Belgium's 2024 Biennial report on the implementation of the Child Guarantee – an overview
Three years after the adoption of the European Child Guarantee, EU Member States are releasing the first report on its implementation. The reports offer an overview of the context, target groups, and services established to execute the European Child Guarantee’s National Action Plans. Additionally, they include sections covering indicators, financing details, and insights and conclusions gleaned from the implementation process.
Belgium submitted its 2024 Biennial report on the implementation of the Child Guarantee in April 2024.
The report focuses on:
- Early education services: Initiatives aimed at improving and maintaining the quality of services in kindergartens and strengthening the collaboration of the various actors involved.
- Education and school based activities: Preventive measures to early school leaving. Incentives for children regarding school participation, ensuring quality inclusive education. Initiatives to address financial obstacles to school participation, including public transportation costs, and supporting single-parent families. Investment in school infrastructure and equipment.
- Healthy meal each school day: Projects to distribute healthy and free meals to schools where the parental contributions are differentiated according to the income.
- Healthcare: Measures to ensure access to healthcare for vulnerable groups and investment in infrastructures. Mental health services and support for children with disabilities and post-natal care.
- Healthy nutrition: Food aid has been reinforced in the form of projects supporting social grocery stores and restaurants and promoting healthy diets in schools.
- Adequate housing: Initiatives include the Housing First programme for youth at risk of homelessness, and the Wallonian Observatory of Homelessness. Support to access housing, for example, a new unified model for social housing allocation.
Eurochild and its members will continue to call on Member States to release their biennial reports and work to ensure the Child Guarantee National Action Plans help end child poverty.
This summary provides key highlights from the Biennial report on the implementation of the Child Guarantee in Belgium, published in April 2024. It is not exhaustive or evaluative.