EESC (European Economic and Social Committee), Brussels and online.

Thousands of children arrive each year, alone and seeking safety and a better future in Europe. They face many challenges including past trauma, smuggling, and a lack of trusted adults. How can they be supported to feel like children again?

Guardians are people who can offer them this comfort, but they too face many challenges: a lack of knowledge and know-how, high workload, burnout, and difficulties connecting with the child.

On 1 September, the GUIDE project will host an event to explore how Europe can better protect unaccompanied children, particularly those who are vulnerable, including those with a disability or who have experienced trauma. Bringing together policymakers, EU institutions, practitioners, child rights organisations and experts, the discussion will examine current challenges, identify gaps in protection systems, and present recommendations for strengthening child-centred migration and guardianship policies across Europe.

Bringing testimonials from guardians and children and drawing from findings of the GUIDE project, the event will highlight practical solutions that can help ensure every child has access to protection, inclusion and support from arrival through to durable solutions.

• Register by 26 August to attend in person (in Brussels) here.
• Register to attend online here.
• Interpretation will be available in English, Bulgarian, Greek, Italian, Slovak, Polish, and Ukrainian.

Agenda:

Background info:
The GUIDE – Supporting Guardians of Unaccompanied Children project is an EU-funded initiative under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) aimed at strengthening the capacity of guardians and professionals working with unaccompanied and separated children arriving in Europe, especially those with disabilities. It brings together organisations from several EU Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, Poland, Slovakia) to develop practical resources, training programmes, and tools that support guardians in providing quality care and protection. Through training of trainers, national manuals, service provider maps, and peer-support mechanisms, the project aims to improve guardianship systems and strengthen cooperation among professionals working with migrant children.