The 2013 European Commission Recommendation “Investing in Children: Breaking
the cycle of disadvantage” presented a comprehensive policy
approach
to child poverty and well-being. A new Implementation
Handbook by Eurochild and its partners in
the Alliance of Investing in Children (including EPA) launched on 1st April in Brussels, shows how Member States
can translate the
policy guidelines into action.
Almost
28% of children and young people in the EU are at risk of poverty or social
exclusion, and only eight European countries guarantee adequate access to early
childhood education and care (ECEC)[1].
Despite the most widespread form of
poverty in the EU is monetary poverty, child poverty is not only about growing up in families
that are income poor. It is also about not living in adequate or safe housing,
not having access to affordable and quality education and health care, not being
adequately protected or supported, and not having equal opportunities to
thrive.
The “Implementation Handbook - Putting the Investing in Children
Recommendation into Practice” launched by the EU
Alliance for Investing in Children, coordinated by Eurochild, traces the
emergency of combatting child poverty in Europe and demonstrates how the European
Commission Recommendation
can be implemented in practice. It presents 15 promising examples of existing
practices and policies across Europe that put the EU policy guidance into action
and explains the process and methodology for collecting those examples.
“Throughout the Handbook we are
reminded that poverty can have a negative impact on children’s lives, with
far-reaching consequences on their future participation in the labour market
and society. Investing in children is therefore more than a moral duty. It is
also an economic, social and political imperative”, stresses Vĕra
Jourová, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality,
in her handbook’s foreword.
Marianne Thyssen, European
Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, also welcomes the initiative of the EU Alliance in
her foreword for the Implementation Handbook. She particularly highlights “its broad focus, the fact that it proposes
an integrated approach and the many practical case studies”.
This publication is a key asset for legislators, policy
makers and decision makers, as well as a resource tool to support national and
sub-national level advocacy
in the field of child poverty and well-being for collective influencing.
Testimonies from Spain and the UK
The Alliance has
initiated two national pilots in Spain and the United Kingdom to achieve child
poverty reduction and to advocate for the effective implementation of the Investing
in Children Recommendation.
“More than
32% of children are living at risk of poverty and social exclusion in Spain.
Public budgets have a key role in the capacity of reducing child poverty and
inequality. Our latest study shows that more than 6,000 € million were cut from
Spanish budgets since 2010”, said Gabriel González-Bueno, UNICEF Spain Domestic Policy and Advocacy Officer and coordinator
of the Spanish Alliance for Investing in Children[2].
According to a report
published by the UK Alliance for
Investing in Children[3],
coordinated by Children in Wales, the number of children living in absolute
poverty has risen by 300,000 since 2010/11 in the UK, more than 30% of
country’s children. “The UK Alliance
members will continue to call for the UK and devolved Governments to fully
implement the EC Recommendation through their respective communication and
engagement channels with political leads.(…) Not investing in children now will
undoubtedly see far greater challenges presented to society for generations to
come,” says the UK Alliance.
Partners of the EU Alliance for Investing in Children: Eurochild, UNICEF EU Office, SOS
Children’s Villages International, Save the Children EU Office, Caritas –
Europa, EAPN – European Anti-Poverty Network, ATD Quart Monde, Alliance for
Childhood, Dynamo International – Street
Workers Network, , EASPD – European Association of Service providers for
Persons with Disabilities, ECSA - European Child Safety Alliance, ENSA –
European Network of Social Authorities, EPA - The European Parents Association,
EPHA - European Public Health Alliance, ESN – European Social Network,
Eurodiaconia, EuroHealthNet, FEANTSA – European Federation of National
Organisations working with the Homeless, ISSA - The International Step by Step
Association, Mental Health Europe, PICUM – Platform for International
Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, COFACE – Confederation of Family
Organisations in the European Union, Don Bosco International, ELIANT Network.
About the EU Alliance for Investing in Children
In 2014, 24
European Networks and organisations sharing a commitment to end child poverty
and to promote child well-being across Europe, set up an EU Alliance for Investing in
Children to jointly advocate for better policy outcomes
through the implementation of the EC Recommendation “Investing in Children:
Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage” at the national / regional / local level.
This broad Alliance aims to expand and deepen the cooperation at EU level and
facilitate meaningful and sustainable alliances at national level.
The EU Alliance for Investing in
Children, coordinated by Eurochild, was supported in 2014 by the European Union
Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity - PROGRESS / EU Programme for
Employment and Social Innovation. The EU Alliance for Investing in Children
plans to continue as an informal cooperation.
EU Alliance Implementation Handbook
available here.
EU Alliance for Investing in Children website: www.alliance4investinginchildren.eu
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hashtag: #AllianceIiC
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