Under the title Children's rights. Current challenges in child care: education, prevention and protection, the 17th FEDAIA Forum was held at the Caixa Forum in Barcelona. For two days several experts and professionals discussed how to work, plan and act from a forward-looking perspective, public policies for the care of children and adolescents.
The current situation in Catalonia and reflection on the consequences of the economic crisis on children and the most disadvantaged families, has been very present throughout the Forum. Most of the speakers noted that social inequalities are worsening and that it is necessary to ensure that children and adolescents have their rights guaranteed.
It is not only a question of allocating more money and resources but how we can do it better with what we have. At previous Forums, FEDAIA had placed invisible child poverty at the center of the discourse. This Forum did not want to stop with this reflection on the causes and consequences of poverty but wanted to emphasize the challenges ahead and how to guarantee rights.
Among all the interesting reflections that were collected during the FEDAIA Forum, I would like to highlight one clear message for the organizations and professionals who work on a daily basis with children and their families: we have the challenge in the coming years to find the transforming story that will allow us to reduce inequalities in childhood by investing in education and early childhood care as a social investment to face the challenges of the future.
We must continue to reflect on the key priorities that will allow us to move forward with the rights of children and adolescents in our country. But we must be able to recognize that we are not doing well enough and that part of the improvement lies in our own hands. We also learn from those experiences that are giving good results in other countries.
The sector is calling for immediate measures such as a guaranteed income for all families with dependent children, the review of the portfolio of services to meet new needs, comprehensive, cross-cutting, financially endowed and socially fairer childhood policies. We must continue to talk about the need to work with families, social participation of children and networking, but we must demand and demand policies and instruments that guarantee it.
Today's children are the adults of tomorrow's society. Caring for children today is the key to achieving their well-being and to guaranteeing the future sustainability of the system.
Jordi Picas. Director Àrea Àmbit Autonòmic of Suara
