Brussels, 30/01/2025 – To improve support for unaccompanied children, particularly those with disabilities or at risk of developmental delays, the GUIDE Project’s partners are launching a set of National Manuals and Service Provider Maps. These resources can be utilised by guardians and professionals to enhance their understanding of the guardianship services available in partner countries and learn how to access them. Through these resources the project is contributing to its aim to empower guardians and professionals to navigate national guardianship systems, thereby enhancing care and protection for vulnerable children across five European countries – Bulgaria, Greece, Slovakia, Italy, and Poland.

The Manuals
Building on the recently published GUIDE Training of Trainers (ToT) Manual, the National Manuals provide tailored information on the unique legal, social, and institutional contexts in the project countries. Key inclusions of each of the five reports are:

• An overview of the  national legal guardianship system.
• Information on how to access healthcare, housing, and early childhood intervention services for unaccompanied children and third-country nationals.
• Peculiarities of and ways to access specialised services for children with disabilities and those with specific needs.

The manuals are structured into five modules, drawing significant inspiration from the Fundamental Rights Agency’s FRA Manual: Child Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; Guardianship in the Best Interest of the Child; Supporting Children from Arrival to Durable Solutions; Quality Standards and Accountability; Tools for Working with Children. All modules are translated into national and key refugee community languages (such as Arabic, and Ukrainian) for broad accessibility and adaptability.

The Maps
The National Maps are designed to ensure easier access to essential services. They guide guardians and caregivers through the national service landscape and categorise service providers across critical sectors, including :

• Healthcare, education, and housing.
• Social support and mental health services.

The Maps will be developed more throughout the project implementation. They feature contact details and key information and follow a flexible template, ensuring adaptability to various national legal and administrative systems. This facilitates replication across EU Member States.

Resources

> Download all the resources now

Direct links:

• Bulgaria National Manual in Bulgarian | Bulgaria National Manual in English 
• Greece National Manual in Greek | Greece National Manual in English
• Italy National Manual in Italian | Italy National Manual in English 
• Poland National Manual in Polish | Poland National Manual in English | Poland National Manual in Ukrainian
• Slovakia National Manual in Slovak | Slovakia National Manual in English | Slovakia National Manual in Ukrainian

• Bulgaria National Map in Bulgarian | Bulgaria National Map in English 
• Greece National Map in Greek | Greece National Map in English
• Italy National Map in Italian | Italy National Map in English 
• Poland National Map in Polish | Poland National Map in English | Poland National Map in Polish
• Slovakia National Map in Slovak | Slovakia National Map in English | Slovakia National Map in Ukranian

For further information, get in touch with Lyzaveta Drannikova, EASPD Project Officer

GUIDE: Supporting Guardians of Unaccompanied Children (101141170).
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.