Eurochild

#CivSocWeek may be wrapping up, but the conversation around the future of civil society continues! We’re happy to launch Eurochild’s sub-report on #civilsociety organisations working with #children across Europe. This report shines a light on the crucial work of children-focused organisations, examining: 🌱The environments in which they operate 🤝 Their collaboration with governments 💰 Challenges around funding and resource allocations In addition to sharing ground-level insights, Eurochild offers key recommendations to European governments and the European Union to address these challenges and support the vital work of civil society. Read it here: https://buff.ly/Dd5A5FE  

"If we stop funding advocacy, we lose the watchdogs." – Sabine Saliba, Eurochild Secretary General. At #CivSocWeek, we addressed the growing threats to #childrights defenders and called for stronger EU and national #funding to support advocacy, not just service delivery. We raised concerns about: 🔒 Shrinking civic space 💸 Chronic underfunding 🚫 Targeted attacks on child rights defenders The solution is clear: 🔸 Core funding to empower advocacy 🔸 Protection of civic space for defenders 🔸 Accessible EU funding for those on the frontlines of children’s rights It's time to prioritize advocacy and protect those defending children’s rights. #AntiRights

How do you impress evaluators with your grant proposals as a small civil organisation, working with children? 💡Raluca Verweijen-Slamnescu, evaluator for the Daphne-CHILD programme, shares advice on presenting realistic aims and effectively incentivizing and budgeting for child participation. 👉For more practical tips based on real-world evaluation experience, read all the insights from the Daphne-CHILD evaluation synthesised: https://lnkd.in/dsukhKDy 🧡 Learn more about the Daphne-CHILD programme: https://lnkd.in/dmPmfAqt Eurochild

Today, we are launching our new sub-report on children’s right to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable #environment developed based on the contribution of Eurochild members. Their findings reveal that while some progress has been made, significant gaps persist in safeguarding #childenvironmentalrights across Europe. Legal and policy frameworks are evolving, with some encouraging initiatives emerging, yet specific measures to address children’s vulnerabilities to environmental challenges remain limited. The sub-report concludes with crucial recommendations to ensure that the voices of children are heard, and their rights are prioritized in shaping policies for a greener, healthier future. https://buff.ly/Qy4XPzC

We are excited to share Eurochild and Национална мрежа за децата / National Network for Children’s new position paper which acknowledges Bulgaria’s progress in implementing the #EuropeanChildGuarantee and provides recommendations for closing existing gaps. This work is the result of thoughtful discussions held during a dynamic three-day event that Eurochild led in Sofia. The position paper has been co-developed by 70 policymakers, activists, and researchers, and reflects a strong collaborative effort to improve child welfare, rights, and development across #Bulgaria. It has also been endorsed by 22 individuals and organizations who are dedicated to building a stronger future for #children in the country. Read it here: https://buff.ly/uK5X5jq

🤝 The Power of Gathering: Co-creating Solutions for Children in Bulgaria Last week my first big event that I co-organised on behalf of Eurochild and Национална мрежа за децата / National Network for Children took place: a peer-to-peer workshop to review progress and gaps in Bulgaria's implementation of the European Child Guarantee (ECG). The ECG is the first policy instrument worldwide that guarantees children's access to essential services like healthcare, education, nutrition, and housing - serving as a safety net to ensure no child is left behind. The gathering brought together a diverse group of stakeholders in Sofia including policymakers, researchers, CSO representatives, advocates, activists, and people with lived experience - from Bulgaria and abroad - all focused on child welfare, rights, and development. I was in my favorite role: organising, facilitating, and creating space for cross-pollination 🐝 . As author Priya Parker notes: "Gathering is a form of leadership." 💫 As expected, I learned a lot about child and family policies implementation in Bulgaria but also across Europe thanks to Eurochild board members sharing their experiences, helping Bulgarian participants contextualise their country's progress and persistent challenges. For most of the participants, networking and exchanging knowledge were their highlights. My personal highlights, however, were somewhat unexpected: 🍽️ Food waste transformed - Calculating catering for 50-60 people wasn't easy, and we ended up with about 50% leftover food. Proudly, thanks to members of participating organisations (and my stubbornness!), we donated everything to children in alternative care. This experience made me reflect on global food waste in the events sector and motivated me to raise awareness about it. 🎯 Clarity of purpose - We concluded with a position paper, a tangible outcome, which was highly appreciated by our participants. Our shared "why" became so clear that even our translators spontaneously signed the document! 🧩 Tackling wicked problems - Through Bulgaria's emerging good practices and innovations, we realised that challenges like deinstitutionalisation, poverty reduction in the Roma community, or support for families of children with disabilities are interconnected. The entry point to solving one often unlocks solutions for others. 🏘️ Local problems, local solutions - Good policy implementation - whether social or climate - requires building trust, engaging diverse stakeholders (sometimes unusual partners), increasing local engagement, and bringing solutions to the communities where problems are rooted. Do you agree? Why do you think it works this way? I'm curious to hear your thoughts! Thanks to my colleagues for entrusting me with this event! And special thanks to 500 markers for the graphic facilitation! 🙏 #ChildrensRights #EuropeanChildGuarantee #SystemsChange #Collaboration #SocialImpact #CommunityEngagement #Bulgaria #PolicyImplementation #Eurochild

Working in social policy this past decade, I’ve been long admirer of the OECD - OCDE work to drive evidence-informed policy & demonstrate the undeniable importance of investing in children and prioritising children’s well-being - both essential ingredients for more inclusive societies. I’m grateful in my work at Eurochild to have had opportunities to connect our work with the OECD throughout my 6 years here: - 2020: engaging the newly established, at the time, WISE centre as part of our #PuttingChildrenFirst international webinars during the pandemic; - 2021: facilitating the #OCEDWise centre's Olivier Thevenon to share insights at the #WhatWorksIreland conference; - 2022: connecting our #DataCare work with UNICEF #ECARO with Robbie Gilligan on data reform in Ireland for children and alternative care; - 2023: our expertise as a leading European knowledge brokers for evidence to support policies for child well-being being recognised with Dr. Ally Dunhill’s stewardship; - 2024: sharing the WISE team's seminal work on quantifying this economic costs of socio-economic disadvantage for children in European countries. Fast track to 2025, I was proud to participate in the consultation on a new OECD "Recommendation on Promoting Child Well-being in Times of Profound Change" - led by the Employment, Labour, and Social Affairs Committee. I shared evidence from Eurochild's 2024 report Children’s Realities: Progress and Gaps, with insight from civil society organisations across 31 countries in Europe on what's making a real difference in children's lives. I also shared evidence on #ChildPaticipation to ensure children's voices are better heard in policies that affect them, including very young children & those from marginalised groups. I am prouder still to have facilitated civil society representatives, many inspiring Eurochild members among them, to participate in this consultation. Collectively, we have so much knowledge and experience to share. Thank you Gráinne Dirwan and co. at #OECD for this collaboration. Looking forward to the final recommendation, that will help improve children’s lives, especially those most in need, during these times of profound, and often de-stabilising, change to our societies. Always lovely to share alongside Piji Protopsaltis Helen Saarnik Charel Schmit Arthur Melon Con i Bambini Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Kinder- und Jugendhilfe - AGJ and others who participated! Link to our new report here: https://lnkd.in/eMzeU5_P And link to OECD paper on the costs of child poverty here: https://lnkd.in/egRG5WUy

Working in social policy this past decade, I’ve been long admirer of the OECD - OCDE work to drive evidence-informed policy & demonstrate the undeniable importance of investing in children and prioritising children’s well-being - both essential ingredients for more inclusive societies. I’m grateful in my work at Eurochild to have had opportunities to connect our work with the OECD throughout my 6 years here: - 2020: engaging the newly established, at the time, WISE centre as part of our #PuttingChildrenFirst international webinars during the pandemic; - 2021: facilitating the #OCEDWise centre's Olivier Thevenon to share insights at the #WhatWorksIreland conference; - 2022: connecting our #DataCare work with UNICEF #ECARO with Robbie Gilligan on data reform in Ireland for children and alternative care; - 2023: our expertise as a leading European knowledge brokers for evidence to support policies for child well-being being recognised with Dr. Ally Dunhill’s stewardship; - 2024: sharing the WISE team's seminal work on quantifying this economic costs of socio-economic disadvantage for children in European countries. Fast track to 2025, I was proud to participate in the consultation on a new OECD "Recommendation on Promoting Child Well-being in Times of Profound Change" - led by the Employment, Labour, and Social Affairs Committee. I shared evidence from Eurochild's 2024 report Children’s Realities: Progress and Gaps, with insight from civil society organisations across 31 countries in Europe on what's making a real difference in children's lives. I also shared evidence on #ChildPaticipation to ensure children's voices are better heard in policies that affect them, including very young children & those from marginalised groups. I am prouder still to have facilitated civil society representatives, many inspiring Eurochild members among them, to participate in this consultation. Collectively, we have so much knowledge and experience to share. Thank you Gráinne Dirwan and co. at #OECD for this collaboration. Looking forward to the final recommendation, that will help improve children’s lives, especially those most in need, during these times of profound, and often de-stabilising, change to our societies. Always lovely to share alongside Piji Protopsaltis Helen Saarnik Charel Schmit Arthur Melon Con i Bambini Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Kinder- und Jugendhilfe - AGJ and others who participated! Link to our new report here: https://lnkd.in/eMzeU5_P And link to OECD paper on the costs of child poverty here: https://lnkd.in/egRG5WUy

🚨 The European Parliament fails to allocate a €20 billion dedicated budget for the #EUChildGuarantee. Child poverty isn’t just a rights issue—it’s a crisis threatening Europe’s social and economic stability, costing an average 3.4% of GDP annually. As a member of the #InvestingInChildren Alliance, Eurochild joins partners in highlighting this setback in our joint statement: https://buff.ly/V4NM2oY

The European Union has started discussions on its next long-term budget, which will shape the investment of billions of euros in Europe's future. Given the current geopolitical, security, and socio-economic challenges, the EU must remain committed to its social priorities. Eurochild recently joined forces in signing a joint statement calling for a stronger #EUbudget, alongside comprehensive economic, social, and environmental policies: https://buff.ly/Zg8Hwk3