Over the past few months, “Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center has participated in the development of a training program for guardians of unaccompanied minors, as well as other relevant stakeholders. The training program has been developed in the framework of the GUARD-UP project, which aims to support guardians of unaccompanied minors with a migration background. The project focuses on Greece, Italy, Poland, Croatia, Belgium, and Cyprus, the partner countries involved. The project’s objective is to strengthen the legal guardianship system, identifying the existing gaps and the areas that need more improvement, as well as best practices.
Based on the exchange of good practices between partner countries, which has allowed the sharing of experiences and effective strategies, as well as the identification of gaps in the system and the training needs of guardians of unaccompanied minors and other stakeholders, the partners have developed a training program, which will be piloted next year. Further, to facilitate discussion and peer support, an online forum dedicated to the guardians has been developed, where they can connect with each other, exchange suggestions and useful know-how, to best face daily challenges experienced in the job.
On a European level, GUARD-UP plays a fundamental role since it addresses a common subject between member states: the need to ensure effective protection of unaccompanied minors that takes into consideration each child’s best interests. The guardians represent an essential reference point for these children, but the available resources are often not adequate. The project contributes to the enhancement of the guardianship system through targeted professional training, the creation of support networks and the implementation of shared solutions, favouring a more coordinated approach to the protection of unaccompanied children’s rights and their overall well-being across the participating countries.
In the specific context of Cyprus, GUARDUP responds to training needs identified through focus groups and interviews with guardians and other stakeholders. One of the needs that emerged is learning how to create an authentic bond based on trust and open communication with the minors. This would allow the development of a more personal relationship with the minors and enhance their protection and integration into European societies.
GUARD-UP represents an important opportunity to implement a more effective protection system for unaccompanied migrant minors, both on a European and national level, promoting collaboration, exchange of information and best practices, and sustainability, to face complex challenges in the best way possible and ensure a safer future for these children.
The ‘GUARD-UP – Empowering guardianship systems to improve the guidance of UAC’ project (no. 101140692) is co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund of the European Union