Edukids builds on the experience of Eurochild National Forums (NEFs), which are already actively operating in other European countries. It brings together active children aged 8–18 from across different regions of Ukraine, who participate in events, surveys, and initiatives aimed at promoting and safeguarding children’s rights, as well as fostering children’s participation in public decision-making processes.

The majority of children assess their overall well-being as average (37%) or moderately positive (32%), corresponding to scores of 3-4. At the same time, nearly one in six children (16%) report negative well-being (scores of 1-2), while only 14.3% feel very well (score of 5). At the same time, negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, sadness, and anger are also quite widespread. Particular attention should be paid to the high levels of fatigue, which may indicate accumulated stress. Notably, the level of hope remains relatively high, suggesting that children maintain a degree of psychological resilience even under conditions of prolonged stress.

Children describe the war not as a background condition, but as a daily reality: air raid alerts, shelling, shelters, a constant sense of danger, disrupted sleep, learning, and rest. Responses often include a request to recognise the lived reality of childhood in wartime, rather than perceiving it solely through the lens of news coverage.

Children also refer to pressure and high expectations from schools, which do not always take wartime conditions into account. Most frequently, children speak about difficulties related to learning: difficulty concentrating, lessons disrupted by air raid alerts; challenges studying without electricity, heating, and internet access; a significant amount of material that must be covered independently; difficulties preparing for the National Multi-subject Test (NMT) and other exams.

Children are often required to organise their own learning, seek out resources, and adapt to challenging conditions. This reflects a high level of resilience, while at the same time pointing to insufficient systemic support.

Read the full study

Dear participants to the 2026 Eurochild conference, dear members of the Eurochild network,

It was a pleasure to meet many of you and learn about your great initiatives in Cyprus last week.

As you may remember, during my concluding remarks of the conference, I briefly referred to a survey to collect inputs for the next Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2028-2033). Please find below the relevant links to take part in this survey before 15 September 2026.

Click here to fill the form or contact the CDENF Secretariat for further information at childre@coe.int.

For your information, allow-me to also share the current Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2022-2027).  Relevant implementation reports of the Strategy by member states can be found on the Strategy webpage.  

Looking forward to hearing from you!

The Week of Action will combine a concentrated advocacy moment in Brussels with a broader European communications campaign. Beyond Brussels, national members will play a central role in amplifying the campaign.

Members will be invited to identify and engage national champions – such as policymakers, public figures, experts or advocates – who can contribute to short video messages using the campaign slogan “I choose to see them”. These contributions will be turned into national and European video compilations that showcase broad support for stronger action to protect children online. The campaign will also seek to include children’s voices through a dedicated child participation video developed in partnership with child-rights organisations. 

Read the full Concept Note and let us know if you would like to participate

Awarded by the French Forum for Urban Safety (FFSU), this prize rewards inspiring and innovative youth prevention initiatives, carried out in collaboration between local authorities, public institutions and civil society. This year’s thematic focus was mental health. The award ceremony took place on 26 and 27 May in Quimper, ahead of the conference on ‘Mental health: a social emergency and the management of complex issues’.

The jury was composed of anthropologists and representatives of the National Network of Local Mental Health Councils, the French Ministerial Delegation for Mental Health and Psychiatry and from the Directorate for Judicial Protection of Young People, the national authority responsible for minors involved in judicial cases. Haki Za Wanatsa – Collectif CIDE Outre-mer’s interventions were praised, highlighting the quality and robustness of the project’s systemic approach around young people’s mental health.

Anthropologist and jury member David Mourgues, also highlighted ‘a genuine regional strategy based on international recommendations regarding the development of psychosocial skills’, as well as ‘the project’s capacity to be sustainable, to combat the stigma surrounding mental suffering’, to ‘inspire other regions, particularly regarding the inclusion of young people’, and ‘to showcase the overseas territories, which are often under-represented in this type of award’.

This award acknowledges grass root work implemented since 2018 and the strengthening of a coalition of member associations and partners working in Mayotte, La Réunion, Guadeloupe, la Martinique and mainland France.

More broadly, it stressed the need to implement strong interventions centered on Mayotte in the aftermath of the Chido storm as well as, long term mental health interventions and programs  dedicated to children and young people in the French Overseas territories, which remain structurally vulnerable and exposed to precarity.

Founded in Poland with the mission of creating equal opportunities for children through education, the Czepczyński Family Foundation develops and supports projects that foster learning, personal development, and social inclusion. While the Foundation is widely recognized for promoting educational access and lifelong learning, one of its most impactful areas of work focuses on children’s emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Among CFF’s flagship initiatives are the educational projects ABC of Empathy and ABC of Emotions. These projects were created in response to a growing need for age-appropriate tools that help children understand themselves and others. Through engaging stories, practical exercises, and relatable characters, the books and teachers’ materials introduce young pupils at kindergartens and primary schools to concepts such as empathy, emotional awareness, kindness, respect, and resilience.

The importance of these skills cannot be overstated. Research consistently shows that children who can identify, understand, and regulate their emotions are better equipped to cope with stress, build healthy relationships, and succeed both academically and socially. Similarly, empathy plays a crucial role in reducing bullying, strengthening social cohesion, and promoting positive mental health outcomes.

The ABC of Empathy project encourages children to see the world from different perspectives and develop sensitivity towards the experiences of others. By learning empathy from an early age, children gain valuable tools for building inclusive communities and fostering mutual understanding. Meanwhile, ABC of Emotions helps children recognize and express a wide range of emotions in healthy ways, supporting emotional literacy and self-confidence. 

The relevance of such work was highlighted during the conference “Education and Resilience for Life: Supporting Children and Educators”, organized by the Czepczyński Family Foundation in Brussels in May 2026. The event brought together policymakers, educators, civil society organizations, private sector representatives, and child-focused stakeholders to discuss how non-governmental and private sectors can respond to the educational needs of children and strengthen resilience through education.

Opening remarks were delivered by Bogdan Zdrojewski, Member of the European Parliament and Vice-Chair of the CULT Committee, while the keynote address was given by Brikena Xhomaqi, Director of the Lifelong Learning Platform, who spoke about educational needs of children globally and the role of the non-governmental sector in addressing current and future societal challenges.

The first thematic session explored the role of non-governmental organizations and private-sector actors in responding to children’s educational needs. Representatives from SOS Children’s Villages, EuroHealthNet, the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD), Amazon Poland, PZU SA, and Totalizator Sportowy joined CFF to share perspectives on partnership, social responsibility, and investment in children’s development.

Particular attention was also given to supporting Ukrainian children through education during times of war. Participants discussed the needs of children affected by displacement and conflict, as well as approaches to strengthening mental health, wellbeing, and resilience in schools. CFF presented its experience in providing teaching materials to 565 schools and kindergartens in 5 regions of Ukraine and training 1650 teachers.

A third session focused on policy support and access to funding for educational projects, bringing together representatives of the European Commission including Mrs. Diana Jablonska, Director for Erasmus +, Education and Skills and national policymakers to discuss how sustainable investment can help scale effective educational initiatives. The event concluded with closing remarks from Eurochild Secretary General Sabine Saliba, reinforcing the importance of collaborative action to ensure every child has access to quality education and the support needed to flourish.

The discussions in Brussels underscored a message that lies at the heart of the Czepczyński Family Foundation’s work: education is not only about acquiring knowledge but also about developing the emotional and social competencies necessary for life. Initiatives such as ABC of Empathy and ABC of Emotions demonstrate how educational tools can contribute directly to children’s wellbeing, helping them become resilient, compassionate, and confident individuals.

As Europe continues to address complex social challenges, partnerships between civil society, educators, policymakers, and the private sector will remain essential. By investing in children’s emotional development alongside academic learning, organizations such as Czepczyński Family Foundation are helping to build a future in which every child has the opportunity not only to learn, but also to thrive.

You can watch the video recording of the conference here.

The Problem: Digital Use as a Weapon of War

Posing as employers, online friends, gaming contacts, or members of so-called patriotic communities, Russian agents reach out to Ukrainian children through Telegram, TikTok, Roblox, and other online platforms. They offer fast money – in exchange for photos of “non-sensitive” locations, stickers, or graffiti. But as trust grows, the requests escalate: setting fires, installing explosives, or sending coordinates of military equipment.

These acts are criminally prosecuted in Ukraine as sabotage, terrorism, or treason. Some children have died while following online instructions to make improvised explosives. Others are now serving sentences – despite being victims of targeted manipulation.

The Scale: From Isolated Incidents to Systemic Practice

Ukrainian law enforcement has recorded dozens of cases involving minors recruited for war-related crimes. According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), more than 700 individuals were detained between the spring of 2024 and the end of 2025 on suspicion of offences against national security. Approximately one quarter of those detained were children and adolescents under the age of 18. Most acted without fully understanding what they were doing or under direct pressure.

The average age is 14–16. Motivations include curiosity, financial need, desire to earn their own income, desire to belong or revenge for personal loss. Many children lived in vulnerable families or lacked adult supervision. Some had prior trauma or exposure to violence.

The Cycle: A Clear Pattern of Exploitation

1. Targeting and initial contact: through social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms.
2. Trust-building: friendly tone, “safe” tasks, patriotic framing.
3. Escalation of assignments: from taking photos to physical sabotage.
4. Criminal entrapment: recruiters collect videos or screenshots to use as leverage.
5. Blackmail and coercion: “Do what we say or we’ll report you.”
6. Full dependency: fear, guilt, and loyalty trap the child.

Five main manipulation strategies are used:

• Enticement with money
• Gradual escalation and trust-building
  Example: A 15-year-old girl was initially asked to take street photos. Two months later, she was instructed to assemble an explosive “for fun.”
• Blackmail and threats
  Example: A boy was forced to build a device under threat of publishing compromising images from a previous “prank.”
• Exploitation of vulnerabilities
  Example: For example, a boy from a troubled family was convinced that he was carrying out an important secret mission that would earn him recognition and respect from others. He later set fire to a military vehicle. 
• Creating a sense of impunity
  Example: Two 12-year-old boys were given a task through a video game to set fire to a railway relay cabinet. They were told it was part of the game challenge and assured that nothing would happen to them since they were below the age of criminal responsibility. 

What Needs to Be Done: Prevention and Response

• Children must be informed. Schools and families must talk about online exploitation and use of children  just as they do about cyberbullying or sexual exploitation.
• Communities must notice. Adults should look for warning signs – changes in behavior, new contacts, secretive online activity – and know how to respond.
• Digital platforms must act. Telegram, TikTok, Roblox and others must detect, report and remove recruiters.
• Governments must protect. Children in conflict with the law must be screened for signs of coercion or exploitation – and treated accordingly.

Governments should ensure that responses to children used in conflict-related and security-related activities are consistent with the Paris Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups (2007). Children who have been exploited, coerced, or manipulated into participating in such activities should be recognized primarily as victims and provided with protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration support.

Why This Matters to Europe

What started in a warzone could spread far beyond. Approximately 1.303 million Ukrainian children under the age of 18 live in the 27 EU Member States. They are likewise at risk of being used by Russian intelligence services to gather information and carry out crimes against national security across Europe. The digital tools, using patterns and psychological tactics are not unique to Ukraine. Also every European country has vulnerable children who use the same platforms and also may be at risk.

The misuse of technology to exploit children and use them for espionage purposes is not only a Ukrainian concern – it’s a challenge for Europe as a whole.

Child online safety is child protection.
And protecting children from digital exploitation and use of children is a duty without borders.

For further information, please contact:
Tamara Buhaiets, NGO AUPC Volunteer, Ukraine (t.buhaiets@volunteer.kyiv.ua)
Tetiana Zhuravel, NGO AUPC Volunteer, Ukraine (t.zhuravel@volunteer.kyiv.ua)

While we await the final text, this agreement already represents a major step forward. It strengthens the EU’s response to evolving technology-facilitated harms and ensures that Member States’ criminal laws keep pace with the realities children face online, including Al-generated child sexual abuse material, the livestreaming of abuse, and the extortion of children for sexual purposes. The text also includes new protection for teenagers from grooming in situations of threat, coercion and when the offender pretends to be a peer.

The revision also enhances protection, support and access to justice for victims and survivors. Most notably, it establishes, for the first time, minimum limitation periods for child sexual abuse offences, recognising the time needed for healing and acknowledging that most survivors require years before they are able to come forward and seek justice. This marks a significant advance and will substantially extend the time available for victims to report abuse across the EU. The revision also introduces strong safeguards around consent and mandates criminal record checks for professionals and volunteers in direct and regular contact with children.

The revision also indicates a large number of prevention measures, such as training for professionals or comprehensive sexuality education. Unfortunately, Member States have shown limited willingness to commit to these measures. Besides, the Directive falls short in imposing a one-roof model to support children victim of sexual abuse and exploitation ensuring they can be access medical care, psychological support and child centric judicial proceedings in a safe and coordinated setting.

“This agreement marks an important step in strengthening the protection of children from harm, both online and offline. We applaud EU policymakers for raising the bar on victims’ and survivors’ access to justice. At a time when EU citizens have repeatedly called for stronger protection of children, it is encouraging to see European standards being set on limitation periods, consent, and the criminalisation of technology-facilitated abuse. We regret, however, that the EU missed an opportunity to be more ambitious notably on mandatory prevention measures, and on ensuring that child victims can access medical, psychological and judicial support under one roof” says Julie Fuchs, ECLAG spokesperson, EU Policy and Advocacy Officer at ECPAT International.

Technical work on the final text will continue in the coming months. Once adopted and implemented, the revised Directive will establish a strong minimum standard across the EU for preventing child sexual abuse, holding offenders accountable, and ensuring access to justice and support for victims and survivors. We encourage Member States to go further and adopt even more ambitious measures to strengthen protections for children and improve support for victims and survivors at national level.

As part of the Daphne-CHILD project, Eurochild and Terre des hommes have published a practical resource featuring insights from 48 civil society organisations across nine European countries involved in violence prevention work, meaningfully involving children. 

Across Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, and Ukraine, Daphne-CHILD grantees have been working with children to address peer violence, online abuse, sexual violence, institutional violence, and more. What unites them, regardless of country, setting, or the age group they work with, is the principle that children are not passive beneficiaries of child protection, but active participants in shaping it.

The handbook documents what this looks like in practice and makes it easy for readers to find approaches relevant to their own context, whether that is working with Roma children in rural communities, supporting children with disabilities, or engaging refugee children in conflict-affected settings.

We recommend it as a practical resource for child protection practitioners, educators, social workers, psychologists, and youth workers looking for concrete facilitation techniques and age-appropriate methods; for policymakers seeking evidence of how child participation strengthens outcomes in violence prevention; and for funders who want to understand what genuine participation requires in terms of resources, infrastructure, and institutional commitment.

Read the handbook

Further info

Contact Ciaran O’Donnell, Partnerships and Programmes Coordinator

As a core partner in the project, LLLP ensures that research findings are accessible to policymakers, civil society, and education stakeholders, and that they meaningfully inform inclusive education and lifelong learning policies.

In the first quarter of 2026, four major reports have been published, each addressing a different dimension of educational inequality and highlighting the role of systemic reforms and early intervention. Together, these publications contribute to STRIDE’s objective of identifying effective policy initiatives and interventions, mapping longitudinal trends of inequalities in education, synthesising comparative evidence, and supporting more equitable education systems across Europe, providing a factual evidence base for policy reform.

In the next months, STRIDE researchers will share an Interactive Map of Educational Inequalities and Policy Reforms, a policy toolbox, and multilingual policy briefs on equity, equality, and inclusion in education and training policies across Europe.

Policy Analysis Report: 25 years of education policy reforms

The STRIDE Policy Analysis Report provides an overview of education policies implemented across EU member states, Norway and England over the last 25 years. It examines how educational reforms have been adopted across European countries and their shortcomings. Drawing on international and national policy sources, it reviews reforms implemented between 1999 and 2024 and categorises them according to the level of education and the sector involved (e.g., early childhood education and care (ECEC), school education, vocational education and training (VET), etc.) as well as their focus areas, which include addressing socio-economic disadvantage, supporting students from migrant backgrounds, assisting ethnic minorities (such as Roma communities), catering to learners with special educational needs, tackling gender inequality, and promoting inclusion for LGBTQIA+ individuals.

The analysis shows a steady increase in equity-oriented reforms, particularly in the expansion of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), financial support measures, and initiatives to reduce hidden school costs. A key finding is that collaboration with families and communities reinforces pupils’ success, once more showcasing the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration in education and training. 

However, the report also highlights a persistent gap in systematic public evaluation, limiting the ability to assess the long-term effectiveness of many reforms. The report is available on Zenodo at this link.

Comparative country case studies

The report ‘Mitigating inequality in educational outcomes’ evaluates the impact of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in five European countries.

By analysing national contexts, governance structures and implementation approaches, the report provides concrete insights into how early intervention policies can support learners facing disadvantage. It demonstrates that although ECEC contributes to reducing educational inequalities, its impact varies highly depending on the context, implementation, and additional policies tied to it.

These case studies underline the importance of targeted support, adequate resources, and inclusive system design, offering valuable lessons for policymakers and practitioners working at both national and European levels.

The report is available on Zenodo at this link.

Systematic Review Report

The Systematic Review Report entitled ‘Does early childhood education reduce inequalities in educational outcomes for children facing multiple disadvantages’ synthesises evidence focusing on ECEC interventions targeting children facing multiple disadvantages, including socio-economic hardship, migrant background and minority status. Focusing on longitudinal and quasi-experimental studies, the review analyses outcomes related to academic achievement, behaviour, retention, and longer-term life trajectories.

A core finding highlights that the implementation of high-quality early childhood programmes in disadvantaged communities significantly mitigates educational inequalities, particularly when sufficient resources and inclusive design are in place. Long-term benefits identified in the literature include better employment outcomes and reduced social risks later in life.

The report is available on Zenodo at this link.

Report on trends in educational inequalities

The report ‘Trends in Inequality in Educational Achievement in Europe’ analyses disparities in learning outcomes across intersecting factors, such as socio-economic background, migrant status, and gender, drawing on international large-scale assessment data (TIMSS, PIRLS and PISA). The report analyses inequalities across 27 EU Member States, Norway and the United Kingdom and adopts an intersectional lens, showing how multiple forms of disadvantage interact. Students from lower-educated families, particularly when combined with other factors such as gender or location, often face compounded barriers and continue to perform below average in many countries.

Key findings indicate that socio-economic background remains the strongest predictor of educational performance, underscoring that achieving true equity requires targeted support, inclusive design, and efforts to close participation gaps. This publication provides further evidence for the ongoing policy discussion on early intervention for equity and inclusion in Education and Training. It focuses on reforms that improve access to early childhood education, showing that these reforms alone are not enough to close existing gaps. The most effective reforms will also need to tackle participation disparities and quality differences among social groups. The report is available on Zenodo at this link.

Contribute to STRIDE and stay informed about its results

STRIDE emphasises the importance of sustained, evidence-based measures over one-time initiatives. It provides education stakeholders with new knowledge and tools to foster resilient, inclusive school systems. The project encourages collaboration among practitioners, decision-makers, and stakeholders, while advocating for resources and evaluations of measures aimed at reducing inequalities. If you are interested in contributing your perspective to discussions on education, equity, and inclusion, following the project’s research findings and policy recommendations, or just staying informed about events, publications, and project updates, you can:

Visit the project’s website to explore STRIDE’s results and upcoming activities: https://stride-research.eu/

Follow and share STRIDE updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/stride-eu/

Feel free to share STRIDE publications and policy briefs with your networks, participate in STRIDE events and discussions, and engage with our content on social media and the STRIDE website.

Paphos, 17 June 2026 – More than 160 people from 31 countries attended the Eurochild Conference on Child Protection Systems in Paphos, Cyprus, on 16–17 June 2026. The event, hosted by the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, was co-organised with the Pancyprian Coordinating Committee for the Protection and Welfare of Children. Representatives from EU institutions, the Cypriot government, and civil society organisations joined Eurochild members, as well as experts and practitioners.

“We gather at a time when the world feels increasingly uncertain. Across Europe and beyond, we are witnessing growing inequalities, rising poverty, increasing political polarisation, shrinking civic space, and a worrying erosion of trust in institutions. At the same time, conflicts continue to devastate the lives of millions of children. The protection of children is not only about responding when something goes wrong. It is about building societies where children can thrive. It is about prevention, dignity, inclusion, justice, and hope,” said Sabine Saliba, Eurochild Secretary General.

During the event, the Eurochild report “Our voices matter” was also presented. This publication features children’s quotes and insights from consultations with 128 children in five countries, and explores how children view and experience participation in decision-making processes. As one child from Bulgaria said during a group discussion: “Children are human beings no matter what their age is […] this doesn’t mean that they cannot have opinions on issues or be involved in decisions.”

As demonstrated by the work of the Eurochild network and the conference discussions, strong child protection systems depend on effective collaboration. When children, governments, service providers, civil society organisations, and communities work together, they can identify risks earlier, respond more effectively, and ensure that every child receives the support and protection they need. Collaboration helps create coordinated, child-centred systems that leave no child behind.

More updates and photos from the event will be shared soon. Stay tuned!

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About Eurochild

Eurochild is the largest network of organisations working with and for children throughout Europe, striving for a society that respects, protects and promotes the rights of all children. We represent over 234 organisations and individuals from across 41 European countries.
Our mission is to promote the rights and well-being of children in policy and practice, through advocacy, membership exchange, and research

For further information, email Davide Rambaldi, Eurochild Communications Coordinator.