ZAGREB, 18 September 2024 – More than 1400 experts and decision-makers from more than 20 countries, along with more than 50 young people in the care systems, have gathered for the three-day international conference “CARE 2024: Transforming Childcare in Europe.” The conference, organized by UNICEF, the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family, and Social Policy, the Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation, and the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Zagreb, with support from the Centre for Missing and Abused Children, is aimed at exchanging the latest knowledge and practices to improve and strengthen protection and care systems for children, young people and families in Croatia and across Europe.
Croatia is has made progress in the development of childcare, including family-based care and community services, and the CARE 2024 conference is an opportunity to coordinate efforts to strengthen integrated systems of protection and care for children and addresses numerous relevant areas, prevention of institutionalization of children, strengthening measures and services to support families at risk, quality of alternative care, development of foster care for children, strengthening the protection system of children, social inclusion of children with developmental disabilities, use of EU funds to improve the care system etc.
The conference was opened by Vesna Vučemilović, president of the Committee on the Family, Youth and Sports, Margareta Mađerić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family, and Social Policy, Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President for Democracy & Demography of the European Commission via video message and Luisa Brumana, Representative of the UNICEF Office for Croatia.
Over the three days, numerous national and international experts and representatives of the European Commission and relevant ministries from Greece, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Bulgaria will take part in discussions and panels. In order to encourage the participation of children and young people in decision-making processes and in order to improve the care system, children and young people who are currently in alternative care in the social welfare or justice system, as well as those with experience of living in care, are taking part in the conference.
“CARE 2024 conference marks an important step toward redefining how we approach childcare in Croatia and Europe. We have come together to discuss solutions that will shape a better future for the many children currently in the care system. Our message is clear, every child deserves an opportunity to grow up in a safe and nurturing family environment, and families should receive the services and support they need to care for their own child at home. The collaboration of all stakeholders, as seen at CARE 2024, is key to achieving long-term change and transforming childcare systems. Together, we can and must create systems that understand children’s needs and prioritize their best interests, providing the best possible conditions for them to reach their full potential”, said Luisa Brumana, Representative of UNICEF Office for Croatia.
State Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy Margareta Mađerić has pointed out that the Government of the Republic of Croatia is making great efforts in the child welfare protection system. “Services for families at risk and support for strengthening parental competences have been improved. Quality and efficient support services for families with children have been ensured and continuous work is being done to improve and develop foster care. Currently, there’s an on-going campaign to promote foster care in order to attract new foster parents”, emphasized State Secretary Margareta Mađerić.
State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, Vedrana Šimundža-Nikolić, expressed her satisfaction with the cooperation with UNICEF in support programs for children in conflict with the law. She particularly emphasized the importance of continuing the lifelong education of experts who carry out treatment programs with minor perpetrators of criminal offenses who, within the framework of the justice system, carry out the educational measure of referral to correctional institutions, but also the importance of timely interventions that are carried out in the family and community where the young people live. Specialized support programs for juvenile offenders are of key importance because they recognize the specific needs of young people who grew up in difficult life circumstances, offer young people a new opportunity and reintegration into society, instead of being defined by the crimes they have committed.
The CARE Conference is being held for the second consecutive year as part of the ISKORAK (A Step Forward) program, a collaboration between UNICEF, the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family, and Social Policy, the Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation, and the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Zagreb, which has been running since 2021.
“In its beginnings, the ISKORAK program was aimed at improving the assessment and care for children and youth with behavioural problems, but through many years of work, our focus has expanded to include all children and youth outside of family care. Our vision and the ultimate purpose of all the activities of the ISKORAK program is to invest in the quality of care for all children who grow up outside their families, respecting their specific needs. We strongly advocate for the availability of high-quality and innovative services for children, young people and their families that are based on scientific evidence. As experts and researchers, we are especially focused on appreciating the perspective and participation of children and young people. In this sense, we systematically work to promote and encourage the participation of children and young people in care, and together with children and experts in practice we develop systems that understand and care”, said Prof. Ivana Borić, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb.
The detailed conference program, including information about the speakers, can be found at: www.skrb.hr
Source link : https://www.unicef.org/croatia/en/node/4226
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Publish date : 2024-09-18 07:00:00
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The post Together, we can and must develop systems that better understand children’s needs first appeared on Love Europe.
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Publish date : 2024-10-02 22:40:12
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