There is an incredible range of work being done around the world on behalf of children. And more and more, organizations are turning to the Internet as a critical element of their work. Henriette Heimgertner, program officer of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, notes the Web is especially important when it comes to seeking financial support. As Polish physicist and Internet expert Janusz Lukasiak told her, "Today, if you don't have a Web site, it is as if you don't exist."

With van Leer support, the German organization Arbeitskreis Neue Erziehung (ANE - Association for a New Education) pulled together a July 2005 workshop in Berlin on the use of the Internet with organizations from England, Germany, Belgium, France, Greece, Slovakia, Poland and Morocco. Because of our unique experience with the Internet, Connect for Kids was invited to participate as a resource.

Early Childhood Education

Most of the organizations taking part focus on early childhood education. ANE, the host organization, for example, has worked since 1946 to promote democratic systems of education that allow all children, regardless of ethnic origin, religion or race, to develop into healthy and productive adults. Founded by parents and scientists after the fall of fascism in Germany, ANE offers counseling and resources to parents so they can understand the various stages of development their children are undergoing, from birth through adolescence. ANE's approach is based on respect and tolerance for all people, as well as a strong commitment to children's rights. In recognition of the large Turkish population in Berlin, ANE offers culturally competent services to this community.

ANE's two Web sites serve very different purposes: www.ane.de provides its parents' network with an extensive, searchable database that contains a wide array of services, from baby gymnastics classes to neighborhood parent discussion groups; www.aktiv-fuer-kinder.de is based on the Connect for Kids' model of online journalism and advocacy, hoping to provide German parents, educators and activists the information and tools they need to work more effectively on behalf of children. Since its launch in 2003, this Web site has grown to attract some 30,000 visitors each month and its newsletter reaches 10,000 subscribers.

The Morocco-based ATFALE (Alliance de Travail dans la Formation et l'Action pour l'Enfant—Alliance of Work in the Formation and Action for the Child) believes that early childhood care and education allows children to grow to their full potential and is the best investment for the social and economic development of Morocco. "Children do not have a voice," said ATFALE's Faiq Mohammed, and so this organization was founded in 1986 to address problems with educating and nurturing Moroccan children, particularly in poor neighborhoods and rural areas.

Mohammed's organization has been creative in finding solutions to specific challenges. For example, a majority of the Arab parents served by ATFALE do not read or write. In order to teach the concepts of good nutrition, the organization created a simple card game for families to play together. Each card has a specific food group, and the object of the game is to see which player—child or parent—can create the most well-balanced meal.

ATFALE's core constituency is not one that can be reached by a Web site. So the organization uses its French-language site www.refer.org.ma/atfale to exchange information and research among the organization's partners, like UNICEF and early childhood education professionals and students.

In recognition of the changing demographics of Europe, both Kinderwelten (Children's Worlds) of Germany and VBJK Resource and Research Centre for Early Childhood Care and Education of Belgium emphasize respect for diversity in early childhood education and training. In its pilot phase (2000-2003), Kinderwelten developed four centers in Berlin, www.kinderwelten.net providing trainings for people working in early childhood care (pre-schools, kindergartens). The training addressed the issues of prejudices and bias, and emphasized the value of each family's culture.

Kinderwelten's curriculum is based on research about how children construct identities and how they develop attitudes towards others, as well as research on the effects of institutional discrimination. The organization's next phase (2004-2008) involves national dissemination of this work, with goals of creating 32 childcare centers, training 280 professionals and serving 3,000 children and their families.

Founded in 1979, VBJK provides research publications for professionals working in early childhood care and education and counselling for parents of children between the ages of zero and 12. Its Web site www.vbjk.be is relatively static, offering information on activities, projects and publications of the centre. The organization hopes to update it to include an interactive component.

Helping Kids With Incarcerated Parents

Across Europe there are more than 700,000 kids with an incarcerated parent. Eurochips is a network of individuals and organizations working with prison administrators, educators, social workers, ministers and families of incarcerated parents in seven European countries to fight the effects of the stigma experienced by these kids. Building www.eurochips.org public awareness about the problems faced by children of incarcerated parents is a major function of Eurochips' Web site.

Based in London, England, Action for Prisoners' Families (APF) works to influence government policy and to raise public awareness about families of prisoners and the discrimination faced by these children in school and in their communities. APF provides resources for individuals and organizations that work with prisoners' families through its Web site, which contains a number of resources, including a national directory of organizations, publications for families and professionals and application forms to start local groups to help children of prisoners. Among APF's publications are a series of children's storybooks that can help kids, parents and educators deal with issues affecting kids of incarcerated parents.

For these two organizations, the Web has proved an invaluable tool in establishing networks of support.

Finding Needs, Then Meeting Them

Some groups have used the flexibility of the Web to help them address challenges they've encountered. Klara Rulikova founded of the Czech Association of Twins and Multiple Birth Club in 1995 after the birth of her own twins. This organization's Web site offers articles on issues related to multiple births, an online forum for parents to share their experiences and an Internet bazaar to buy or exchange items like twin buggies and clothes. Multiple birth parents can ask a question or raise an issue by filling out a very simple form on the organization's home page.

Elena Bakosova of the Union of Mother Centres (UMC) in Slovakia reported on her organization's campaign, "Allow Me to Enter with a Child," that identified child-friendly establishments such as restaurants, markets and health clubs. In the campaign's first year, UMC members found 27 places that merited the organization's seal of approval, which is based on some 20 criteria developed by UMC members. This includes simple things, like having highchairs readily available in restaurants, as well as play areas for children in health clubs Although a little disappointed by the number, Elena is not discouraged. "I'm a bit of a dreamer," she told me. "I think you have to be to do this kind of work."

Cecilia Garcia directs Connect for Kids.