In 2010, the Brussels-based Advocacy and Campaigns team worked to raise awareness and understanding of the harm institutions cause to children’s development and well-being. This involved key EU stakeholders including politicians, civil servants and civil society networks.
The EU is a key player in improving the lives of these children, and has taken a leadership role to move away from the use of institutions in its 28 Member States.
In 2013, new legislation was passed stating that the European Structural and Investment Funds (financial assistance for Member States under the broad category of ‘social cohesion’) must be used to support community-based health, education and social services, and must prioritise the transition from institutions to family and community-based care.
While this is a huge step in the right direction, we need to continue working closely with the EU institutions and other major stakeholders to make sure that these rules are fully implemented and that EU funds are being used effectively to support family and community care for children.
In addition to bringing about change internally, the EU’s status as a beacon of human and child rights and as the world’s largest donor of development aid means it has the potential to play a leading role in ending institutionalisation of children worldwide. The EU must build on its success thus far in promoting deinstitutionalisation, and the steps that have been taken to make sure that internal EU funding does not fuel institutionalisation should be replicated for the EU’s external funding instruments. The Lumos EU Liaison Office will continue to work closely with the EU and its structures to help ensure that it contributes in the most effective way possible towards the global fight to end institutionalisation of children.
Lumos has worked to raise awareness about the deinstitutionalisation of children with officials and politicians in all the EU institutions, the Permanent Representations of Member States, the European Investment Bank, the EEA and Norway Grants and civil society, and has contributed to putting the issue high on the EU political agenda.
Worked to see the European Commission and Parliament pass family-centred care legislation
This legislation governing the European Structural and Investment Funds ensured that funds are used to support the transition from institutions to family and community-based care.
Helped establish a Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-Based Care
We also managed and funded the creation of the common European guidelines and a toolkit, in 13 languages, which detailed the steps necessary to deliver a transition from institutions to community-based services.
Provided training sessions on deinstitutionalisation to senior stakeholders
This included EU officials, managing authorities, EEA & Norway Grants Financial Mechanism Office and civil society.
Bringing together the voices of young people, global leaders, leading experts and policy-makers, the conference explored the role of the EU and the international community in leaving no child behind, ensuring that all children across the world can realise their right to live in a safe environment within their families and communities.
This high-level conference aimed to promote global leadership in tackling the institutionalisation of children and explore how the EU and the international community can continue to drive and support quality child care and protection reform around the world for the best interests of the children.
