Outcomes and achieved outputs :
The team has been able to analyse the data in terms of (1) identifying types of supports, barriers and
best practices for each participant group, (2) determine similarities and differences between groups and
(3) develop an artistic way of disseminations.
We had three group of participants: families in socio-economic exclusion from Spain, ROMA families
from Croatia and refugees’ families from UK. All of them made up a final story where they tell types of
support they get, barriers and difficulties they find, best practices and suggestions for improvement.
After that, we integrate the three stories finding their similarities. On this analysis, we found that one of
the types of support they miss the most is financial support, besides education support and informal
support (from their families). In addition, they also found language difficulties, lack of employment
opportunities, isolation (lack of transport and access to resources) and social discrimination. However,
they also pointed out the great support from NGOs, psychosocial support from Social Services,
parenting schools from Social Services and the informal support from friends. Despite that, they think
Institutions should increase the resources in terms of leisure activities for parents and children, and
children and parents separately. They also think Institutions should improve policies to ensure the
social integration, mental health support and job opportunities.
Once the data was all integrated, we made a video together with an art-design company. In the final
video, we tried to reflect the three family stories in an intertwined way. In such a way that, despite the
diversity of family forms and circumstances, their nationality and residence, family structure and life
history, the families found many similarities between them and needed similar supports. Therefore, the
importance of listen to their voices, keep on improving family support policies and practices and
respond to the diversity of family forms.
This video was displayed on the MC Meeting in July in Madrid with all the network.
Benefits for the COST Action Strategy:
The rationale of this Virtual Mobility Grant was to integrate who have been EurofamNet target since
they started: the families. The idea was to bring them the main outcomes in an interesting way and
making them participant on it. For that reason, we thought art was the best carrier for this project.
Although Eurofamnet outcomes are wide, we considered the provision as a relevant thing to get a
feedback from families. But we also wanted to get to families that historically have been less visible in our society. Thus, we have given voices them to tell how they actually get to family support, use it and
how accessible it is for them.
The final video highlighted what families are getting from European family support policies. Also, those difficulties and barriers they are encountering on a daily basis. Finally, those aspects in which we must continue to improve in order to respond effectively to the needs of families.
Ultimately, this VMG has allowed to integrate families’ views about Eurofamnet outcomes, make them
participant, empower their diversity, give voice to minorities and get an accurate feedback to keep on
improving family support policy, provision and practice in Europe.
Virtual collaboration:
During the VM I was developing the process to translate the academic outputs and practices resources
made by the Cost Action members to target families, youth and children through an innovative and
artistic method. The main activities where I have been involved are:
- Coordinate group meetings with the Team.
- Integrate feedback and write reports with the purposed ideas.
- Coordinate with external companies involved in the project (art-design company) to make the
video result.
- Analise main EurofamNet content and outcomes.
- Analise the collected data from the participants.
- Select content and summarise.
- Coordinate with other Working Groups, as WG1 or Policy and Practice Group.
- Create a poster to be displayed in MC Meeting.