parents formally recognises the right of children to maintain direct contact with their detained parent and, at the same time, it reiterates the prisoner’s right to parenting. The “Charter of Children of Detained Parents” is a document which commits the penitentiary system to change various aspects of their relations with, and treatment of, the detainee, taking into consideration his/her parental role, and to change the way they receive individuals, with greater awareness of the innocent, free children who are so often burdened by marginalisation, prejudices, financial difficulties and the shame caused by the detention of their parent.”
– Lia Sacerdote, President, Bambinisenzasbarre
“Bambinisenzasbarre’s Memorandum of Understanding is a really signficant milestone both for the Italian organisation and for the whole Children of Prisoners Europe network. We are very proud of the achievement of our Italian partner in getting such a commitment from their Government and we hope that this step forward will not only spark further improvements for children of imprisoned parents in Italy but will also trigger similar commitments in our other member countries.”
– Lucy Gampell, President, Children of Prisoners Europe
My dispatch is late so the call has already closed, but perhaps it is still useful for people to know that EPIM is now processing applications for funding to protect children in migration:
http://www.epim.info/2016/09/call-epim-call-for-proposals-on-long-term-prospects-and-protection-of-children-and-youth-on-the-move-in-europe/
(Extracts only – please refer to link for full text)
This call for proposals will support capacity building on rights of the child and child protection for professionals working for and with children in migration. The aim of the call is to ensure better protection and respect for the rights of all children in migration on EU territory through capacity-building for family-based care for unaccompanied children (Priority 1) and through building capacity and cooperation mechanisms for guardians whose role is to safeguard the rights of children in migration (Priority 2). Proposals shall complement the efforts of the EU in the area of rights of the child and child protection, and support the work on integrated child protection systems. To this end, proposals should be carried out in line with the 10 Principles for integrated child protection systems, and proposals should describe how their project implements the principles. This call does not aim to support operating costs.
· Priority 1.This priority aims to expand the national systems of family-based care, such as foster care, for children in migration, as provided for in Article 24 of Directive 2013/33/EU laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection. Projects should support capacity-building for practitioners/professionals working with or for children in migration to increase the provision of quality family-based care to host unaccompanied children. This could include activities to attract and/or improve the quality of further capacity for quality family-based care (such as foster family care or small family-type units), adapt foster care standards to the situation of unaccompanied children, recruitment, training, monitoring and supervision activities for future foster parents, overcoming any barriers in the way reception funds are allocated (e.g. where funds are currently ring-fenced to be allocated solely to reception centres) as well as professionals working in the guardianship system. Account should be taken of previous EU funded projects on family-based care for unaccompanied children. Projects should also seek to address known gaps, such as the limited availability of family-based care, challenges in recruitment and monitoring foster parents, the need to train more foster parents, and the gaps for transition to adulthood in preparations for ageing out of care of unaccompanied children (e.g. independent living arrangements for older children and/or those that are aged out). Proposals are expected to boost child protection system changes and result in improvements that are sustained and sustainable after EU funding ends. This will require that project activities are integrated (and/or linked) within the national child protection systems and in particular alternative care systems.
· Priority 2: Capacity-building and cooperation mechanisms for guardians whose role is to safeguard the rights of unaccompanied and separated children in migration (including development, piloting and delivery of training and accreditation taking account of the FRA Handbook on guardians and the FRA report on guardianship). This priority can include activities relating to the development, piloting and delivery of recruitment, training and accreditation of guardians taking account of the joint FRA/Commission Handbook on guardians and the FRA report on guardianship, with the objective of strengthening the role of guardian in the protection of children and clarification of the guardian's tasks in safeguarding the bests interests of the child, promoting the child's safety and well-being, facilitating child participation, acting as a link between the child and others, helping identify a durable solution in the best interests of the child, exercising legal representation and supporting the child in administrative or judicial procedures). Joint training activities could be envisaged to contribute to strengthening cooperation among guardians, foster-care professionals, child protection, judicial, migration and asylum authorities to enhance the protection of children, including at crossborder level. This priority can also cover activities that strengthen cross-border cooperation and exchange, for instance through the setting up of direct contacts with counterparts in other EU Member States, in the context of Dublin transfers and family reunification. The work of the European Network of Guardianship Institutions (ENGI, www.engi.eu) should be taken into account by applicants.
This call does not aim to fund projects addressing principally:
· information to children on rights of the child
· general awareness-raising on rights of the child
· research on rights of the child
· child victims, or violence against children (can be funded under other areas of the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme, such as Daphne's topic for action grants to support integrated and multidisciplinary child-centred approaches to child victims of violence, REC-RDAP-CHIL-AG-2016).
This call aims to fund targeted, practical projects ensuring maximum tangible and demonstrable benefits and impact on the lives of unaccompanied and separated children in the context of migration. All projects should not only develop a sound methodology using recognised existing good practice or tried and tested intervention models but consist of a large proportion of practical implementation measures and outcomes, ultimately to improve children's experience of the child protection systems. These aspects will be taken into account when evaluating the quality of proposals. Applicants are invited to consider the weighting of the work streams, with a view to ensuring maximum practical benefits and impacts for the target groups and the final beneficiaries (children), and to check that the management and coordination work streams (including travel) are not over-resourced. Activities such as the development of materials, the mapping of existing materials or research should be, at most, minor components of project proposals. If included, the need should be solidly justified in the proposal; they should lead to practical applications and interventions.
Any training and/or practical tools should have an overarching objective to make the system work better to improve outcomes for children. This may include development and delivery of new training modules/tools or roll out and delivery of previously tried and tested training modules/tools. Proposal should describe how access to those to be trained will be assured and describe how training/tools will be rolled out in the participating countries. In terms of promoting sustainability, capacity-building should preferably focus on train-the-trainer approaches and may also include tools such as checklists/draft protocols, etc. Any training modules developed should be made available and be easily adaptable for use in all EU Member States. New training modules must be piloted and, if necessary, adapted prior to delivery.
Given the challenges and known gaps in transnational cooperation and coordination, all proposals submitted under this call should describe how their project would enhance interagency and multidisciplinary cooperation and collaboration, both at national and transnational levels, to ensure the closer involvement of state child care and child protection authorities (national, regional, and/or local) for all children in migration situations, involving international organisations and non-governmental organisations where appropriate, to ensure a child-centred and child-rights based approach. For both priorities, the involvement of national (and/or regional and/or local if decentralised) authorities, or other entities mandated by the State, is essential. The range of actors proposed for each participating State must be appropriate in terms of the project objectives and activities. See Section 2.1.2 Eligibility of the application for more details
All proposals are expected to respect the child's right to participate and be aligned with Article 24 of the Charter, relevant EU law and the UN Convention on the rights of the child. The child's right to be heard, as set out in UNCRC Article 12 and General Comment No 12, must be an integral part of all project activities.
Proposals must make children's involvement central and integral to the project, for example in designing and reviewing responses to reports and actual cases of child victims, in reviewing services, in assessing what needs to be changed at system level, in empowering children to be involved in decisions that affect them and in empowering children and young people to help themselves and other children, etc. Are there possibilities to involve children in project design prior to submission of proposals? Are the views of children on issues addressed in the call (possibly gathered elsewhere) reflected in the proposal?
Accessible guidance on how to ensure child participation is also contained in the Lundy Model of Participation and the Lundy Voice Model Checklist for Participation, designed by Professor Laura Lundy of Queen's University, Belfast.
30.1.1. Call 2: TOPIC : To support integrated and multidisciplinary child-centred approaches to child victims of violence – Deadline for applications 13/12/2016
(Extracts only – please refer to link for full text)
.1. Priorities
The aim of this call is to support integrated and multidisciplinary child-centred approaches (such as children's houses/Barnahus) to child victims of violence in line with Directive 2012/29/EU to contribute to better reporting, investigation, treatment, follow-up and judicial involvement in cases of violence against children. Proposals shall complement the efforts of the EU in the area of rights of the child and child protection, and contribute to integrated child protection systems. To this end, proposals should be carried out in line with the 10 Principles for integrated child protection systems, and proposals should describe how their project implements the principles.
1.2. Description of the activities to be funded under this topic
This call will fund activities for two priorities focusing on different types of activities. Project proposals must specify whether one (specifiying which) or both of the sub-priorities is/are addressed. Priority two is only relevant where an integrated and mulitidisciplinary child-centred approach to child victims of violence already exist, or is about to be implemented. Proposals that do not address at least one of the priorities of this call will not be considered.
All proposals must aim to ensure a child-friendly response to violence against children that is interagency, multidisciplinary, comprehensive and, where possible, under one roof (Barnahus/children's house model). Children's house models can be found in Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Croatia.
· Priority 1: mutual learning, exchange of good practices, capacity-building to design and adapt proven children's house models to the national context, multi-agency collaboration and protocols (e.g. police, prosecutors, judges, social workers, child protection authorities, health, mental health and education services). Activities can be foreseen to include capacity-building on particular areas of the children's house model, such as medical exams and evaluations, joint investigative interviews, victim therapy, family counselling/support, as well as education training and research. All projects must aim to foster cooperation at local, regional, and national level among child protection professionals and agencies. Development of integrated and targeted strategies to enhance multi-disciplinary and interagency cooperation between relevant actors providing support to victims, including in the fields of health, education, employment and social assistance.
· Priority 2:capacity building, education and awareness-raising for stakeholders This can include capacity building and awareness-raising for professionals and other adults who come into regular contact with children and are the first points of contact for (potential) (child) victims of violence so that they: are aware of child safeguarding standards and the role and mandate of national interagency and multidisciplinary child-centred approaches to child victims; can better assess risks and meet the specific needs of child victims, in particular by signposting them to integrated multidisciplinary specialist support services (such as children's houses). The target group is thus likely to include: professionals and other adults in the education, health, sports and leisure, child protection/welfare, parents/caregivers, alternative/corporate care, law enforcement and justice sectors, child helplines and hotlines, etc. The applicant should explain the rationale and their choice of target group.
This call aims to fund targeted, practical projects ensuring maximum tangible and demonstrable benefits and impact on the lives of child victims. All projects should not only develop a sound methodology using recognised existing good practice or tried and tested intervention models but consist of a large proportion of practical implementation measures and outcomes, ultimately to improve children's experience of the justice and child protection systems. These aspects will be taken into account when evaluating the quality of proposals. Applicants are invited to consider the weighting of the work streams, with a view to ensuring maximum practical benefits and impacts for the target groups and the final beneficiaries (children), and to check that the management and coordination work streams (including travel) are not over-resourced. Activities such as the development of materials, the mapping of existing materials or research should be, at most, minor components of project proposals. If included, the need should be solidly justified in the proposal; they should lead to practical applications and interventions.
Any training and/or practical tools should have an overarching objective to make the system work better to improve outcomes for children. This may include development and delivery of new training modules/tools or roll out and delivery of previously tried and tested training modules/tools. Proposal should describe how access to those to be trained will be assured and describe how training/tools will be rolled out in the participating countries. In terms of promoting sustainability, capacity-building should preferably focus on train-the-trainer approaches and may also include tools such as checklists/draft protocols, etc. Any training modules developed should be made available and be easily adaptable for use in all EU Member States. New training modules must be piloted and, if necessary, adapted prior to delivery.
All proposals are expected to respect the child's right to participate and be aligned with Article 24 of the Charter, relevant EU law and the UN Convention on the rights of the child. The child's right to be heard, as set out in UNCRC Article 12 and General Comment No 12, must be an integral part of all project activities.
Proposals must make children's involvement central and integral to the project, for example in designing and reviewing responses to reports and actual cases of child victims, in reviewing services, in assessing what needs to be changed at system level, in empowering children to be involved in decisions that affect them and in empowering children and young people to help themselves and other children, etc. Are there possibilities to involve children in project design prior to submission of proposals? Are the views of children on issues addressed in the call (possibly gathered elsewhere) reflected in the proposal?
Accessible guidance on how to ensure child participation is also contained in the Lundy Model of Participation and the Lundy Voice Model Checklist for Participation, designed by Professor Laura Lundy of Queen's University, Belfast.
Margaret Tuite
Commission coordinator for the rights of the child
European Commission
DG JUSTICE AND CONSUMERS - Unit C2 Fundamental rights policy
M059 5/80
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
