Young Roma children and their families
A First Years, First Priority campaign thematic paper.
Young Roma children have an equal right to thrive. The fulfilment of this right calls for urgent and comprehensive measures and coordinated public investment. There is general concern about how effective Roma inclusion policy measures are at the European level.
When it comes to Roma children under six years of age, especially the youngest ones, there is still a wide knowledge gap hindering the development of responsive and effective policies.
The challenges faced by young Roma children and their families are often multi-layered and intersectional, with negative impacts upon many aspects of their lives. When looking at the five inter-related and indivisible components of nurturing care that young children need to reach their full potential (good health, adequate nutrition, safety and security, responsive caregiving, and quality opportunities for early learning), young Roma children are still lagging behind their peers in many countries in Europe.
