CRC/C/ARG/CO/3-4 Access to appropriate information 49. The Committee welcomes the measures taken by the State party to guarantee the right of the child to information, including from different sources and taking into account cultural diversity. The Committee also welcomes the creation, by Act No. 26522 of 2009, of the Advisory Council on Audiovisual Communication and Children, as well as the Observatory on Audiovisual Media Relations with Children. The Committee is however concerned that children, in particular adolescents, continue to be portrayed inappropriately by the media, which may contribute to their stigmatization. The Committee is further concerned at the effects the media may have on children’s behaviour with regard to patterns of consumption and consumerism, unhealthy nutrition and risky lifestyles. 50. The Committee urges the State party to continue its efforts to guarantee the right of the child to appropriate information, as well as to promote legislative measures to protect children from harmful information and ensure respectful treatment in the media of the image, privacy and dignity of children. It should further stimulate selfregulation through, for example, a code of conduct for media personnel and the training of journalists to promote and guarantee respect for the rights of children and adolescents. The Committee further encourages the State party to promote programmes for children that will enable them to have a critical reading of the media and to enhance their participation in media activities. 4. Family environment and alternative care (arts. 5, 18 (paras. 1-2), 911, 19-21, 25, 27 (para. 4) and 39 of the Convention) Family environment 51. The Committee encourages the State party to continue its efforts to support families to fight effectively against poverty, as well as to ensure that families are prepared in their parenting roles, in particular families with one parent and those that may have more difficulties in accessing the services of the State party, such as families from remote areas, indigenous families, migrants and families with children with disabilities. The Committee further encourages the State party to ensure that psychological, social and legal services offered at the local and community levels are accessible to all families, assist them to strengthen family relations, and allow children access to day care and that other measures are taken to effectively prevent placement of children in institutions. Alternative care 52. The Committee welcomes the institutional changes introduced by Act No. 26061 with regard to assistance for and protection of children, the guidelines issued by the Federal Council for Children, Adolescents and the Family on children deprived of their family environment, in particular the recommendation to avoid placement at institutions, the elimination of “mega institutes”, as well as the study undertaken by the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescence and the Family. The Committee notes with concern: (a) The inadequate data and information provided on children in alternative care, especially the lack of a clear differentiation between correctional institutions for offending children and residential homes for children who were placed out of their families for protection, as well as between the different modalities of alternative care; (b) The absence of a common definition of the different modalities of alternative care and a harmonized methodology of data collection on institutions and foster care, as well as the absence of information on monitoring and evaluation mechanisms; 11

Select target paragraph3