Child Protection

Advocacy – Protection of Children’s Rights

What we do:

On December 2, 1992, Greece ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), as adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. The 54 articles of the Convention aim to ensure that all children growing up in our country enjoy conditions of safety, love, dignity, freedom, equality, and solidarity.

SOS Children’s Villages, as a leading organization for the Protection of Children’s Rights, support the implementation of the CRC through programs and actions that amplify children’s voices and promote holistic and meaningful reform in Child Protection.

  • We promote legislative and institutional changes for sustainable child protection services.
  • We inform and raise awareness among society and the media about the importance of prevention and deinstitutionalization.
  • We collaborate with organizations and institutions, creating support networks for children in need.

To ensure the application of the principles and rights of children growing up in our care, we follow the guidelines and standards described:

  • In the Quality4children quality regulations, developed through international research in 32 European countries in 2004
  • In the 2005 Recommendation of the Council of Europe on “The Rights of Children Living in Child Protection Institutions”

What are our goals?

We strive to create a holistic support framework that safeguards the rights of all children, strengthening the institutional protection of their rights.

At the same time, aiming to contribute to the deinstitutionalization of out-of-family child care in Greece, we work closely with public and private child protection agencies to:

  • Transfer expertise
  • Support these agencies with specialized staff
  • Advocate for the implementation of policies addressing institutionalization, in the best interests of children deprived of their biological family environment

The Advocacy Department promotes institutional changes in collaboration with other organizations, with the main goal of deinstitutionalization and the prevention of child abuse in Greece.

  • We promote legislative and institutional changes for sustainable child protection services.
  • We inform and raise awareness among society and the media about the importance of prevention and deinstitutionalization.
  • We collaborate with organizations and institutions, creating support networks for children in need.

For more information about our positions and experience in the field of Child Protection, you can visit the dedicated microsite we have created.