Presentazione del convegno

“There are no clear typically European perspectives on (…) interventions for vulnerable children and families to discern. Europe simply is too much a mosaic. It is too diverse. And diverse it will remain, as more countries will join the European Union (…). Does it matter that there are no clear European perspectives? May be this is Europe’s strength. Let us enjoy Europe’s complexity and keep this openness of borders and minds. Let us welcome what comes from outside and at the same time be critical of it. Let each country in its own way add to the evidence-base of interventions for vulnerable children and families and let us never give up collaborative dialogue so that we continue to learn from Europe’s rich history of care” (Hans Grietens).

Europe's strength lies in the variety of its approaches, its tendency to think critically and to accept ideas from elsewhere. Europe's strength lies in its ability to communicate about differences into in a climate of mutual respect, and to build platforms in order to better understand others and also ourselves. The mission of APFEL - "Acting for the Promotion of Foster Care at the European Level" is precisely to build bridges between countries, between cultures and languages and between research and practice, in order to improve the quality of foster care in Europe. We do this through cooperation, through the collection and evaluation of innovative practices and through the implementation of international guidelines, all the while, respecting cultures, families, children and their rights. The ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by all European states, has stimulated many debates which have led to a reinterpretation of the experience of family foster care. These debates include the reflections on the meaning of vulnerability and the implications for understanding human fragility; theories of resilience, which have given new meaning and hope to our work makes us, men and women alike, fragile, the theories on resilience, which have thrown an unexpected hope on our work with and for children and their families; theories of attachment which open the door to the possibility of multiple attachments; new methods of children protection; and the reflections in education about the training of adults and their potential for change.

Our work on Children’s Rights underlines the influence, in the field of foster care, of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which in each European country is strengthening a new culture of childhood and child care. Within APFEL, in particular, there has been ongoing work on two issues which are important in foster care, from a children's rights perspective: plural parenting on the one hand and listening to the voice of the child on the other.

The conference ““The Foster care in Europe: Pathways toward co-parenting and self-expression of the children/ L’Affido familiare in Europa: Percorsi verso la co-genitorialità e l’ espressione dei bambini” organized by APFEL, CNCA, UNIVERSITÀ CATTOLICA DI MILANO, FONDAZIONE PAIDEIA, UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI BERGAMO, will be held in Milan and Bergamo. It will provide an opportunity to share among colleagues from different European countries the and ongoing debate about these two important issues and to take stock of European research, experiences, and practices relevant to the support for and the involvement of families of origin, foster families and children in care.

This structured comparison, which will stimulate an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the current approaches in Europe, will be an opportunity to acquire new skills and new perspectives.

The day in Milan (November 12) will therefore be dedicated to the theme "Two families around a child: foster care and plural parenting."

Consideration of the subject "two families around a child" in the context of foster care raises many questions. It begins with the dilemma confronting every child in foster care, namely how to deal with the experience of living between two families and of being immersed in two family cultures.

Today, the child's needs can be understood in the light of the concepts of development and attachment. Provided that they are supported to do so by stable relationship and daily nurturing, children in care develop and grow with plural attachments, which help them to develop life skills and resilience.

Nowadays, blood ties and the caring roles no longer have to coincide, and parenting (i.e. the ability to respond to the child’s needs) can even be undertaken outside the natural parent-child relationship. When parenting by the birth parents cannot guarantee the welfare and protection of the child, a careful assessment of the situation becomes necessary. This should take into account the histories and narratives of the people involved, their ability to change and the resources which can realistically be provided. Family foster care is one of the possible strategies of intervention. In research on foster care, today, the term co-parenting defines the complex partnership between the family of origin and the foster family.

In Europe, different approaches coexist, each one with its own cultural orientations, ideological perspective and value, its theoretical base and practice evidence. In such diverse contexts, the balance between the rights of the family and the rights of the child is of paramount significance.

The Milan conference will explore these differences and focuses on the new inclusive models which are emerging in foster care : the cooperation of the families, the best interests of the child and how these relate to the child’s birth family. The conference will crucially examine how resilience factors might be enhanced and how to maximize the strengths and resources of all the people involved.

Some of the questions addressed will be :

• How to implement the protection of the child and the protection of their family in the fostering situation in Europe and in Italy.

• How best can the relationships and attachments of children and young people be enhanced in the contexts of both their family of origin and their everyday life in the foster family?

• Is it possible to promote co-parenting beyond simply working with families of origin on the one hand and with foster families on the other?

The day in Bergamo (13 November) will be devoted to the theme "Listen to and promote the voices of children." Historically, the views of children and young people has never been prioritized; involvement in research on childhood and adolescence, in the formation of social policies and in developing services dedicated to them has never been formerly been invited. Recent years, however, have seen the growing importance of the involvement and participation of children and young people in decisions which affect them, and the possibility that their perspective can be expressed and heard has at last become common ground. Such a shift is strongly connected to two decisive landmarks: the Convention on the Rights and the English sociology of childhood.

Today, the voices of boys and girls, including those in foster care, must be heard and their participation must be promoted. Firstly this enhances citizenship and gives value to those who are experiencing greater difficulties and, secondly, it allows leading experts in foster care, to take on board children’s recommendations for the improvement of practices.

At this conference, professionals and families involved in foster care in Europe, will therefore be examining innovative methods of working and will be encouraged to rethink their professional practices so that it takes account of children’ views and in deference to their Rights, works towards involving them meaningfully in the decisions which affect their lives.

The Bergamo conference will focus on:

• How to promote the emergence of the voices of children and young people in foster care.

• The tools which are being tested in several European countries to encourage listening to children and young people and to encourage their participation.

• Whether such tools can be used both individually and collectively ?

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