30th November - 2nd December 2011 - Cardiff (Wales, UK)

"TACKLING CHILD POVERTY THROUGH SUPPORTING AND STRENGTHENING FAMILIES"

Child poverty prevents children and young people from achieving their full potential and autonomy, and affects their health, their personal development, their education and their general well-being. Child poverty is often passed from one generation to the next, at huge cost to society due to lost social and human capital.

Eurochild believes that supporting and strengthening families most in need is crucial for tackling child poverty and breaking the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage.

This conference has five overarching objectives:

• Share 'inspiring practice' from across the UK and Europe in integrated family support services.
• Gain knowledge & understanding on how family support impacts on children’s well-being and outcomes and is underpinned by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• Ensure the voices of children and parents who have benefitted from support services are heard and listened to.
• Strengthen collaboration and exchange among policy makers, practitioners and researchers in children’s rights and well-being across Europe.
• Provide inputs to EU policy debates on fighting child poverty, promoting children’s rights and well-being, and on supporting and strengthening families.

Click here to see conditions for funding for travel and accommodation and exemption of registration fees.

Click here for Directions to Cardiff.

Register now to benefit from the Early Bird rate.

Conference fee:
170 € for Eurochild members, 200 € for Non-members
Accommodation: 105-115 EUR / night
Day-Ticket: 80 GBP

Online Registration

 

 

PROGRAMME

WEDNESDAY, 30 November

9.00-17.00     Thematic Working Group workshops (EUROCHILD MEMBERS ONLY!)

• TWG Children in alternative care
• TWG Family and parenting support
• TWG Participation of children and young people
• TWG Early Years Education and Care

18.00     Opening ceremony

• Mike Shooter, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and 
  Catriona Williams, Chief Executive, Children in Wales
• Maria Herczog, Eurochild President
• Christine Chapman, Assembly Member for Cynon Valley
• Young person/people

19.00-20.00     Reception

THURSDAY, 1 December

09.00-09.45    Opening session

Chair: Maria Herczog, Eurochild President

• Rt. Hon Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister, Welsh Government
• Radosław Mleczko, Undersecretary of State, Polish Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (EU Presidency 2011)
• European Commission representative, Europe 2020: Social Policies, Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

09.45-10.30     KeynoteChair: Keith Towler, Children's Commissioner for Wales

• Child poverty & strengthening families in Wales – an overview
  Joint Presentation by Barbara Street, Action for Children Gweithredu Dros Blant & Yvonne Rodgers, Barnardo's Cymru
• Introduction by Sean O'Neill, Policy Director – Children In Wales

10.30-11.00     Coffee break & press conference

11.00-12.30     Technical Plenary: Supporting & strengthening families – the European dimension
Chair: Freddy Deven, Department of Welfare, Public Health & Family, Flemish Government

• Maria Huerta, OECD - Doing Better for Families
• Regina Jensdottir, Council of Europe, Head of the Children's Rights Policies Division – Follow-up to the Recommendation on Positive Parenting
• Tijne Berg, NJI & Eurochild – The role of local authorities in parenting support in a time of crisis (report from the MayFamily & Parenting Support Round Table)
• Cllr Bob Bright, Committee of the Regions 
  
  Discussion

LUNCH 12.30-13.30

MARKET PLACE 13.30-15.00 (see below for explanation)

WORKSHOPS 15.30-18.00    

• A - Working with teenage parents
• B - Working with families with children with disabilities
• C - Working with Roma & Traveller families
• D - Working with families with children at risk or already in the public care system

19.30-23.00    Conference Dinner & Music entertainment

FRIDAY, 2 December

09.00–12.00    Study visits (for non-local participants) & Seminar (for Welsh participants)

LUNCH 12.00-13.00

MARKET PLACE 13.00-14.30 (see below for explanation)

14.30-15.30 Key Note
Chair: Pat Dolan, UNESCO Chair and Director Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Ireland

• Michael Ungar, Lead Investigator for the Resilience Research Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia  / Canada - Strengths-based Counselling with At-risk Children and Families: Interventions to Nurture Hidden Resilience across Cultures and Contexts

15.30-16.00     Closing words
Chair: Maria Herczog, Eurochild President

• Conference highlights – feedback from workshops & study visits
• Representative of Cypriot Presidency 2012
• George Bogdanov, Host of Eurochild Annual Conference 2012
• Catriona Williams, Chief Executive, Children in Wales

» MARKET PLACE  (Thursday 14.00-15.30 & Friday 13.00-14.30)

During these time slots, participants are invited to visit the exhibition space where there will be approximately 20 stands where participants present their organisations/ projects. At the same time we will organize "speaker corners" in the exhibition hall. The "speakers corners" will have a podium and free seating for up to 20 people. 

Click here to see conditions for funding for travel and accommodation and exemption of registration fees.

Click here for Directions to Cardiff.

Register now to benefit from the Early Bird rate.