MARIA HERCZOG PH.D.MEMBER OF THE UN CRC COMMITTEE

PRESIDENT OF EUROCHILDTARTU, 19 JULY 2012

Child rearing in a large family,

Child’s perspective

Growing up in (large) families – child’s perspective

Families differ and not primarily based on the number of children

Growing up in a family is the natural form of care, parents need a lot of support to develop their parenting capacities, fulfilling their other tasks, harmonise personal, family and working life

Children need emotional and physical nurturing, cognitive stimulation, safety, security, (brain research)

Respect of their personality, dignityOpportunity to learn and exercise their rights

“Children are not mini adults with mini human rights”

UN Convention on the Rights of the ChildAlmost universal ratification – implementation

monitored but limited follow up (NGOs role)Comprehensive set of values and principlesMonitored by the Committee on the Rights of

the Child “The EU and its 27 Member States need to

make sure children are protected and that the best interests of the child are our guiding principles. said Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU's Justice Commissioner

Exercising child rights

Every child has a right to be provided with all the needed opportunities to develop his/her evolving capacities to the fullest possible

Every child has a right to be protected from all forms of violence and harm – if needed support to rehabilitation, healing the damage

Every child has the right to participate actively, listened to, his/her views taken into consideration in all matter affecting them

Special issues in large families

Large families can be good models of community life

Learning co-operation, negotiation, conflict resolution, respect, responsibility, accountability

Risk of poverty, exclusion, discrimination, stigmatisation, prejudice, lack of personal attention

Raising children is also a contribution to community well-being, it has to be valued and acknowledged

Good families, bad families

Parents have the primary responsibility to raise their children

Parents are entitled to support in all forms to fulfill their task – parenting capacity building, financial, in kind help,

The State has an obligation to provide support and services (not blaming and shaming)

Child rights based approach but also best interest of the family, community – joyful, successful children

Not only well-becoming, future for children but also wellbeing and joyful childhood for all

Why rights, rights based?

Learning and exercising rights means respecting others’ rights and taking their viewpoint also into consideration, becoming responsible and accountable

It helps developing resilience in vulnerable situations

Adults need to be aware of their own rights and exercise them to be able accepting and supporting human rights and child rights – human right education essential, good (common) ground for discussion and negotiation

Thank you for your attention!

Thanks for your attention!