The 38th annual EUFASA AISBL Conference took place in Paris on 2nd and 3rd May 2022. It brought together delegates of 19 EUFASA AISBL Affiliated Member Associations. Many issues were discussed; the highlights are presented below.
The Working Group on the Mobility of Children with Additional Needs outlined the need for more information and better support for foreign service families who have children with disabilities and different needs. They presented a comprehensive guide they developed entitled “Tips for the international transfer process for foreign service families with children with disabilities and different needs”, which provides practical information for foreign service families, and contains recommendations for MFAs. Read the guide here.
The EUFASA Research Department (ERD) presented results from their follow-up survey on burnout and resilience among partners and spouses, showing that overall resilience had improved since late 2020, burn out levels had fallen a few points but still remained high; and that MFA support can support well-being, but remains insufficient. The results were translated into a policy paper with recommendations for MFAs on supporting partners and spouses during a crisis. Read the policy paper here.
The Declaration of Rights of Foreign Service Families, a non-legally binding document harmonizing the standards and the practices related to MFA administrations and foreign service families, was signed by 18 EUFASA AISBL member associations. Read the document here.