Pleegzorg Vlaanderen vzw, the umbrella association for foster care services in Flanders, Belgium, is organising a European conference on foster care: "Taking Care of Foster Care". The conference deals with new ways and challenges in foster care, both in Flanders and abroad.
1. Why organising a European conference on foster care?
Foster Care is the strongest growing area in Flemish welfare, with registrations increasing at 5% per year. At the moment there are 4.500 foster families and 6.400 service users.
Both Federal and Flemish governments are showing increased interest in foster care. This interest is demonstrated by a Flemish governmental agreement which, among other things, requires that foster care should be the first choice for children under the age of six who are unable to live with their parents. In 2012 the Flemish government plans to introduce comprehensive foster care legislation.
2. What will the conference be about?
The conference will deal with the following themes relating to foster care:
* Is quality in foster care increased by increasing services?
* Is it possible to offer foster care to children and young people with severe behavioural problems? What is Sweden doing to make this possible? And how does Flanders deal with this situation?
* In what ways should we work with the birth parents of foster children? Do we have suitable methods to involve them?
* Is foster care possible for new groups like the elderly? What has already been established in Flanders and what can we learn from this?
* In which situations is foster care better than residential care? How can the lessons learned be implemented in Flanders?
* What can we do to find more foster families? Are public awareness campaigns enough?
* What do foster children think of foster care? Do we listen to them?
* What are the advantages and disadvantages of connected care? Is connected care an appropriate way for foster care services to grow?
* Is short term foster care useful? Is it useful in crisis situations? Or is foster care only useful for longer care periods?
* Do foster families need a legal status?
* What is the position of foster care in other European countries? Do other governments promote foster care?
* All Belgian foster carers are volunteers. What are the limits of voluntary foster care?
* Is foster care the answer to the financial problems of the welfare state in the future?
* ...

Special attention will be given to the situation of foster care in the Flemish north and the French and German speaking south of Belgium.

Our six keynote speakers are from Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the UK. There are 40 workshops with speakers from Flanders, Wallonia, the Netherlands, the UK, France, Sweden, ...

3. Practical info
Conference languages are Dutch, French and English. Plenary sessions will be translated simultaneously. Workshops will partly be in French and English. If possible Dutch workshops will be translated simultaneously.
The following parties are invited to the conference: governments, service users, foster carers, fostering workers and professionals from other services - both from Belgium and from abroad.
The conference will be chaired by Professor Doctor Emeritus Jef Van Langendonck, former chairman of Pleegzorg Vlaanderen. Papers submitted to the conference will be peer reviewed in order to validate the quality of the presentations. In addition, a steering group will be formed, which will take forward the ideas about foster care disseminated during the conference. The conference will be part of the Belgian presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2010.
On Saturday 18th of September 2010 the conference will end with an academic session and with a family day for everyone involved in Flemish foster care.
Congress languages are Dutch, French and English.

More information on www.pleegzorgvlaanderen.be or on www.fostercareflanders.be