Children of Prisoners Europe Conference

On 12 June 2025, we attended the international Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE) conference, which this year took place in Malta at the Caritas Malta Community Centre. This annual event brings together organisations, experts, and professionals from across Europe who are dedicated to supporting children whose parents are incarcerated.

Director of VOLONTÉ CZECH, Mgr. Lukáš Salivar, and Head of the Family Support Division, Mgr. Tina Chlupáčová

Main themes of the conference

The programme featured a rich mix of presentations and discussions focused on:

• the needs of children with a parent in prison and their often-overlooked rights,

• tackling the stigma these children frequently face,

• the importance of cross-sector collaboration (social work, education, judiciary, corrections),

• sharing best practices from various European countries.

The conference also provided space for informal exchange of experiences, networking, and reflection on possibilities for systemic change.

Why we attended

Our goal in attending the conference was to:

• broaden our expertise in an area that still receives little attention in the Czech Republic,

• gather inspiration for further development of our activities supporting children and families in challenging life situations,

• learn about approaches that help these children feel safer and less isolated.

What we take away

We return from Malta with powerful impressions, specific insights, and new contacts that will help us further consider how to effectively support children of incarcerated parents in our country. It was inspiring to see that although the topic is complex, there are numerous effective solutions with real impact. We deeply value the perspectives and experience from abroad.

We are grateful to the organisers for the opportunity to take part in this event. We believe that participating in such international gatherings helps bring vital topics to light in our own context – and contributes to a better future.