Paper
European policy and practice initiatives to improve outcomes for children in care
- issue: Issue 3 / 2009
- authors: Paul Durning
- keywords: outcomes
- views: 2963
- downloaded: 0
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abstract
Introduction
Looking at European policy and practice initiatives to improve outcomes for children in care, I've been asked to discuss the French experience, compared when possible to initiatives in other European countries. I will first look at policies, then at new trends in practice before asking some open questions that are focusing our attention on France and other countries in Europe.
First of all, international comparisons focused on specific topics such as residential care or bullying in schools or any other social matter are very difficult. It appears rather obvious that it is necessary to look in a broader perspective to understand countries specificities. For instance, to compare residential care, you have to pay attention to family policies and traditions, organization of national justice, and professional training. These difficulties, related to any international comparison, are the main reason for me, to insist on the French situation, only trying to make brief references to some foreign experiences.
I would also like to emphasise the importance of studies on child abuse and child care. In Great Britain there are a number of university-based research centers that should be mentioned. In France, the National Observatory was created by law in January 2004 and in March 2007, a new law agreed to create in each of the 101 departments (local authorities), a local observatory in charge of statistics, practices assessment and counsels for local policy makers.
Finally, considering the European context, I would like to underline that the chronology of European policies and practices initiatives to improve outcomes for children in care seems quite homogeneous. Since 1989 and the "discovery" of child abuse, the European policies chronology has been rather similar. With the ratification of the Children Rights Convention in 1989, almost all European countries had changed their child care laws, as England and Wales for instance, with the Children's Act 1989.
Considering closely children care as a global system, I will try to show that these child care policy changes in France and in Europe can be seen as the result of historical and political fundamental choices such as:
- How responsibility is shared between the central or federal state, looking at the example of relationships between Scotland or French-speaking Belgium and the local authorities often based on counties or towns. The state has a great responsibility when parents lack to give to their children satisfactory care. We must notice the relative importance, in Britain, of voluntary action which is more important than in France where professionals and state are, in fact, almost fully in charge when parents fail to assume their duty.
- The role of Justice and Social Affairs departments, especially when parents do not agree with social services decision. In France this balance has been changed through 2007 law.
- Juvenile justice, mental health and schooling: how different European countries try to link these different fields together when organizing child care especially for multi-problematic children.
- Last, but not least, how can the rights of children and parents rights be balanced?
The current situation leads to practical changes that are quite often similar. Three recent evolutions in French practices will be discussed:
- Interventions addressed to children and parents in the care system are getting more diversified. In France, before 2007, choice was only between separation and open custody. Since the new legislation, it is agreed to combine these two approaches and also to organise daily group work with parents and / or youngsters.
- Global trends nowadays focus on setting up a project for the child, following the Quebec example.
- Practices are more connected to research through follow-up studies, outcome assessments
In conclusion I would like to mention questions which remain open in the French context and require further research:
- Assessment of children's cases, and the consequences of these measures on children in care.
- Measures outcomes, especially those concerning the transition of young people from care to adulthood.
- Multi-problematic children: which answer could be given to these specific cases, as there is no place for them in organizations or state institutions?
The main issue today is in reference to a certain discord between children's rights and parents' rights. It concerns the problem of maintaining relations with the birth family after the child is separated or even adopted, for instance in the United Kingdom where adoption is frequent, and in France, where the child is often placed in foster family.
Contact details
Professor Paul Durning, Directeur de l'ONED, Observatoire National de l'Enfance en Danger, 63 bis, Boulevard Bessières, 75017 Paris
Email: paul.durning@oned.gouv.fr