Project Description
Funding programme:
OUR VOICES is funded by the EU Programme CERV and started in April 2025.
Project Leader:
Eurocarers
Project description:
The project’s main objective is to promote the inclusive and systemic participation of Young Carers (YCs) at the local, national, and EU levels to ensure that their voices are heard and taken into account—especially in policy matters that affect them directly.
Young Carers (YCs) are children and young people—typically under the age of 18—who provide care, assistance, or support to a family member or friend with a disability, chronic illness, mental health condition, or other long-term care need, including issues related to substance misuse.
Building on a consortium of European organisations working with YCs, the project intends to implement diverse and coordinated actions aimed at ensuring the preconditions for YCs’ active participation are met. These include (self) recognition, raising awareness among professionals and policymakers about YCs’ rights from a child rights perspective, and training on self-advocacy practices.
The project also aims to establish mechanisms that support YCs’ engagement in policy discussions at various levels and to pilot and evaluate strategies for overcoming the barriers that currently hinder their participation.
The specific objectives of the project are:
- To identify existing gaps and disparities in five EU Member States regarding child participation mechanisms, with a focus on YCs, and to conduct an in-depth needs assessment.
- To build the capacity of professionals so they can support the meaningful participation of YCs.
- To promote the participation of YCs within existing mechanisms at the local, national, and EU levels, and to evaluate these experiences in terms of barriers and facilitators.
The project is supported by various public authorities from the participating Member States, which not only highlights the relevance of the topic but also facilitates the integration of project results into existing systems.
