Vision and regional perspectives for child care system reforms in CEE/CIS International conference “Commitment, Partnership and Action” Moldova November 2009 Mr. Jean Claude Legrand, Regional Advisor for Child Protection, UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS

UNICEF Regional office CEE/CIS 2 CEE/CIS reality and challenges New challenges for children and families! – rapid change in family set-up (migration, poverty, single mothers, etc.) –Increase in family break-up (increase in stress, alcohol and substance abuse) Social welfare and protection systems are not appropriately designed to prevent risks and to support families! – Lack of networks of social workers to prevent exploitation and abuse – Institutionalization of children – a permanent solution... – Deprivation parental rights as a “punishment” to parents – Children in conflict with the law treated as adult criminals Social protection and Justice systems insufficient, fragmented and re-active – Weak prevention, early identification and response –Over-use of institutionalization, deprivation of liberty and punitive measures Financial crisis – risk for increase in children going into residential care – Need to maintain focus on reform – emphasis on developing services & mechanisms for prevention of separation.

UNICEF Regional office CEE/CIS 3 Regional strategy: focus on National Child Protection System & overcoming fragmentation

UNICEF Regional office CEE/CIS 4 Our aim: Not the reform of institutions but consolidating the child care system Closure & reintegration Family support services Statutory services Family substitute / family support services Statutory services

UNICEF Regional office CEE/CIS 5 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK RESEARCH AND DATA ANALYSIS PREVENTION CAPACITIESCAPACITIES BUDGETBUDGET SUPERVISORY BODIES HEALTHEDUCATION NGOs / CBOs SOCIAL WELFARE JUSTICE / COURTS SECURITY FAMILY SUPPORT / EARLY INTERVENTION DETECTION - REPORTING RESPONSE, REINTEGRATION – ALTERNATIVE CARE GATE KEEPING ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

UNICEF Regional office CEE/CIS 6 Priorities in the reform of the child protection system (1) Develop prevention strategies Targeted social policies for the most vulerables (focus on families). Early identification of problems through all social sectors and outreach work with risk-families Expansion of community based social services for family and child support (i.e. counceling, day care etc.) Follow-up and support to children with « anti-social behaviour » or in conflict with the law under age of minimum criminal responsability. Inclusive- and violence free education.

UNICEF Regional office CEE/CIS 7 Priorities in the reform of child protection systems (2) Improve and strengthen system regulators Data collection for planning, monitoring and evaluation of policy implementation National policy and legislation Development quality assurance systems for service (quality standards, independent inspections) Accountability mechansims for professionals (clear mandates, complaints mechansims) Governance (coordination and decentralization: definition of system functions at different levels, mechansims for equitable distribution of services) Financing mechansims in line with new priorities in service provision (redirecting resources: secors and levels of governance)

UNICEF Regional office CEE/CIS 8 Priorities in the reform of child protection systems (3) Development of services Strengthening statutory services (processing of cases: case management, targeting, service purchasing) Family and child support services (i.e. day care, family outreach, psycho-social- advisory and coaching services) Family substitute services (i.e. kinship care, guardianship care, foster care) Improve intersectoral cooperation (i.e. protocols for collaboration between health, education, welfare sectors)

UNICEF Reform of the Child Care System: Taking stock and accelerating action Taking stock, sharing experiences and accelerating action! Taking stock on status of reform:, data collection and mapping of child protection systems – suggestions for next steps in the development of child care systems: Comprehensive evaluations of reform in Georga and Moldova; Assessment of status of refrom in Armenia, Belarus and Ukraine Summary analysis on progress of reform Country profiles for all countries Identification of main stumbling blocks – common for all countries at preparatory meeting in June Developing new knowledge on key priorities and stumbling blocks Case study on costs and forecasts for new services in Armenia Background papers on Planning of the reform; Budgeting of the child care system and reforms; and Development of family based substitute care

UNICEF Reform of the Child Care System: Taking stock and accelerating action Agenda blocks – addressing stumbling blocks Carrying reforms in the context of Crisis: Plenary 2 Progress and lessons learned for the reform as a base for planning and monitoring: Plenary 3 Diversification of social services in paralell with gradual downscaling of residential care – what is needed and how to do it: Breakout session 1 and Plenary 4 Regulating the system towards use of community based services: Breakout session 2 and Plenary 5 Costing, financing and budgeting child care services: Breakout session 3 and Plenary 6 Next steps: Closing session