Why Care Matters: The Importance of Adequate Care for Children and Society

The care of children matters to all of us. But today there are millions of children around the world that are not cared for adequately. It is a global crisis and one that will only get worse. There are an estimated 151 million children worldwide with either one or both parents dead, with at least 13 million of these children having lost both parents (UNICEF 2013). Adequate care means that children grow up in a permanent, safe and caring family. Many children are separated from their families because they cannot afford to care for them. Other move to attend school or access health services unavailable to them at home.Children that aren't cared for adequately are less likely to attend or do well in school, they are less able to access health and other basic services, and they are more likely to engage in anti-social and criminal behaviours. The lack of care affects their physical, emotional and cognitive development and can sometimes even be life-threatening. This in turn has an impact on society as the future prospects of children without adequate care are often severely limited. As adults, they are often less able to access employment, more likely to experience poverty and more likely to be dependent on the state. Inadequate care can hinder efforts towards development targets such as growth, employment, poverty reduction, health, education and humanitarian preparedness and response.Children have rights and these rights have already been translated into global guidance endorsed by the UN. But improving the care of children requires major efforts and political will. Investment in vulnerable families and communities are needed to strengthen their ability to care for their own children. Investments must also be made in quality, family-based, alternative care. Families living in poverty need greater access to social protection and basic services. It also means giving children without adequate care a stronger voice and raising awareness of their needs. Ensuring that all children are adequately cared for is within our reach. Our recommendations:Build an in-depth understanding of care in each context, and develop locally appropriate responses.Make the care of children a political and financial priority.Ensure broader development and humanitarian work reinforces the effective care of children.Increase the coverage and quality of social protection in order to strengthen the capacity of families to care for children.Ensure that each country adheres to the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children

Despite shifts in public opinion, there is still an ‘east-west divide’ on LGBT rights in Europe

Public opinion on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights has undergone a significant shift in Europe in recent decades; however there is still substantial variation in terms of the way in which legal systems within EU states deal with the issue. Zselyke Csaky writes on LGBT rights in the member states which have joined the EU since 2004. She argues that with some of the new member states still falling short of the standards in Western Europe, the EU should do more to encourage reforms

Central Europe could be the region most damaged by Brexit

Some observers have voiced concern that with Brexit set to dominate the agenda at the EU level in the coming months and years, other pressing issues could be put on the backburner. Zselyke Csaky writes that one such concern is the state of democracy in Hungary and Poland. She argues that if the EU becomes preoccupied during negotiations with the UK, it may prevent attention from being focused on the challenges to the liberal democratic order posed by recent constitutional reforms implemented by the Polish and Hungarian governments

The European economic crisis has coincided with a decline in press freedom in the EU.

In the half decade since the beginning of the economic crisis, global press freedom has declined, and the EU has been no exception to this trend. Reporting on a new survey on press freedom, Jennifer Dunham and Zselyke Csaky find that Greece and Hungary have experienced large declines in press freedom in recent years, with Lithuania, Latvia and Spain also seeing falls. They write that the economic crisis has exacerbated deep-rooted problems across Europe’s media environments leading to a decline in print media circulation and diversity, as well as a greater concentration of media ownership

Letter to William Younger regarding Csaky\u27s position as chairperson of the Scholarship Committee, November 14, 1974

A letter from Susan Csaky to William Younger detailing a change in Csaky\u27s employment status and asking Younger whether that change will impact Csaky\u27s membership in SEAALL and position as Scholarship Committee chair

Letter to William Younger regarding Pearl Von Allmen, January 21, 1975

A letter from Susan Csaky to William Younger concerning a memorial Csaky wrote about Pearl Von Allmen. Csaky also updates Younger on her current job position and her intent to attend the SEAALL Annual Meeting

Letter to Nancy Kitchen regarding the Lucile Elliott Scholarship, February 24, 1975

A letter from Susan Csaky to Nancy Kitchen regarding mailings for the Lucile Elliott Scholarship

Letter to David Brennan regarding scholarship documents, February 25, 1974

A letter from Susan Csaky to David Brennan enclosing the final versions of mailings for the Lucile Elliott Scholarship