Call for papers

XVI International Conference of the European Scientific Association on Residential and Family Care for Children and Adolescents, EUSARF 2021, digital knowledge platform and online conference from 31 August – 3 September 2021:

From 1 February until 28 February 2021, you may submit your abstract by visiting the ExOrdo abstract submission system (you will be required to setup an account first).

Important note to those who submitted to the first call for papers from 2020: The decisions for the peer-reviewed papers still holds. Delegates whose papers were accepted (Category A and B) will be able to update and/or revise their papers within the above mentioned time frame and confirm or withdraw a paper at the end of the period. Delegates whose papers were rejected (Category C) will be able resubmit papers, be advised that at least a major revision would be needed for an acceptance. Abstracts should be structured and written clear and concise for submission. Papers who report on novel empirical science will have higher chances to be accepted.

«The perspective of the child»

In child welfare, child protection, and social work research, there has been an increasing interest in the views of children. This professional and scientific development reflects broader cultural and societal changes. Intergenerational relationships between children and adults and their inherent power structures have become an object of public and scientific scrutiny and were expressed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, a human rights treaty that asserts the right of every child to self-determination, dignity, respect, non-interference, and the right to make informed decisions. In recent decades, the mantle of meeting the daily challenges set forth by this convention has been taken up by practitioners, academics, and governments in the realm of children’s services. As a result, acknowledging and understanding the perspective of the child in practice and research has become a core issue for advancing social work. The challenges and opportunities that arise from this fundamental task are the main theme of the XVI international Conference of the European Scientific Association on Residential and Family Care for Children and Adolescents (EUSARF).

Principal Topics

To focus on the perspective of the child requires a wide range of essential processes and tasks. Child-centered research and practice that emphasizes the respect for children’s agency and promotes young people`s civil and human rights, is of special interest. Therefore, we make a special call for evaluations of actions, programs and interventions which amplify the voices of children in care and in the child protection system. We encourage contributions that enhance the understanding of children’s subjective perspectives or give critical insights into differences between adult and children’s social views. These topics can range from the meaningful participation of children in child protection and decision-making processes to everyday life matters and behaviours; from child-centered placement settings and individual arrangements to framing new legislation on child protection and child welfare across the globe; and from exploring and implementing new (research) methods that amplify children’s views and voices.

Note of special interest on empirical work on the «Perspective of the Child» during times of Covid-19: All around the world current developments are impactful, controversial and momentous and the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to preoccupy the world. In the resulting concert of opinions and assessments, sound empirical social work knowledge is especially valued and called for in these times. For the EuSARF conference in 2021 we therefore especially welcome projects that prominently feature empirical science with a focus on the perspectives of children during times of Covid-19.

For all topics, the children’s perspectives will be examined through discussions centered on the following thematic areas:

Concepts and Approaches

  • 1. Historical and theoretical approaches
  • 2. Advances in research methodology
  • 3. Program evaluation and quality in child welfare
  • 4. Assessment and decision making in child welfare and protection
  • 5. Knowledge transfer into practice, social work education and training
  • 6. Politics and evidence based policies on childhood, family, growing up and care

Fields of Action

  • 7. Prevention and family intervention programs, including home-based and community care
  • 8. Residential child care
  • 9. Family foster care and kinship care
  • 10. Adoption and postadoption
  • 11. Peers and friends
  • 12. Family and wider social networks

Focus topics

  • 13. Child abuse and neglect, including safeguarding young people in care
  • 14. Mental health of children and young people in care
  • 15. Education and qualification of children and young people in care
  • 16. Transition to adulthood
  • 17. Migration and minoritized groups in child welfare
  • 18. Anti-oppressive and inclusive practices in care

The Conference Language is English

Submission Formats

The following submission formats will be available on 1 February 2021:

  • Digital Poster
  • Individual paper presentation (pre-recorded video)
  • Collective paper presentation (pre-recorded videos)

Important note to those who submitted to the first call for papers from 2020: Your previous submission format is still valid, including the invited symposia. If you want to change a poster to a paper presentation or vice versa, you will be able to do so in the submission time window in February 2021.

Submission process

Abstracts must be delivered online via the ExOrdo system. Registration for an ExOrdo Account is required.

Submission via ExOrdo will open as from 1 February until 28 February 2021.

The following are the general rules for paper contributions and the review process.

Title

The title should be brief (maximum of 125 characters including spaces), clearly indicating the contents related to the conference themes.

Abstract

All abstracts will be subjected to anonymous peer-review, coordinated by the Scientific Committee. The criteria for review are:

  • relevance to the conference framework
  • practical or scientific merit
  • originality

Carefully prepared abstracts facilitate the review process, as it is easier to judge the quality of presentations that are thoroughly and concisely described.

Abstracts may not exceed 600 words and must be submitted in English. Abstracts should be as informative as possible including objectives, method, results, and conclusions. 

Authors

Information must include name(s), organisation(s) and email address of all co-authors. When submitting the abstract, please choose one corresponding author. This author will be responsible for receiving correspondence. Conference information will only be sent to this author at the email address provided. The corresponding author is responsible for forwarding information onto all the other authors listed on the abstract.

In the submission should be mentioned who will be the presenting author. The registration must be confirmed by this author. The presenting author can be the same as the corresponding author. Individuals can make a maximum of three presentations. 

Topics

Identify which of the conference themes your submission addresses (maximum of three). Please reference the above list (see section 2: Principal Topics).

Important dates and deadlines

The deadline for submitting abstracts is 28 February 2021. Abstracts submitted after this date will not be considered. Once submitted, authors may edit abstracts until the submission deadline.

A confirmation email acknowledging the receipt of an abstract will be sent to the author at the email address provided upon successful submission.

Corresponding authors will be notified of abstract acceptance or rejection and the form of presentation by email in April 2021.

All presenting authors of accepted abstracts are required to register for the Conference no later than 20 June 2021. Failure to register will result in the abstract being excluded from the Conference program. All content must be prepared and uploaded till 10 July 2021.

The scientific committee reserves the right to make final decisions regarding the format of accepted abstracts.

The scientific committee reserves the right to limit the number of papers presented by the same author.