The DataCare project with support from UNICEF ECARO and together with over 50 Eurochild members and national experts across the 27 countries of the European Union and the UK, have mapped children alternative care data systems.

The final findings have now been published, and are available for download here: https://www.eurochild.org/resource/better-data-for-better-child-protection-systems-in-europe/.

• Click here to download their policy brief: Children in alternative care: Comparable statistics to monitor progress on deinstitutionalisation across the European Union
• Click here to download their technical findings: Better data for better child protection systems in Europe: Mapping how data on children in alternative care are collected, analysed and published across 28 European countries

The technical findings report also includes country-by-country overviews of key data on children in alternative care under Annex 3: Country Overviews - they will soon also be available for individual download per country as well via the above link.

Eurochild and UNICEF believe this study offers hugely helpful insight to anyone working in the area of child protection, and particularly those looking to strengthen data systems. There are findings that concern to how data is collected in relation to care leavers too, or scarcity in some countries’ case.

What’s next for Eurochild & UNICEF’s DataCare project?

Our mapping has found that despite differing national definitions and categorisations of alternative care across the region, enough data are being published in countries that could be used at an aggregate level to establish comparable indicators on the number of children in residential care and three other relevant and interlinked indicators.

As the European Union does not currently have comparable and Europe-wide data to gauge the share of children growing up within different forms of alternative care, our proposed indicators can help the region fill this gap. With our findings in hand, Eurochild is now engaging with the EU and Member States to include our proposed indicators on children in alternative care into the National Action Plans & the EU monitoring framework for the European Child Guarantee. Eurochild will carry out this work with continued support from UNICEF ECARO.

They are also informing ongoing global efforts to establish a core set of statistical indicators on children in alternative care through the work of the Transforming Children's Care Global Collaboration, convened by Better Care Network.

If you have any questions on the publications, their contents, or their recommended indicators, you may reach out to Ciaran O’Donnell at ciaran.odonnell@eurochild.org.