Pathways to better protection
This report provides an in-depth analysis of the situation of children in alternative care and in adoption in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) based on available data from TransMonEE , as well as other sources such as MICS , DataCare and the Conference of European Statisticians (CES). It marks the first analysis of data on children in alternative…, Children in alternative care and adoption, According to UNICEF estimates based on data from national surveys and social service administrative records, there are still nearly half a million children (around 456,000) living in residential care in the Europe and Central Asia region. This is equivalent to a rate of 232 per 100,000 children aged 0-17 years and is the highest rate of all…, The rates of children in formal alternative care have reduced since 2010, but the rates have not changed substantially in many countries since 2015., The proportion of children in formal alternative care, including residential care and family-based care, has reduced considerably since the ‘At home or in a home’ report published in 2010 using data from TransMonEE 2007. Since 2015, the pace of reduction has decreased in most countries reporting data to TransMonEE, and the rate has not changed…, The composition of the types of care available in the formal alternative care system has changed substantially., There is a greater proportion of children in formal family-based care, especially foster care, than previously and a smaller proportion of children in residential care. In 2010, on average, an estimated 859 children per 100,000 population aged 0-17 years were in residential care across the region, according to the ‘At home or in a home’ report.…, Formal guardianship and kinship care account for around two-thirds of formal family-based care provision, while formal foster care represents around onethird across the countries reporting data to TransMonEE, for which there are data in 2021., In countries such as Romania and Georgia, formal foster care now represents around 50 per cent of formal family-based care provision, and the increasing use of this type of formal family-based care can also be noted in other countries that are implementing deinstitutionalisation reforms, including Armenia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Republic of…, Children with disabilities are over-represented in formal alternative care, particularly in residential care., Comparisons between countries are difficult because of how children with disabilities are assessed and counted in national management information systems. It is clear, however, that the proportion of children with disabilities in formal residential care across 20 countries of the region has increased between 2015 and 2021 and that children with…, Young children appear to no longer be at greater risk of being in formal alternative care than older children and are more likely to be in family-based care than residential care., In most countries where data is available, the rate of children under 2 or 3 years of age in formal alternative care is about half or less than half of the rate of children aged 0-17 years, and the rate of children aged under 2 or 3 years of age in family-based care is substantially higher than the rate of children aged under 2 or 3 years in…, Young adults are being left behind in residential care., In many countries where data is available, more than a third of residents in formal residential care institutions intended for children are young adults aged 18-24 years, and this proportion has been increasing in certain countries. Many of these cases likely involve young adults with disabilities., Children in informal care and in boarding schools are technically in alternative care but are not monitored by the system of formal alternative care in many countries., Survey data suggest that there may be considerable numbers of children in informal family-based care in certain countries, particularly Kyrgyzstan. These children are generally not monitored as part of the system of formal alternative care. Given the limitations of both survey-based data and administrative data on children in alternative care and…, Data and indicators on children in alternative care, TransMonEE has shown that it can coordinate data collection and validate data using a common set of indicators across 27 countries., The efforts to improve TransMonEE data need to continue as issues of comparability, definitions, coverage, and quality persist in many countries. Nevertheless, as time series data continue to be amended and definitions are consistently applied, nuanced and informative data are being produced that can inform decision-making at all levels. The role…, Consistent application of agreed definitions and quality standards for data management for core indicators is required to enable cross-country comparability., The 2021 DataCare study, the 2022 CES review and the latest validation of TransMonEE data for 2021 have all confirmed that these are the main challenges for the development of global, comparable statistics on children in alternative care. TransMonEE nevertheless demonstrates that if resources are invested in validating data, and countries are…, Recommendations for improved data comparability, Continue efforts to develop and adopt a global set of core indicators and standard disaggregation variables and improve data comparability., While DataCare and CES guidelines represent a good foundation for a core set of indicators that are already included in the TransMonEE indicators, solutions need to be found to the challenges of comparability relating to defining disability so that disability disaggregation can also be added., UNICEF can develop an annual report card system for all countries in the ECA region using the three core indicators recommended by CES and disaggregation by sex, age, and disability., The report card can provide rapid reporting on the current situation and a comparative analysis of the previous year, extending the insights available through the TransMonEE dashboard ., A more comprehensive and in-depth analysis should be conducted every 3-5 years using the full set of 26 TransMonEE alternative care and four child disability indicators., This analysis should focus on systemic changes and emerging strategic issues while incorporating greater disaggregation., Continue to invest in the TransMonEE approach., Continue to invest in the TransMonEE approach to revising historical data, ensuring consistent definitions with current data and increase investment in improving data quality by strengthening data management systems for alternative care and integrating them with other relevant management information systems, including health, education, social…, Further work is needed to define indicators and address monitoring children in boarding schools and in informal care., Following the definitions outlined in the Guidelines on Alternative Care of Children, especially in relation to children outside of parental care and in alternative care. January 2024, TRANSMONEE ANALYTICAL SERIES PATHWAYS TO BETTER PROTECTIONTaking stock of the situation of children in alternative care in Europe and Central Asia 2 United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO), January 2024www.unicef.org/eca/ www.transmonee.org transmonee@unicef.org 2023 UNICEF. All rights reserved…
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