Israel and Greece Work Together to Safeguard Children's Rights

Your generous contributions to Federation’s Annual Campaign ensure that Israel National Council for the Child (NCC), one of our Israel and Overseas partners, can continue its vital work protecting the welfare and rights of all children in Israel regardless of ethnicity, religion, or income level. For example, the NCC Ombudsperson’s office aids in inquiries about Israeli children and their well-being. Below, NCC Resource and Development Professional Alon Madar fills us in on the Ombudsperson’s recent experience partnering with the Greek Commission for Children.

Every year, the Ombudsperson receives and responds to thousands of inquiries from children and adults alike. We have been operating the Ombudsperson service for nearly three decades, and during that time the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford has been a dependable and ever-present funder.

NCC serves as a consultant to the State of Israel on various aspects of its commission for children in out-of-home care (such as foster care and boarding schools). In this role, we had the opportunity to collaborate over the summer with the Greek Commission for Children as part of the European Union Twinning Project. We were paired with the Greek delegation to learn from their experience running a state-operated commission. Two topics were at the top of our agenda: making services accessible to children with disabilities and making services accessible for children in foster care. We exchanged ideas and best practices from our two nations, facilitated mutual professional development, and developed more effective techniques for working with children in need in both countries. 

At the end of the day, there’s nothing quite as refreshing and beneficial as dialogue between professionals from different countries. We come to the table with varying educational pedagogies, backgrounds, and therapeutic approaches – and we work together to better the lives of children at risk.

Click here to learn more about National Council for the Child’s life-changing work. 

Above (from right): Simona Steinmetz, Israel’s Commissioner for Children in Out-Of-Home Placement; Advocate Vered Windman, NCC's Executive Director; Samantha Straditaki, a senior official with the Commissioner for Children, Greece; Michal Ben Moshe, senior executive of projects and policy with Israel’s Commission for Children in Out-Of-Home Placement. Image courtesy of NCC.