According to Europol, more than 10,000 migrant children may have disappeared after arriving and registering in Europe over the past two years.

The UK Government announced that it would take in refugee children who have become separated from their families in Syria and other conflicts.

Lumos, an international non-profit organisation founded by J.K. Rowling to help countries reform their services for disadvantaged children, has begun working with partners in Greece to help bring about reforms for institutionalised children. Lumos hosted a conference in Athens supporting deinstitutionalisation in Greece which was attended by over 70 policymakers, children’s welfare professionals, and civil society delegates. 

Children’s ombudsmen from 33 countries sent a letter to the European Union urging the European Union and Council of Europe to act to protect child asylum seekers in Europe, who are a very vulnerable group.

It is estimated that 30% of the migrants and refugees who have entered Europe by sea over the last year are children. In January 2016, about six times as many people have arrived by sea in Europe compared to January 2015. As these numbers continue to climb, this article reflects on the importance of play for these children, even in their challenging circumstances.

Lumos and the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development of the European Commission (DG DEVCO) will host a conference on Supporting families globally: Ending the institutionalisation of children. The conference will take place 20 January 2016 from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM CET. It will be held at External Cooperation InfoPoint, Rue de la Loi 43-45, Bruxelles, Belgium.

Supported by the non-profit organisation Lumos, British Family Court Judge Nick Crichton, a pioneer of the Drug and Alcohol Courts in the UK, is advising his contemporaries in the Czech Republic as part of the overall reform process in the country to end the institutionalization of children. Nick Crichton has 30 years of experience of sitting as a District Judge and has worked with children and families. He presented at the Czech Judicial Academy, a training and education academy for Czech judges in Kromeriz, Czech Republic on 20-21 January. 

Children who have experienced early adversity have been known to be at risk of developing cognitive, attachment, and mental health problems; therefore, it is crucial that children entering foster care can be properly assessed as early as possible.

For Our Children Foundation will host a conference on 15 January 2016 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The objective of this study was to develop and test an instrument to measure self-representation of youths in residential care in Portugal.