Eurochild calls for reform of child protection system in Greece

Eurochild is an organisation working for children. They wrote a paper saying that no child should live in an institution.  They think children with or without disabilities should live with their families or in their communities. Eurochild asked Greece to make their child protection system better so all children can live at home.

As part of the Opening Doors for Europe’s Children campaign, Eurochild has published a Call to Action, advising Greece to reform its child protection system, and support deinstitutionalisation for all children, with or without disabilities. Institutionalisation constitutes a violation of human rights, particularly as in very young children it can negatively affect brain development and lead to life-long consequences on behaviour and emotional wellbeing.

The call to action emphasizes three main points. Eurochild believes Greece should completely eliminate large residential  institutions for children and transition towards a system based on family-based alternatives and family-like residential care. Moreover, the country should increase the effectiveness and efficiency of prevention services to avoid institutionalisation, including through national legislation and policy reform. Young people leaving the child protection system should also be supported, including through social housing and employment.

The Opening Doors for Europe’s Children campaign has several reccomendations for policy-makers in Greece, inclusing developing a national plan to reduce reliance on institutional care and improving the mechanisms for allocation, disbursement, dissemination and absorption of European Union Structural and Investment Funds (ESF, ERDF) to support the transition from institutional care to family and community-based alternatives.

To read the Call to Action, please click here.