COST Action Blog: What's next for EurofamNet?

Blogs are written by COST Actions

The European Family Support Network (EurofamNet) aims to inform family support policy and practice from an evidence-based and culturally sensitive approach, with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of children, young people and families. To this end, the network follows a bottom-up process, a dialogical style listening to all relevant voices and a double-layered structure, seeking political engagement between the European level and the national, regional and local levels, with mutual influence between them.

The EurofamNet network launched back in 2019 and over the last four years has been working to improve family support research, policy and practices. The outputs of the network have been gathered together in an overarching Toolbox that includes policy briefs, academic outputs, practical resources, and more. Not to mention that the experience of establishing this network has been hugely beneficial in campaigning to ensure that the best interest of children are placed at the forefront of social policies.

“Eurofamnet has a wonderful and unique opportunity to bring together policy makers, practitioners and researchers to combine their skills and knowledge in family support. Our single and focussed aim should be to improve the lives of children, young people and their families. This bold ambition is what Eurofamnet is all about.”

Andy Lloyd, Leeds Relational Practice Centre
CIG Role: Policy and Practice facilitator and UK National Working Group coordinator

But what happens when the COST Action funding and support runs out after the four year grant period? How can networks like EurofamNet stay alive?

We’re pleased to announce EurofamNet has obtained a highly competitive COST Innovators Grant (CIG) funded also by COST, enabling our network to initiate a continuity project: QA[4]EuroFam, A quality assurance protocol for family support services in Europe: An evidence-based and culturally informed model for professional practice. This project, based on the previous work of the network, aims to help 22 participating countries to implement the quality standards identified by EurofamNet in terms of family support and, thereby, improve the well-being of children and families.

The new project will firstly design the quality assurance protocol that will be implemented by the participating countries by means of self-assessment through national working groups. The data obtained in each country will feed a national improvement plan that identifies both the strengths and good practices as well as the points for improvement. These plans will be translated into policy briefs to reach the political sphere and, finally, a series of European guidelines will be distilled from the lessons learned in all countries.

Goals of QA[4]EuroFam

The project is expected to have an impact on the development of European recommendations on family support, on the management of support services at the national level, on the training of professionals who work with families and, in the medium and long term, in the well-being and quality of life of the service users.

“Being part of a project that enhances quality in support systems for families is extremely important as we see a worrying tendancy to place quantity above quality, mainly looking to increase numbers but much less taking into account the social impact and the sustainability of measures. Representing EPA (Europaen Parents’ Association) – an umbrella organization of parents’ associations across Europe – I know that the notion of quality is also defined very differently across countries and also within different systems, hence the need for a number of stable indicators that will allow for better comparison and foster improvement.”

Arja Krauchenberg, European Parent´s Association (EPA)
CIG Role: Advisory board – Bring parents and families’ perspectives.

“Make Mothers Matter (MMM) is delighted to be part of this second project which is the continuation of the important work EurofamNet has accomplished in the field of quality family support in Europe.

As members of the QA[4]EuroFam policy and practice group, MMM will continue bringing the voices of families, making sure that family wellbeing is at center of the results and of policy and practice recommendations.”

Johanna Schima, Makes Mothers Matter (MMM)
CIG Role: Advisory board – Bring mothers and their families perspectives.

Being evidence-based, culturally informed and co-designed, QA[4]EuroFam hopes to make a difference for families, children and young people’s lives in the mid and long term. We hope you will follow on the next part of the journey!

“I see EurofamNet as a network that will sustain over time and we are thrilled to continue this journey with the QA[4]EuroFam CIG. We are a group of family support researchers, practitioners, policy makers and civil society representatives with a strong commitment to improve the quality of family support provision in Europe. This is a critical issue for Europe and I am convinced the network will keep growing up. 

I hope the work we are producing helps to inform family support provision at the national and the European level, mobilizing a culture of informed practice with ecological validity, from the local to the global and backward.”

Lucia Jiménez, University of Seville
CIG Role: CIG Chair and Quality Assurance (QA) Protocol Work Package Leader