National Surveys on Children in Alternative Care - 2nd edition

In 2009 Eurochild carried out a survey of the situation of children in alternative care in Europe through its member organisations. 

The survey requested information on the numbers of children in alternative care including residential, community and family-based care; the profiles of children in care; the outcomes for children in care; the institutional framework and availability of data; and the existence of standards and support for children‘s participation. 30 European countries participated, including the 4 nations of the UK and Moldova. 

The survey was not intended as a scientifically rigorous research exercise but rather to identify what information is readily available and to note some common trends across Europe.

The following general observations were drown from the survey:

  1. There is a lack of consistent and comparable data
  2. An estimated 1 million children in the European Union are in alternative care
  3. Institutional care is still widely used for children without adequate parental care across the EU
  4. Placement of under 35 in institutions still takes place in several Member States
  5. Discrimination means certain vulnerable groups are over-represented in care statistics
  6. Families facing poverty and social exclusion are at greater risk of their children being taken into care
  7. Many children with experience of care carry psycho-social problems into adulthood
  8. Implementation of standards to protect the rights of children in alternative care is still weak and has little involvement of children and their families
  9. Peer led groups of children and young people who are living, or have lived, in alternative care are still too few in Europe
Click here to download the survey and here to download the Executive Summary.



Related Resources

slide
30 September 2022

Eurochild's response to the European Care Strategy

Adopted on 7 September 2022, the European Care Strategy introduces a breakthrough policy that has the ambition to address the needs of children and their families as well all generations…
read more
slide
15 June 2022

Dissemination Toolkit for national and EU advocacy on indicators relating to children in alternative care

As you well know, the Child Guarantee aims to prevent and combat social exclusion by guaranteeing the access of children in need to a set of key services, thereby also…
read more
slide
20 May 2022

How can we support children fleeing Ukraine?

Eurochild has published two new pieces of analysis to support efforts by the EU and the Ukrainian government to ensure the care of children arriving from Ukraine unaccompanied, separated from…
read more