The Interreg Aurora funded small-scale project CARE Aurora is a preparatory project that aims to establish a foundation for cross-border cooperation on youth well-being between Finland and Sweden. The project is implemented jointly by Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (VAMK) and Mid Sweden University and is based on the Finnish Code of Caring (Huolimerkki) model. The project focuses on identifying legal and administrative barriers that hinder cooperation between authorities in supporting children and young people across national borders. Activities include comparative analysis, expert interviews, workshops, and joint concept development, resulting in a bilingual CARE Code Governance Concept Paper.
The project aims to identify the key legal and administrative barriers to cooperation on youth well-being between Finland and Sweden, with a particular focus on challenges related to data protection, information sharing, and confidentiality. It will develop practical and legally compliant solutions to these challenges, create a joint CARE governance model, strengthen collaboration among public authorities, research organizations, and other stakeholders, and lay the groundwork for a larger Nordic CARE Code initiative. Key outputs include a shared strategic framework for cross-border cooperation and solutions to at least two identified barriers. The project will also strengthen the long-term partnership between VAMK and Mid Sweden University through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), while disseminating results widely among relevant stakeholder.
Contact Niina Nikko, Project Manager, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, niina.nikko@vamk.fi
