Greece'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.

The Greek Government submitted its 2024 Biennial report on the implementation of the Child Guarantee in September 2024.

The report focuses on:

• Early childhood education and care: Establishment of a financial support program for families to access pre-school education. Specific support for Roma and children with disabilities.

• Education and school-based activities: Providing free education, including supporting the costs of transport. Specific measures support inclusive education for children with disabilities and integration for Roma children and children on the move. Support is also provided for extracurricular activities.

• Healthy meal each school day: Free meals to primary students from socio-economically vulnerable backgrounds are provided throught The School Meals programme.

• Healthcare: All children in Greece have free access to vaccines and healthcare, with additional support for children on the move. Certain groups of children, such as refugees, unaccompanied minors, and those with disabilities, receive free medicines on prescription.

• Healthy nutrition: The Ministry of Health promotes healthy eating through school food guidelines, breastfeeding support, and obesity prevention programmes.

• Adequate housing: Programmes and interventions to improve living conditions, addressing homelessness, housing costs, energy poverty and housing insecurity. Specific programmes support children with disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers.

• Alternative care: Moving from institutional care to community-based alternatives like foster care and semi-autonomous living for children, with support through training and financial aid and measure to prevent family separation.

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 Child Guarantee implementation in Greece published in September 2024. It is not exhaustive or evaluative.