On 18 March 2025, JURI and EMPL Members held a public hearing on the protection and promotion of the rights of children placed in alternative care
The public hearing was inspired by the ENYA recommendations on protection and promotion of the rights of children in alternative care and EC recommendations on developing and strengthening integrated child protection systems in the best interest of the child, as requested by VP Ewa Kopacz, EP Coordinator on Children's Rights. EMPL and JURI Committees had the opportunity to follow the cycle of stages that the child face when finding himself/herself in the need of being placed outside the biological family.
The Committees heard on preventive measures against family separation, child rights and cooperation between the justice and social care systems in different types of care proceedings, state of play on deinstitutionalization in EU and foster care and on the situation of young people who leave care systems.
The hearing was informed by the children's voice put together in ENYA recommendations and presented by the Chair of the European Network of Ombudsmen for Children.
- Programme (PDF - 252 KB)
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Presentations by experts
- Ms Elina Pekkarinen - European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC), Ombudsman for Children in Finland (PDF - 762 KB)
- Mr Alfonso Lara Montero - European Social Network (PDF - 2 MB)
- Ms Daja Wenke - Independent Researcher and Policy Analyst, Rights of the Child (PDF - 106 KB)
- Infographic by Ms Rieke Gremmen - Ministry of Justice and Security in The Netherlands (PDF - 639 KB)
- Infographic by Ms Mara van der Poel - Ministry of Justice and Security in The Netherlands (PDF - 161 KB)
- Ms Maria Dantcheva - SOS Children's Villages International (PDF - 2 MB)
- Professor Emeritus Robbie Gilligan - Trinity College Dublin (PDF - 143 KB)
- EMPL - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs - newsletter