The conference was particularly meaningful not only due to its child-led agenda, but more importantly because children sat at the same tables as adults. In workshops and networking sessions alike, we all sat around the same tables and exchanged ideas on level ground. For some adults, this was in some ways destabilising, to discuss such pressing issues on an equal footing with the children affected by them. The children at the conference were opinionated, fired up, passionate, ready to exchange.

Notably, many conversations kept circling back to age as the limiting, dividing factor. Discussions ranged across topics from social media access to children living in war. Across several different conversations, I noticed adults reaching for comparisons to drinking age or driving age, the idea that if someone isn’t old enough to drink, they shouldn’t be old enough to vote, use social media, or have a say on certain legislation.

I reflect here on how often these conversations are reduced to age, when age is rarely the issue. After all, readiness to vote responsibly isn’t guaranteed by age alone, and plenty of adults are also vulnerable to social media dependency and the risks of the digital world, yet we don’t take these rights away from adults on those grounds. When the same facts hold true for children, though, they’re dismissed outright because of their age, with little interest in the nuance of individual cases, or in levelling the playing field so these spaces are safe and accessible for children from every background.

This tension sits at the heart of the wider issue of child participation. Children are routinely denied a voice, a seat at the table, simply because they are children, welcomed in only when it suits the adults in the room. At this year’s Eurochild conference, we saw the enormous value of inviting children to help build the table, not just sit at it. Children ask us to sit with our discomfort, to question our own norms and practices. They offer perspectives that are essential to how we understand children’s rights.

As Eurochild thanks the 2024-2026 ECC: Abigel, Amina, Arthur, Dario, Faidra, Georgios Efrem, Leon, Lucijan, Oleksandr, Rhythm, Tiana, Tuule for their work, their activism, and their endless motivation, we are inspired by their voices, their passion, and their frustration with the systems that do not listen to them. We continue to commit to bringing children into the spaces where they belong, to asking whether spaces that claim to include children are truly listening, and to staying inspired by the children we work with and for.

See here our recent report on Child Participation, based entirely on consultations with children:  Our voices matter – Children Define Meaningful Participation: Insights from Five European Countries.

From lifelong favourites to recent discoveries, each pick comes with a personal note on why it stayed with us.

• Poor – Katriona O’Sullivan
  Picked by Ally Dunhill, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Communications – “It gives a powerful, human account of how poverty shapes a child’s life, opportunities and self-worth. But also shows how education, trusted adults, practical support and belief can change a child’s life. It is especially relevant for anyone working on child poverty, education, early intervention or children’s rights because it moves the issue from statistics to lived experience.”
• Ghost Boy – Martin Pistorius
  Picked by Claire Boutry Özkan, Operations Coordinator – “A memoir about a boy, trapped in his own body for years, that shows how love, patience and human connection can give someone hope, while also exploring the challenges of caring for a severely disabled child and the failures of institutional care. Very moving story, but trigger warning for abuse.”
• My Brilliant Friend – Elena Ferrante
  Picked by Brisa Wiklund, Policy, Advocacy and Communications Intern – “This book (and the whole series) reignited a thirst for reading I hadn’t felt since I was 12. Following Elena and Lila from their childhood in a poor, violent neighbourhood of 1950s Naples, through friendship and rivalry, I was gripped so completely that I read until my eyes were red!”
• The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
  Picked by Zuzana Konradova, EU Affairs Coordinator – “Although it was written in the 1960s, its storytelling feels remarkably contemporary. The themes of respect, friendship and love remain as relevant today as ever. It also offers a thought-provoking insight into mental health and the way it was understood and treated then, raising questions that, in some respects, are still relevant today. A powerful and surprisingly timeless read.”
• We Are Not Numbers: The Voices of Gaza’s Youth – edited by Ahmed Alnaouq & Pam Bailey
  Picked by Ciaran O’Donnell, Partnerships and Programmes Coordinator – “Written by a mix of young authors from Gaza over the past ten years. Some contributors started as children and are now adults, some are under 18, and others are young adults. Edited by Ahmed Alnaouq & Pam Bailey.”
• The Notebook Trilogy – Ágota Kristóf
  Picked by Davide Rambaldi, Communications Coordinator – “The story of twin brothers growing up during war, showing how violence and separation shape their lives and erase their sense of right and wrong. The more you read, the harder it gets to tell what is real and what is imagined. Harsh and bleak, but great.”
• When The World Sleeps – Francesca Albanese
  Picked by Federica Marra, Communications Officer – “A collection of ten stories. One of them tells the story of Hind, a child trapped in a car after her family was killed while fleeing. Alone, frightened, and waiting for help that never safely reached her, Hind remains on the phone with the emergency line, her voice becoming a heartbreaking testament to the suffering of children in war. Through her story, the author reflects on the lived reality of many Palestinian children.”
• Solito – Javier Zamora
  Picked by Mieke Schuurman, Director of Child Rights and Capacity Building – “A book about a 9-year old boy fleeing all by himself from El Salvador via Guatemala, Mexico to the USA to get reunited with his parents who fled several years earlier. I found it heartbreaking as it is a journey of hardship, but also about hope, love and compassion from his fellow refugees. It is based on a true story.”
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
  Picked by Juliette Hudson, Event & Child Participation Intern – “One of my favourite books growing up – a fun, captivating read. Christopher takes you along on his adventures, and while the portrayal arguably leans on some stereotypes, it’s still a meaningful and comforting representation of an autistic voice and protagonist.”
• Aya – Marie-Virginie Dru
  Picked by Laure Pailleau, Child Participation and Policy Officer – “I loved how delicately it explores family, identity and resilience. It’s both heartwarming and thought-provoking.”

The Eurochild team wishes you a lovely summer! And meanwhile you’re having fun, do you want to support our work? Donate now! Your donation will help Eurochild make sure that children can shape the world they live in.

On children specifically, the Presidency programme commits to supporting the strengthening of the European Child Guarantee, recognising that social investment and action on child poverty brings long-term economic and social benefits.

Eurochild will be taking part in two events during the Presidency. On 30-31 July, the High Level Conference: Listening to Children and Young People – challenges in challenging settings will bring together policymakers and practitioners to discuss how children’s voices can be heard even in the most difficult circumstances. Then, on 24-25 September, the Meeting of European Child Guarantee Coordinators will gather national coordinators to take stock of progress on implementing the Guarantee across Member States.

We are also happy to see that the Presidency will host a Conference on Online Safety for Children and Young People on 10-11 September to listen to the experiences of children and young people in the online environment and to seek their views on what online safety means to them.

With MFF negotiations reaching their peak, this is the moment to make sure children’s rights are built into the budget lines that will shape their lives for the next decade.

We look forward to collaborating with the Irish Presidency in the next six months!

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

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.

PICS: Look at the photos from the conference on Flickr.

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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.

This report looks at how children understand, view and experience child participation in decision-making processes. Eurochild consulted with 128 children who shared their views, experiences, and ideas about what participation means to them and how it should work in practice. The consultations were conducted by five National Eurochild Forums (NEFs) in Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Malta and Wales (UK).

Children were clear that they want to be involved in decisions that affect their lives because participation is their right. For them, participation is not just about being asked for an opinion occasionally. It means being included equally in discussions and decisions that shape their everyday lives, whether at school, in their communities, or in public policies
that affect them.

Many children described situations where they were asked for their views but never received feedback afterwards. They did not know whether their ideas were considered, whether anything changed, or why decisions were made differently. When participation is not followed by feedback or visible action, it can feel disappointing and discouraging.

Children are not asking for adults to agree with every idea they have. Instead, they want honesty, transparency, and genuine respect. Participation must be meaningful, inclusive, and lead to real impact.

Read the NEF Report

A) (re)Enforce what we have- Improve the current system and strengthen the legislative framework

• (Re)enforce what we already have: The Digital Services Act, AI Act, GDPR, and Audiovisual Media Services Directive all include provisions to protect children – yet too often, they are not fully used in practice. The real issue is not merely a lack of rules, but a lack of enforcement. The priority should be to apply the existing ones properly, consistently, and with real rigour and effective coordination.
• A higher age limit by itself will not solve the problem: If current age limits for online services are not being respected, simply raising the threshold is unlikely to address the underlying problem. The core question is not just what the age limit should be, but whether effective measures are in place to provide age-appropriate, rights-respecting and safe-by-design services for all children.
• Open the data, build the trust: Giving researchers access to platform data would allow for proper independent scientific scrutiny – something that is essential to rebuild trust and support evidence-based policy. Beyond the Ban: What can really protect children’s safety and rights online?

B) Fix the platform business model – The problem lies in platform design, not in the users

• Make “safe-by-design” the legal default for all digital services accessible to children: This includes stronger privacy settings, filtering of inappropriate content, and switching off manipulative design choices. If a feature only works by keeping users hooked, it shouldn’t be on by default. That includes infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithmic push notifications targeting children.
• Empower choice, eliminate manipulation: Design recommendation systems that respect children’s preferences by relying primarily on explicit feedback, rather than opaque algorithms that only maximise quick clicks or screen time. Give children a clearer say in shaping their online experience and discourage manipulative systems that push content for short-term engagement, helping children define for themselves what they want to explore and enjoy online. In addition, the Digital Fairness Act should prohibit behavioral advertising for children for all traders, building on the existing ban under the Digital Services Act.
• Slowing things down: Introduce “positive friction” in children’s accounts, such as “think before you share” prompts or limits on reshares, to help young users manage their time and behaviour more consciously. If platforms are designed to encourage constant sharing, they can just as easily be designed to slow things down.
• Help on Hand: Children should have access to clear, accessible and child-friendly reporting and support channels. Platforms should be required to respond within clear timeframes, explain what action has been taken, provide escalation routes, and cooperate with trusted helplines, hotlines and support services where appropriate.

C) Fit for purpose, fit for children- Designing a digital world that safeguards and empowers

• Age Verification as a tool, not the full solution: Age verification must be necessary, proportionate, privacy-friendly, robust, non-discriminatory and transparent. It should not be used as a one-size-fits-all answer to children’s rights and data protection.
• The digital environment should be age-appropriate: All children under 18 should benefit from a high level of protection online. However, safeguards should reflect children’s evolving capacities: younger children may need stronger default protections and limits, while older teenagers should have greater autonomy, choice, and control. In practice, this means age-appropriate settings, recommender safeguards, privacy-by-default, limits on profiling and behavioural advertising, and protections from harmful contact and manipulative design across the whole under-18 spectrum, not a single cut-off that treats all children the same.
• Let children shape the rules: Children should be directly involved in designing policies that affect their digital lives. As shown in Euroconsumers’ national dialogues, they have clear, thoughtful and often very practical views on what works and what doesn’t. They are not just passive users – they are experts in their own experience, and their voices should directly inform the rules that govern their online world, as set out in Euroconsumers’ report Growing up online: Building a digital future for minors by minors and in Eurochild’s position on age restrictions on social media.

D) Age Restriction and Age Verification: same same, but very different – Age verification and social media bans are often discussed together, but they are not the same thing

Age verification is a more specific form of age assurance used to confirm a user’s age before accessing certain online products, services or features. When used carefully, age verification can help platforms provide age-appropriate
experiences and apply tailored safeguards. But it should never be treated as the tool for a blanket ban or as the single silver bullet for ensuring online safety. It is one piece of the puzzle, but certainly not the only one. Used thoughtfully alongside other safeguards, age verification helps create a safer online environment for children.

Download as a PDF

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

Child safeguarding is fundamental to ensuring that children under the age of 18 can safely exercise their rights, express their views, and participate meaningfully in decisions that affect them. For Eurochild, child safeguarding is a priority.

Eurochild’s guiding principles on child safeguarding:

• The organisation is committed to ensuring that no child is exposed to harm or at risk of harm.
• A zero-tolerance policy is applied to all forms of violence, abuse, and neglect of children.
• All children have an equal right to protection, regardless of their personal or social circumstances.
• Everyone has a responsibility to actively contribute to the protection, well-being, and empowerment of children.
• The organisation has a clear duty of care towards all children it works with, comes into contact with, or whose lives may be affected by its activities.
• Children have the right to express their views and to actively participate in decision-making processes that affect them, in accordance with their age and evolving capacities.
• The organisation actively promotes, values, and integrates children’s participation in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of its activities.
• All activities and decisions are guided by the “Best interests of the child“ as a fundamental principle, while respecting children’s voices.
• In cooperation with partners, the organisation assumes responsibility for promoting and ensuring compliance with minimum child safeguarding standards.

Alongside Keeping Children Safe, Eurochild’s newly adopted safeguarding policy draws on guidance from the Oak Foundation, a group of experts, Eurochild staff, Management Board members, Eurochild members and Eurochild Children’s Council and the Network of Online Visionaries in Action (NOVA children’s group).

This document replaces the previous Child Protection Policy from 2024.

We strongly encourage all organisations, including our members and partners, to develop and maintain their own safeguarding policies, tailored to their operational context, and legal obligations, and to ensure that these are effectively implemented and regularly reviewed.

Read the full policy

For further information, contact Carine Le Borgne, Eurochild’s Child Safeguarding Focal Person.

Drawing connections between the situations in Ukraine, Lebanon, and Palestine, we reflect on how language shapes understanding and emotional responses. Whether you are a journalist, teacher, or parent, the way you communicate can influence perceptions, either easing or intensifying fear and stress in both children and adults. From avoiding stereotypes to preventing the re-triggering of trauma, this episode highlights the powerful role words play in times of crisis.

We also hear from Olha Yerokina, Global Communications Manager at Voices of Children Foundation in Ukraine, and Iryna Lisovetska, a crisis psychologist. They share how children are supported through therapy sessions and structured activities, while also shedding light on the ongoing challenges faced by Ukrainian families. Importantly, they remind us that this has become a daily reality for many, and that psychologists and caregivers themselves need support as they continue their vital work.

The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.