Who we are? What we do ? Mission & Objectives

Who we are

The European Foundation for Street Children (EFSC) is a Brussels-based foundation established in 1995 by Maartje Van Putten, Member of the European Parliament from 1989 to 1999, being committed to improving the situation of children at risk, and particularly street children, on a non-profit basis. The Network unites non-governmental organisations that are committed to this cause by providing them with information and advice concerning all children and youth-related policies and assistance programmes of the European Union and by facilitating the exchange of best practice between them. The EFSC acts as a platform for lobbying and advocacy towards the European Union, aiming at a better mutual exchange and co-operation between EU policy-making and NGOs working in the field for the improvement of the rights and living conditions of street children. With a particular operational focus on European countries, the EFSC also acts as an information broker for NGOs worldwide on all EU-related topics and developments concerning street children.

What we do

  • We inform our partners of existing rights and EU policies and activities in favour of children;

  • We improve the networking quality and synergy between our partners by supplying information on their mutual activities and promoting the exchange of best practice among them;

  • We assist members to build up know-how and expertise, so that the EU assistance programmes concerning child policies can be exploited in a professional and effective way;

  • We try to influence the EU legislation and decision-making process with position papers, expertise and advocacy campaigning in favour of a better consideration of excluded children;

  • We encourage, facilitate and participate in joint actions such as public information campaigns in order to raise public awareness and to mobilise public opinion on the issue of street children;

  • We advise and brief politicians, officials and other key decision-makers;

  • We organise workshops, seminars and conferences for our partners, professionals, experts, researchers and politicians;

  • We encourage networking at international, European, national and local level;

  • We facilitate and support the implementation of projects that improve life conditions of children at risk and street children.


    Mission & Objectives

Mission

  • to raise political awareness within and with EU institutions in the field of excluded children with particular focus on street children;
  • to intensify informed political debate, in particular at European level, and to have the issue of such children integrated into mainstream social and economic policy making;
  • to raise public awareness and to mobilise public opinion on the issues of such children;
  • to promote applied research and the exchange of knowledge and experience (best practice) acting as a broker for affiliated persons and institutions;
  • to inform and assist European governments and NGOs on EU policies, strategies, practices and developments in the field of excluded children with particular focus on street children, including funding opportunities;
  • to improve the quality of life and the living conditions of such children.

Objective

The objective of the Network is to create, maintain and assist a platform of social actors involved in the realisation of the fundamental rights of excluded children with particular focus on street children.

The Network seeks to achieve this objective mainly by:

a. advising European and Member States’ legislators and policy makers;

b. responding to the need of the European Union and the Member States’ governments, NGOs and other agencies for support in establishing and implementing policies and programmes on street children;

c. responding to the need of governments, NGOs and other agencies in less developed countries (including Eastern Europe) for support in establishing and implementing policies and programmes on street children;

d. raising public awareness and understanding of street children and related issues;

e. raising awareness and understanding of street children and related issues in the institutions of the European Union, the Member States, the Council of Europe and other forums;

f. intensifying the political debate on street children and related issues, at the level of both the European Union and the Member States and the Council of Europe;

g. improving and strengthening the communication, co-operation, co-ordination and exchange of information between social NGOs and welfare organisations, in particular those working with excluded Children, and to encourage their learning from each others’ experiences;

h. monitoring and promoting children’s rights in line with the commitments made under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child;

i. building up expertise and information on street children and related issues and to develop effective strategies for working with street children;

j. increasing resources available from the European Union, the Member States, the United Nations and other sources to meet requests for assistance for programmes for street children, through bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental channels.