Evaluation of strengths and weaknesses

• Author: Applica, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (European Commission), Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER)
• Pages: 63-71

Sure Start Children’s Homes in Hungary

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strategy ‘Let Children Have a Better Life!’84 carried out some complex evaluations of the

national situation regarding child poverty and the impact of various measures: it carried

out both comprehensive and specific research tasks, and prepared methodological material

and annual reports. This work was partly carried out by the Child Opportunities Research

Group (CORG) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, which is primarily responsible for

research and methodological support85 for the whole Child Opportunities Programme

(which includes Sure Start). Some of its tasks were related to micro-regional process

support, including analyses and evaluations in support of regional programmes. These

monitoring efforts have continued, although not on a very rigorous basis, providing quite

regular feedback regarding necessary interventions.

2. Evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses

2.1 Impact on target group

The programme still cannot reach a significant proportion of disadvantaged children. There

are about 270,000 children aged 0-3 in Hungary, but just 2,578 children regularly attended

the Sure Start Chil dren’s Homes in нлмс гGábosз нлмухфмдз which was about м% of the

whole age-group. However, a significant proportion of these children came from

disadvantaged areas of the country, as the Homes are predominately located in

settlements with high poverty rates with large proportions of Roma. The programme is

scientifically grounded, as it was carefully planned by experts and is evidence-based. It

can be said to be successful in achieving its objectivesз namely developing children’s social

skills and parental competencies, and providing access to previously unavailable services.

However, there is room for improvement, especially regarding Homes that are already

funded from the state budget.

The exact location of the Homes within settlements seem to have significant impact. Homes

in suitable locations are more successful in integrating the target group: if the Home is too

close to a segregated settlement, families in better situations avoid it; whereas if it is very

central, those in more deprived areas cannot attend. If the director of the Home is (or

becomes) an acknowledged member of the settlement, whose professional competence is

not challenged, it has a positive impact. Also, having Roma among the employees of the

Home is beneficial as they are more credible and effective in involving disadvantaged Roma

(Balás et al., 2016).

From the expert interviews, it was discovered that most Homes have largely Roma families

in them, but a smaller fraction receive children from lower-middle class families (e.g. with

single parents or where the mother has problems such as abuse in the family, addiction

problems or mental health issues). Even when it is mostly Roma children who attend,

because the Roma population is not homogenous there may be conflicts between various

groups and families, which makes it difficult to have all these children in the Home at the

same time. The most recently founded Homes are most often in segregated areas. Experts

claim that the Homes can reach several kinds of disadvantaged children, especially from

84 The committee was established in 2008 by Parliamentary resolution. Its role included helping to implement,

monitor and evaluate the strategy. Most operational issues were handled by a unit within the Prime Minister’s

Office, while CORG provided research and scientific support. The committee lost its purely civic character in 2011,

when 12 representatives of the government were appointed to it alongside the 12 civil members; its chair is the

state secretary for social inclusion and a co-chair is elected from civil members. The committee’s report for нлмм

was criticised for dealing primarily with organisational issues rather than outcomes for children. For that reason,

a Civil Report on the situation of children was written for 2011 by the one-time staff of the MTA GYEP.

Unfortunately, no such comprehensive reports have been available since then.

85 The main activities of CORG in the new phase include: providing methodological support to regional

teams/applicants for the children programme in creating/actualising regional status reports; supporting the need

assessments of families with children (preparing regional data collection, organising research camps); operating

an online monitoring system; monitoring the regional programmes; cr eating evaluating analyses; and carrying

out research focusing on the effectiveness, impact and sustainability of regional programmes. See:

https://gyerekesely.tk.mta.hu/en/news/2019/05/restart-of-the-children-programme.