Eurochild network expands to 192 members in 37 European countries
Eurochild members gathered online for the #EurochildGA to take important decisions and welcome new members
At the Eurochild Extraordinary General Assembly hold online on 16 November 2022, Eurochild members approved the 2022-2025 Strategic Framework, elected Ninetta Kazantzis as the new Treasurer for a term of 3 years and approved 12 new Eurochild members. We thank Ljiljana Vasic, outgoing Treasurer, for her past 6 years’ service in the Management Board.
Before the Assembly, Jakob and Anna from the Eurochild Children's Council flew to Brussels to meet with the Eurochild Management Board and Secretariat.
Behind the scenes: Take a look at the event photos here
Meet the new members below:
Association “Casa Bună”
Romania
Casa Bună currently works with about 300 children from vulnerable communities in and near Bucharest, and in 2 rural locations in Arges county. Although children in Romania have the right to education, healthcare, and adequate living conditions, in practice many children from vulnerable communities are excluded or have difficulty in accessing these rights. Casa Bună works on 4 main areas: education, health, vocation, and wellbeing.
Association Centre for the Culture of Dialogue (CEKADE)
Croatia
Centre for the Culture of Dialogue is an NGO in Croatia that supports children and families living in the conditions of poverty through educational workshops, leisure activities, learning support, social mentorship, and overall psychosocial support. Their main programme My Place Under the Sun started in 2015 and provides children from a disadvantaged socioeconomic position (including Roma and children with learning difficulties) with a stimulating environment in which they have the opportunity to participate in activities that would otherwise be unavailable to them. The Centre also have advocacy projects addressing family and child poverty at local level.
Auto Moto Group NGO
Elected full member, previously associate
Lithuania
“Auto moto group” is a limited liability public legal entity with an NGO arm focusing on providing social services in Lithuania. The organisation implements a variety of social projects focusing on non-formal education and youth activities, notably: The summer camp “Let`s get to know each other” strengthening social relationships among different social groups of youth in order to promote citizenship and tolerance and contribute to the reduction of crime and prevent suicide and addictions; Karate programmes promoting healthy lifestyle and social inclusion. Auto Moto also creates videos on disease prevention in collaboration with health centres, and providing HR coaching/ job matching facilitation.
BRIS – Children´s Rights in Society
Sweden
BRIS is a politically and religiously independent children's rights organization that listens to, supports and strengthens children and young adults' rights in society. The organisation conducts activities to raise the attention of politicians and decision‐makers to child rights' issues based on children's stories, and acts as a consultative body for legislative actions that affect children and young adults. BRIS' helpline and support services offer children and young adults up to 18 years old a secure, anonymous and free access to email, chat, or call with a counsellor at BRIS. Since its inception, physical abuse has been a central issue for the organisation, but support is also given for other important issues where the child is mistreated, having problems or needs support and advice from knowledgeable and empathetic adults.
Center for Missing and Exploited Children – CNZD
Serbia
The mission of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children is to protect and promote children’s rights and to improve the safety and security of children. The mission is implemented through preventive educational and other activities, advocacy activities, introduction of new protective mechanisms, as well as through providing necessary psychological, legal and/or humanitarian aid and support to children, young people and their families in cases of existing or suspected violence. The focus of CNZD’s work mainly consists in undertaking activities aimed to improving safety of children on the street, at school and on the Internet, as well as supporting families and improving conditions and institutional mechanisms for finding missing children.
Charitable Fund “Voices of Children”
Ukraine
Charitable Fund “Voices of Children” aims to provide timely psychological and any needed support to children and their families who have suffered from the war in Ukraine. Their work includes psychosocial assistance to children, including training programmes, summer camps and art therapy for children; rehabilitation programs and mobile psychologists for children; advocacy and communication on children’s rights. Their team provides direct support to families and awareness raising campaigns in Ukraine and abroad. The fund is working in various Ukrainian villages and towns to support internally displaced people and refugees.
Child Law Project
Ireland
Established in 2012, the Child Law Project examines and reports on judicial childcare proceedings. The organisation attends and reports on Irish District Court childcare hearings, High Court special care hearings, and wardship cases involving children and young adults who have previously been in care. It operates under a protocol to protect the anonymity of the children and their families subject to proceedings. It uses information from the cases it attends to identify emerging trends. The Child Law Project also conducts legal and policy analysis and research to identify possible reforms to address the difficulties observed through its court reporting work. It provides information to the public on the operation of the childcare system in the courts with the aim of promoting transparency and accountability. Finally, it communicates the findings from its work to policy makers and elected officials through direct engagement.
Council FONI
Cyprus
Council FONI was created as a statutory body by law to implement the National Strategy for the Combatting of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and Child Pornography, and its members are appointed by the Council of Ministers of Cyprus. Its members comprise the Council President, representatives from the Ministries of Health, Social Welfare, Education, Justice, the Attorney General’s Office, the Committee for combatting violence in the family and three NGOs. Its responsibilities include drafting the National Strategy and action plan to combat sexual abuse and exploitation of children and child pornography, suggesting possible legislation improvements or amendments, creating social awareness, evaluating and co-ordinating all actions carried out in Cyprus by any body or organisation regarding sexual abuse of children, as well as developing cooperation with other relevant organizations in the areas of the Council’s competences.
Fundevas
Spain
Fundevas works in the pre- and perinatal field to support mothers and families and to facilitate bonding and attachment in the first 1000 days. It promotes comprehensive and interdisciplinary care to pregnant women, mothers, fathers and babies in early childhood, the most important stage from the neuroscience perspective and the background of physical and mental health with long-term imprints in the whole life. Fundevas trains families and health care professionals in mindfulness, neuroscience and pre- and perinatal psychology, offers individual sessions to families to promote bonding and secure attachment, and individual sessions to personalise nutritional and microbiota study for women. The organisation offers consulting services to public agencies and private entities and promote public policies in this field.
ICAM Network APS
Italy
The ICAM (Including Children Affected by Migration) Network is dedicated to upholding all aspects of the UNCRC, which forms the founding principles of the organisation. They provide support and guidance for any individuals or organisations seeking to improve the inclusion in education and society, and the subsequent personal development and life chances of all children disadvantaged by their circumstances. Currently the focus of the network is the provision, and wide dissemination, of comprehensive programmes for improving the inclusion in education of all 15 million European children affected by migration, through their improved social and emotional well-being in school and at home, and consequently their access to learning and personal development.
Rosalba Mirci - Individual
Italy
Rosalba Mirci has extensive experience in the field of child protection and international adoptions. Since 2010 she has been working for the Association Solidarity Adoptions (ASA), an accredited body for international adoptions, authorized by the Italian Central Authority in the chair of the Council of Ministers. She is responsible for the Association’s international cooperation and social planning. She has recently embarked on an international collaboration to exchange best practices in foster care and transition to adulthood. With her work, she hopes to contribute to the empowerment of a community of educating adults who can consciously take care of their children.
Sónia Pires de Lima Araújo Rodrigues - Individual
Portugal
Sonia Pires de Lima Araújo Rodrigues is psychologist and a researcher, holding PhD in Psychology from the University of Porto (Portugal). She carries out research on the quality of residential care for children and young people and other topics related to child protection. Ms. Pires de Lima Araújo Rodrigues used to work as supervisor of residential care centres. She is currently Chairman of the Board of the NGO AjudAjudar. She is a member of International Research Network on Infants and Child Protection Systems, as well as of International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect. She is strongly committed to the deinstitutionalisation of children.
UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre
Ireland
The UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (UCFRC) in University of Galway, has established a solid foundation as the foremost policy research centre in Ireland focused on improving the lives of children and families. Founded in 2007, it has delivered a range of research/evaluation reports, as well as a volume of peerreviewed academic outputs. It has a strong record of accomplishment in the area of rights-based consultations with children and young people and youth-led research.