SHIELD – Strengthening Child Protection in Care Facilities to Support the Disclosure of Violence

SHIELD – Strengthening Child Protection in Care Facilities to Support the Disclosure of Violence

‘The Smile of the Child’ participates in the project entitled ‘SHIELD – Strengthening Child Protection in Care Facilities to Support the Disclosure of Violence’  which is co-funded by the European Commission (CERV-2024-DAPHNE) and aims to strengthen child protection systems in residential care facilities for minors and contribute to the prevention of every form of violence against children. 

Violence against children is a widespread phenomenon on a global scale, and children who live in residential care facilities – who are usually already exposed to various vulnerabilities – face a significantly higher level of risk related to abuse and mistreatment. At the same time, the professionals who work with these children daily may find themselves lacking the necessary tools to promptly identify and handle risk scenarios or facilitate safe procedures for reporting violence. 

SHIELD project is coordinated by ‘Hope For Children CRC Policy Center’ (Cyprus) and implemented in collaboration with ‘The Smile of the Child’ in Greece and other four European partners : VGM-Verein für Manner und Geschlechterthemen Steiermark (Austria), CESIE ETS (Italy), Center for Equality Advancement (Lithuania), and Fundación Diagrama Intervención Psicosocial (Spain). SHIELD targets children and adolescents residing in residential care facilities, the professionals working in these facilities, the caregivers who assist the minors, and the organisations, institutions and entities responsible for the protection of the minors.   

The overall objective of SHIELD is to prevent and combat all forms of violence against children in residential care facilities by contributing to the strengthening of integrated child protection systems in such facilities in Europe. The project aims to ensure an impact on a local, national, and European level, promoting shared standards and coordinated approaches for the protection of minors in residential care facilities.

The specific objectives include: 

•     Identification and documentation of the conditions enabling and hindering the disclosure of violence in care facility settings, as well as the needs of children and frontline professionals;

•     Building the capacity of frontline professionals working with children in care facilities to identify violence and support the act of disclosure in their national context;

•     Increasing the understanding of children aged 12-18 in care facilities of different types of violence and building their capacity to disclose acts of violence experienced;

•     Awareness raising of best practices in child protection in care facilities and pathways for disclosure of violence among child protection professionals and the public;

•     Development and implementation of advocacy actions and engagement of individuals and networks in these actions.

To accomplish these objectives, the SHIELD partners will: 

•     Analyze safety and participatory conditions of minors and caregivers in residential care facilities, identifying the best practices and key challenges;  

•     Develop a comprehensive multi-agency model for child protection in residential care facilities, and national curricula for the empowerment of children as well as capacity-building of professionals;

•     Increase awareness on different forms of violence and safe reporting mechanisms within the target group of children residing in care facilities through workshops;

•     Strengthen the capacities of the professionals involved in the care of minors in residential care facilities, providing tools and training to recognize and prevent violence, as well as help support children who disclose experiences of violence;

•     Actively involve relevant services, local networks, institutions and organisations in training and awareness-raising events in order to promote a coordinated, sustainable, and child-centered approach to disclosure and prevention of violence in residential care facilities.

The key result will be the multi-agency model for child protection in residential care facilities, adaptable to different local contexts, and meant to be disseminated on a national and European level, to consolidate integrated and effective protection practices.

More information about the SHIELD project can be found on the website:  www.childrensafehub.eu

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.