The European Children's Trust

3/11/2000
The European Children's Trust

The European Children's Trust (ECT) is an international non-governmental organisation that is working to help reform child care systems in central and eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union.

In many of these countries the collapse of communist or dictatorial regimes has been followed by the difficult transition to a market economy, with accompanying problems of unemployment, inflation and poverty. ECT believes that this has now reached a crisis affecting tens of millions of people, with some regions facing the same poverty levels as developing countries. Those who frequently suffer most are children - especially those who have been placed in under-funded state institutions. 

These are facts that many of us perhaps do not think about. The ECT acknowledges that this has been a 'silent crisis' and one that has been largely either underestimated or ignored by outside observers. Although the information on the ECT website can be distressing there is also much to inform, to educate and to inspire.

ECT currently works in: Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kosova, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Russia and Ukraine. For each country there is a brief description of its social and economic background and an outline of current conditions. There are also case studies of the work being done by ECT to improve the lives of children in care - either through partnerships with government or non-governmental structures, or through community-based initiatives. The Trust helps parents to care for children, and also supports initiatives which pilot family based services for children who are in need of public care.

The site also provides updates on events and campaigns and advice about how to get involved with the ECT's work - ranging from fundraising and awareness raising to joining a project and working overseas. The full report 'The Silent Crisis' detailing the dire situation of many children in these countries is also available.

For anyone interested in the state of the world's children and all the impacts of these times of social and economic change EuropaWorld recommends…. Take a look at www.everychild.org.uk