The Opening Doors for Europe’s Children Campaign is a pan-European Campaign is a partnership between five international organisations, Eurochild, FICE Europe, Hope and Homes for Children, the International Foster Care Organisation (IFCO) and the SOS Children’s Villages International. The Opening Doors Campaign operates in 16 European countries, 12 EU Member States, 2 pre-accession and 2 neighbour countries and it aims to support national efforts to develop child protection systems that strengthen families and ensure high-quality family- and community-based alternative care for children, by leveraging EU funding and policy and building capacity in civil society. 

In this workshop, National Coordinators of the Opening Doors Campaign from Romania and Ukraine will share their experience from the ground towards the transition from institutional to community-based care.  Opening Doors National Coordinators will share the background of institutional care and deinstitutionalisation reforms in their countries, the current state of play, the challenges, the role of civil society and the role of the Opening Doors Campaign in their advocacy work. The presentations will be followed by a discussion with participants sharing their experience from the alternative care system in their countries, bringing together the key components for an effective, child-oriented transition to family and community based care.