This is the third of three podcasts focusing on approaches to support the integration of Children on the Move from the Middle East and other countries to Europe. Since 2020 Family for Every Child member organizations in Italy, Greece, Germany, UK and Lebanon have been working together to develop, share and implement practices. This process of collaboration led to the creation of the Supporting Integration toolkit, designed for practitioners working with children and young people on the move.

In this episode Georgina Bereton Etheridge, Programme Advisor at Family for Every Child is joined by Friederike Vorwergk from Flüchtlingsrat Niedersachsen (The Refugee Council of Lower Saxony) to discuss the the integration of unaccompanied children and young people on the move into Europe, with a particular focus on Germany.

As of late 2023, there were around 41,800 unaccompanied minors under the responsibility of German services, primarily from Afghanistan and Syria. Friederike highlights challenges such as long waiting times for asylum decisions, lack of guardians, and inadequate accommodation.

The "Know Your Rights" project which provides information and support to young refugees and youth welfare professionals. Friederike emphasises the need for international solidarity, proper implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and a shift in political discourse to prioritise refugee rights and participation.

This is the second of three podcasts focusing on approaches to support the integration of Children on the Move from the Middle East and other countries to Europe. Since 2020 Family for Every Child member organizations in Italy, Greece, Germany, UK and Lebanon have been working together to develop, share and implement practices. This process of collaboration led to the creation of the Supporting Integration toolkit, designed for practitioners working with children and young people on the move.

In this episode Laura Bianconi, Head of International Projects, Research and Training at Programma Integra (PI) is joined by her colleague Elisa Moscato to discuss how PI supports this group of children and young people when they arrive in Italy, and beyond. They discuss the challenges faced by unaccompanied minors in Italy, and PI’s work to support their integration, which ranges across language, documentation, access to education and work opportunities, physical and mental healthcare, ensuring they are clear about their rights, and more. The importance of relationship building and trust is also highlighted.

This episode has been recorded in Italian. You can find the English transcript here.

This is the first of three podcasts focusing on approaches to support the integration of Children on the Move from the Middle East and other countries to Europe. Since 2020 Family for Every Child member organizations in Italy, Greece, Germany, UK and Lebanon have been working together to develop, share and implement practices. This process of collaboration led to the creation of the Supporting Integration toolkit, designed for practitioners working with children and young people on the move.

In this episode Amanda Griffith, CEO of Family for Every Child is joined by Chloe Hubert, Post-Placement Support Worker at Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB) to discuss the integration of unaccompanied minors from the Middle East to Europe.

Over 4,000 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum in the UK in 2024, of which 74% granted refugee status. But a lack of support for these children, including minimal engagement from social services and long waits for legal representation, mean many children are still failing to get the support they need.

Chloe explains how CFAB focuses on promoting culturally inclusive practices. And uses a holistic approach to support integration; focusing on education, housing, and mental health. With the ambition to ensure 95% of families remain together post-intervention.

In this podcast Amanda is joined by leaders of two Family for Every Child member organisations based in Nairobi, Kenya. Okari Magati is the Executive Director of Pendekezo Letu and Eric Mukoya is Executive Director of Undugu Society of Kenya.

At Family we know that local CSOs are best placed to deliver change that reflects the cultural, social, economic and practical realities of their communities. But funding continues to be delivered via international NGOs and intermediaries who often continue to perpetuate a culture of dependency. In addition, burdensome requirements around reporting can effectively shut local organisations out of competing for funding. So what can be done to decolonise grant making and ensure grass roots organisations are properly resourced to deliver meaningful change?

Eric and Okari provide insights into the challenges facing CSOs in accessing grants, talk donor bias, the essential nature of core funding and offer advice to funders on how to decolonise their processes to achieve effective, sustainable change.

This podcast was recorded before the announcement of the USAid freeze in January 2025.

In this episode Amanda is joined by three representatives of Pillars Ka Pou, a New Zealand based charity which exists to support the children and families of people in prison or serving a community sentence.

We hear about the work of the Youth Advisory Panel, which launched in 2022 to directly engage young people with lived experience and amplify their voices. The panel has been involved in important initiatives, including rewriting the Bill of Rights for children of incarcerated parents and advocating for the creation of a "navigator" role in the criminal justice system to provide wraparound support for families.

We also hear about the strong emphasis Pillars’ places on Maori values and culture, which shape the organization's approach and engagement with young people.

Despite the challenging political and economic environment in New Zealand, Pillars has remained committed to its values-driven approach and continues to work closely with the Youth Advisory Panel to drive positive change in the justice system and improve outcomes for children and families.

Find out more at www.pillars.org.nz

In this episode Amanda is joined by representatives of three member organisations who are working to support children's mental health and wellbeing across three continents.

Omattie Madray, Managing Director of ChildLinK, in Guyana, Chaste Uwihoreye, Country Director at Uyisenga Ni Imanzi in Rwanda and Rita Panicker, Director of Butterflies, in India.

The panel discussed how mental wellbeing is a topic that must be addressed at community rather than an individual level and how typically western ideas around therapeutic approaches translate to different contexts.

This podcast builds on the research each organisation has been conducting as part of a practice exchange project. All three reports can be found here.

At Family for Every Child we know that Children who are emotionally well are more likely to develop strong and healthy minds, and to have better lives in the future. And it is this knowledge that underpins our Emotions Matter campaign.

In this month’s podcast Amanda is joined by two representatives of the Ali Forney Center in New York. Nadia Swanson is Director of Technical Assistance and Advocacy and Maddox Guerilla is Technical Assistance Consultant, and former graduate of the Center.

The Ali Forney Center (AFC) was established in 2002 in memory of Ali, a gender non-conforming person who was tragically murdered on the streets of New York in 1997. Homelessness is an issue which disproportionately affects the LGBTQ+ community with over 40% of homeless youth in the USA identifying as LGBTQ+.

Amanda, Nadia and Maddox discuss how the AFC has created a welcoming and affirming environment, with low barriers to entry in which young people are able to regulate their nervous systems and overcome trauma. And we hear about AFC’s approach to supporting organisations establishing or expanding their LGBTQ+ services in countries with very different cultural, political and legal contexts.

In this podcast Amanda Griffith, CEO at Family for Every Child, is joined by Nicole Mazen, Chief Program and Policy Officer at Amara.

Amara is an organisation that supports children and families who are impacted by foster care or adoption in the greater Seattle area in the United States of America. Amara's focus is on meeting the needs of those who are most impacted including Black and Indigenous children and families, low-income and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Amanda and Nicole discuss how to imbed inclusive practices within an organisation. How to make feedback count and why sometimes something as simple as a form really, really matters.

https://amarafamily.org/