Introducing: SAFE Supporting unAccomompanied children with Family-based care and Enhanced protection
This is an exciting new project that aims to build the knowledge and capacity of professionals and foster carers, kinship and Dublin family caretakers to enhance family-based care to promote welfare and ensure protection of unaccompanied and separated children in the UK, Greece, Denmark and Cyprus. The project was born in November 2017 had its big ‘kick-off’ meeting in February and will run to October 2019.
At the face of sharp increase of unaccompanied and separated children fleeing to Europe in recent years, the SAFE partnership has identified a significant limitation among the professionals and foster carers in understanding the complex needs of this group of children, their unique situation and the extent of their vulnerability in receiving EU countries. Therefore, two e-trainings consisting of four modules will be developed incorporating these elements and delivered to the professionals and foster carers, kinship and Dublin caretakers. In addition to this, face-to-face trainings will be offered in order to support their capacity building process of the aforementioned beneficiaries.
As the SAFE partnership believes that in order to contribute effectively to the enhancement of care and protection of unaccompanied and separated children, it is important to raise awareness among wider public and the policy makers about the unique challenges faced by this group of children and advocate on improving the relevant children protection system. In the implementation framework of SAFE, the project partners will carry out consultation a wide range of public awareness and advocacy activities in the UK, Greece, Denmark and Cyprus tailored to the country-specific circumstances.