Central authority with national coordinating role

To ensure effective integrated child protection systems, particular attention must be paid to cross-sectoral coordination between all relevant government actors and between state and non-state actors.

A national unit assigned to coordinate responsibilities promotes and ensures coordination among central government departments, different provinces and regions, central and other levels of government, government, civil society and the private sector providers. It also contributes to effective implementation of laws and policies. In decentralised systems the need for cooperation and coordination is even more vital.

Central authority with national coordinating role (More information on Authorities having coordination responsibility at national level, by EU Member State can be found below)

Note:No information available for Austria, Luxembourg and Poland.

Source: FRA, 2014

Key findings

  • In principle, the ministry assigned the main responsibility for child protection holds a national coordinating and monitoring role; subordinate administrative structures, such as national authorities or departments, assume the daily task load.
  • In many EU Member States coordination is challenging because of overlapping roles and responsibilities, and the failure to delineate these roles and responsibilities clearly.

In 10 Member States (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia and Spain) coordination responsibilities, including monitoring, lie with the ministry that primarily holds responsibility for child protection. Within the ministry, a specific department-secretariat is typically developed for this purpose.

Thirteen Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden) established a distinct authority to coordinate and often monitor implementation of national policy and legislation. 

In the United Kingdom, coordination at national level is lacking. Specialised departments within the lead ministry in each individual region are established, assigned with coordination duties.

 

Authorities having coordination responsibility at national level, by EU Member State
EU Member State Authorities at national level
AT Federal Ministry of Families and Youth (Bundesministerium für Familien und Jugend)
BE The Belgian National Commission on the Rights of the Child (De Nationale Commissie voor de Rechten van het Kind/La Commission Nationale pour les Droits de l’Enfant/Die Nationale Kommission für die Rechte des Kindes) – Federal level
BG The State Agency for Child Protection (SACP) (Държавна агенция за закрила на детето) (a National Council on Child Protection was set up inside SACP)
CY The Social Welfare Services of the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance (Υπηρεσίες Κοινωνικής Ευημερίας)
CZ The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs – Department of Family and Protection of Children’s Rights (Ministerstvo práce a sociálních věcí – Odbor rodiny a ochrany práv dětí)
DE Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend)
Federal Panel of Experts (Bundesjugendkuratorium)
Federal Working Group of the State Child and Youth Office (Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Landesjugendämter)
Working Group of the Highest State Authorities on Youth and Family (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Obersten Landesjugend- und Familienbehörden)
DK The National Board of Social Services (Socialstyrelsen)
The National Social Appeals Board (Ankestyrelsen)
EE Department of Children and Families (Laste ja perede osakond) in the Ministry of Social Affairs
Health Policy Department (Tervishoiu osakond) in the Ministry of Social Affairs
EL General Secretariat of Welfare (Γενική Γραμματεία Πρόνοιας) in the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Welfare
National Centre for Social Solidarity (ΕΘΝΙΚΟ ΚΕΝΤΡΟ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΗΣ ΑΛΛΗΛΕΓΓΥΗΣ), subordinated to the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Welfare
ES General Directorate of Family and Childhood (Dirección General de Servicios para la Familia y la Infancia) (under the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality)
FI Department for Social and Health Services (Sosiaali- ja terveyspalveluosasto), subordinated to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
FR Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Women’s Rights (Ministère des Affaires Sociales, de la Santé et des Droits des Femmes) – Secretary of State for the Family, the Elderly and Autonomy (Secrétaire d'état chargée de la famille, des personnes âgées et de l'autonomie)
HR Ministry of Social Policy and Youth (Ministarstvo socijalne politike i mladih)
Council for Children (Vijeća za djecu)
HU State Secretariat for Family and Youth Affairs (Család- és ifjúságügyért felelős államtitkár)
State Secretariat for Social Affairs and Inclusion (Szociális ügyekért és társadalmi felzárkózásért felelős államtitkár)
Directorate of Social Affairs and Child Protection Principal Directorate (Szociális és Gyermekvédelmi Főigazgatóságról) – all subordinated to the Ministry of Human Resources
IE Department of Children and Youth Affairs
IT Department of Equal Opportunities (Dipartimento per le Pari Oportunita) (under the Presidency of the Council of Ministers) and Department for Family Policies (Dipartimento per le Politiche della Famiglia) (under the Presidency of the Council of Ministers) – under the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy
LT State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service (Valstybės vaiko teisių apsaugos ir įvaikinimo tarnyba) – subordinated to the Ministry of Social Security and Labour
LU Ministry of National Education, Childhood and Youth (Ministère de l’Education nationale, de l’Enfance et de la Jeunesse)
LV Ministry of Welfare (Labklājības ministrija)
Commission for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Bērnu tiesību aizsardzības komisija)
MT Foundation for Social Welfare Services – under the Ministry of Family and Social Solidarity
National Agency for Children, Families and the Community (Aġenzija Appoġġ) – part of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services.
NL The Child Care and Protection Board (Raad voor Kinderbescherming) under the Ministry of Justice and Security
PL Minister of Labour and Social Policy (Ministra Pracy i Polityki Społecznej)
PT Institute for Social Security (Instituto de Segurança Social, IP-ISS) under the Ministry of Solidarity, Labour and Social Security
National Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People at Risk (Comissão National de Protecção de Crianças e Jovens em Risco – CNPCJR)
RO The National Authority for the Protection of the Rights of the Child and Adoption (Autoritatea Naţională pentru Protecţia Drepturilor Copilului şi Adopţie, ANPDCA) subordinated to the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Protection and Elderly Persons
SE The National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen)
SI Directorate for family (Direktorat za družino)
Directorate for social affairs (Direktorat za socialne zadeve)
SK Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (Ústredie práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny) under the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family
UK Coordination is organised at country level:
England and Wales: Government Department for Education
Northern Ireland: Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS)
Scotland: Scottish Government – Minister for Children and Young People
Wales: Minister for Health and Social Services – Deputy Minister for Social Services (under the Minister for Health and Social Services)

Source: FRA, 2014