Amid anti-rights movements, Eurochild strengthens its governance and welcomes fourteen new members

During the online General Assembly on 28 May 2026, members adopted a new Child Safeguarding Policy, updated Code of Ethics, financial report and 2026 budget, and reviewed key organisational reports and Management Board elections. Eurochild also welcomed 14 new members, bringing total membership to 234 organisations across 41 countries.

Management Board elections
Members confirmed a second term for Management Board members, Ulla Siimes from Central Union for Child Welfare, Finland and Sergio Hugo Costa Araujo (individual Member from Portugal).

Presentation of our Achievements
In 2025, Eurochild expanded its impact across Europe, engaging members, allies and policymakers more than 6,700 times and advocating for children’s rights in 406 meetings and events. We published 150+ articles, reached 23,000+ people on social media, began distributing €1.3 million to 48 organisations in 9 countries, impacting 23,000 children, and supported guardians of unaccompanied children in 5 countries. Want to know more? Read our Annual Report

A new Child Safeguarding Policy
Approved by the Management Board on 30 April 2026, and with contributions from the Eurochild Children’s Council, the new Child Safeguarding Policy replaces the former Child Protection Policy and signals a shift from responding to harm to actively preventing it.

A renewed Eurochild Code of Ethics
Reviewed across all governance levels, the updated Code reaffirms the network's seven core principles: integrity, professionalism, collaboration, non-discrimination, accountability, transparency, and independence, with strengthened guidance on how they apply in practice.

Nine organisations were admitted as full members:

• The Social Teahouse (Bulgaria) is a social enterprise based in Varna dedicated to supporting young people leaving the state care system, providing mentorship, vocational training, and employment opportunities to foster their independence and confidence.
• FUSO (France) equips, trains, and supports children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their families, providing computer and digital learning packages and resources to help neurodivergent children overcome their difficulties and improve their inclusion at school.
• ThinkOnception (Greece) is an organisation with over fifty years of heritage in education that empowers children and young people through innovative training programmes, youth participation activities, and EU-funded projects across education, employability, and social inclusion.
• EPIC – Empowering People in Care (Ireland) is an independent advocacy organisation working with children in care, young care leavers, and care-experienced people up to the age of 26, ensuring their voices inform decisions and policies that affect their lives.
• Asociación para el Cuidado de la Infancia (Spain) has over 30 years of experience supporting adoptive and foster children and families through adoption, post-adoption services, identity support, and advocacy for children’s right to a family and protection.
• Equitat.org -formerly Foundation Jaume Bofill- (Spain) is a think-and-do-tank founded in 1969 that promotes research, advocacy, and innovation to generate educational opportunities and combat social inequalities, with particular focus on systemic change in Catalonia.
• All-Ukrainian Public Center «Volunteer» (Ukraine) is a nationwide civil society organisation with over 25 years of experience protecting children’s rights through the promotion of child-friendly justice, psychosocial support, positive parenting, and prevention of violence.
• Charitable Organisation Ukrainian Education Platform (Ukraine) is an all-Ukrainian cross-sectoral network that has supported over 1.2 million children from families in difficult life circumstances since 2010, focusing on child protection, alternative family care, and education services.
• Charity Foundation Dream to Live (Ukraine) supports children aged 3 to 10 with disabilities and their families through day care, socialisation, and community-based social services, including children with cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorders.

Five individuals and organisations were admitted as associate members:

• Jonathan Levy (France - individual) is an educator and child rights specialist, Director of Pedagogy & Advocacy at CRIA, UNICEF consultant on pedagogy and children’s rights, and Vice President of the French Janusz Korczak Association.
• Agevolando APS (Italy) is a Social Promotion Association working with and for young people growing up in out-of-family care, supporting care leavers in their gradual transition to adulthood through well-being, participation, and housing and employment opportunities.
• Association For Solidarity And Action For Youth -ASAT (Romania) promotes the social inclusion and empowerment of vulnerable young people, particularly care leavers and those at risk of school dropout, through humanitarian aid, housing support, integration programmes, and arts-based non-formal education.
• Fragment Association (Romania) supports adopted persons and their families by facilitating family reconnection, promoting the right to identity, and providing social, educational, and cultural support through digital tools, counselling, and mediation.
• Bianca Balea (Romania (individual)) is a sociologist and researcher with a PhD in digital inequalities among children and 15 years of experience in equity-focused research on child well-being, online experiences, and education in vulnerable communities.

Where do we go next?

President Tanya Ward closed the assembly with a call for renewed commitment to children as rights holders and to keep pushing for the solutions that already exist to be implemented. At a time of funding pressures, anti-rights movements, and growing political challenges, the importance of solidarity and collaboration across the Eurochild network has never been greater. Members were encouraged to share best practices, celebrate successes, and strengthen collective action to protect and promote children’s rights across Europe.

Looking ahead, the message was clear: by working together to tackle poverty, inequality, and injustice, we can continue building hope for Europe’s children and for the movement itself.

Take a look at the photos from the assembly on Flickr