Eurochild and EASPD release Training Manual for Guardians of Unaccompanied Children with Disabilities

Together with experts, Eurochild and EASPD have designed a Transnational Training of Trainers program and a manual to equip trainers with the information and tools necessary to provide high-quality training to guardians and professionals. The programs and the manual are tailored to the needs of the target groups and offer timely information on the challenges faced by national guardianship systems, along with concrete measures and solutions.

This is part of the GUIDE Project (Supporting Guardians of Unaccompanied Children) which focuses on building guardians' and professionals' knowledge and skills across five European countries – Bulgaria, Greece, Slovakia, Italy, and Poland. The project specifically targets those working with children with disabilities or who are at risk of developmental delays, including children arriving from Ukraine and those evacuated from institutional care in Ukraine.

This Manual is designed to support training and provides a comprehensive guide for guardians on the rights, risks, and support for children, focusing on their best interests in relation to state services, ethical standards, and the challenges they face, especially for unaccompanied or vulnerable children. It covers key areas such as understanding children's rights, building effective guardian-child relationships, guiding them from arrival to long-term solutions, and utilizing tools for addressing vulnerabilities, cultural dimensions, and trauma.

The manual, applicable across the EU, adapts to the diverse guardianship and reception systems of Member States while emphasising human rights principles and aiming to enhance guardians' confidence in promoting children's rights and acting impartially. Building on previous work by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the manual draws from research on guardianship, child relocation, and asylum law.

By the end of the training completed in accordance with the Manual, trainers will be equipped not only with knowledge and skills but also with the confidence to support the children and guardians under their care, ensuring that all actions taken prioritise the child’s best interests.

From 17 to 19 September, the first three-day training session was held in Brussels. It offered tools for working with children, trauma and crisis intervention, conflict management, and psychological first aid. Guest speakers from FRA and UEAA provided insights on the construction of the training manual and asylum procedures.

> Read more and download the manual

Coming Next: In 2025 new manuals tailored to available in EN, BG, GR, SK, IT and PL. 

For further information, get in touch with Lyzaveta Drannikova, EASPD Project Officer