The moment has finally come. Just before Christmas, the technical report and the policy brief of the DataCare Project were ready to be made public. The crown on more than a year and a half of work (not including the preparations, which I was not involved in) on a very ambitious project. It has been a real joy to have been a part of the research team that made it happen.
I have mentioned the DataCare project before (HERE and HERE). It is a joint project between Eurochild and UNICEF, which mapped the alternative care data systems of 28 countries in Europe (the EU-27 and the UK). I was involved to some extent, as part of the research advisory group from the start. At the end of May 2020, I became involved in a more hands-on way, as a technical advisor and editor to the research team, and from November 2020 my contributions gradually grew.
Combing through and analysing the incredibly rich information that the National Correspondents from the various countries provided was a Herculean task, but also incredibly interesting and fascinating. I have learnt so much about both the alternative care systems and the data systems of the 28 countries. It was exhilarating when slowly signs were emerging that although the systems from the 28 countries are very diverse, there were areas that allowed broad comparability. In the end, we were able to propose four indicators on children in alternative care that all countries surveyed already collect the necessary data for in a way that is roughly comparable.
It was also exciting to see the level of interest at both national and EU level for the project and its outcomes. This makes it all the more exciting to finally be able to share the results. You can find the documents and a presentation of the final results HERE.
It was a really special project to be a part of. Getting to work with people who both supported and challenged is very satisfying. I learned a lot in many different ways and have grown in the process. A real privilege. And it has led to my involvement in another project – in which my part is now completed – involving the development of a core set of indicators on children in alternative care.
I hope the final results of the project will give other people a greater insight into how data systems on alternative care, in Europe and in general, work and into why it is so essential that comprehensive, quality data is collected on children in alternative care. It is the only way to ensure that ‘no child is left behind.’
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