Throughout the month of October and Early November, we’ve collected our members’ ideas and events to mark this special day for the Eurochild family and the entire movement of children’s rights advocates.

Here’s a selection of our members’ activities:

• Children In Wales will mark Children’s Day during their Young Wales Annual Conference 2021 By Young People For Young People;
• Child Rights Alliance Ireland organised an event on 17 November on incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in national law;
• Estonian Union for Child Welfare will celebrate this milestone during their annual conference “Kuidas elad, Eestimaa laps” (How Are You, Estonian Child). This year, the organisation will unveil the results of their participatory research carried out in 2021 on the needs of children in alternative care ;
• Hungarian Coalition will host a conference on 19 November to discuss the results and challenges of the new EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child;
• Plataforma de Infancia is marking Children’s Day with a series of webinars in Spain throughout the month of November, tackling the topic of violence against children from different perspectives;
• The Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society released a manifesto with 99 proposals reflecting the voices of thousands of children and young people and urging politicans to drive the change to make children feel heard, happy and safe;
• Together Scotland is using this opportunity to reflect on the topic of early childhood development, by hosting a series of webinars on preventing home injuries and ending corporal punishment in early years.

Learn more about our members and our areas of work.

The Strategy includes 6 priority areas to guarantee the rights of the child, these include the current 5 priorities as well as a 6th new one reflecting the needs that have emerged with the covid-19 pandemic: 

1. Freedom from violence for all children
2. Equal opportunities and social inclusion for all children
3. Access to and safe use of technologies for all children
4. Child-friendly justice for all children
5. Giving a voice to every child
6. Children’s rights in crisis and emergency situations

Twenty two delegations voted in favour and two countries voted against.  During the debate the Russian Federation, Hungary and Turkey  expressed reservations to specific references and wordings in the draft Strategy. All three countries expressed reservations to terms in the draft Strategy regarding “gender”, “gender-based”, “homophobia”,  “transphobia”, “LGBTI”.  Reservations were also expressed by the Russian Federation regarding the inclusion of certain words and word-combinations in the part reflecting the proposals coming from the children.

A total of 220 children were consulted through a participatory process organised between February and June 2021 with the active support of 10 national CDENF delegations (Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain) and their respective partner organisations facilitating the step of reaching out to children. Their contributions and proposals have been included in the Strategy. The transcript of the video presentations of the children’s delegations to the CDENF meeting can be found here.

The draft Strategy has been submitted to the Committee of Ministers for adoption during one of its upcoming meetings.  A High-level Launching Conference on the new Strategy will take place in Rome, on 7-8 April 2022 under the Italian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers.

Another topic discussed at the CDENF meeting included the protection of the best interests of the child in situations of parental separation and childcare proceedings on which child consultations will be organized.  The CDENF meeting was informed about the work underway regarding the development of guidance on the rights of children and children’s participation in the decision-making process in the biomedical field, which is undertaken jointly with the Steering Committee on Bioethics. The first meeting of the drafting group takes place on 29 November 2021.

For more information on the work of the Council of Europe contact Mieke Schuurman.

The Eurochild Child Guarantee Taskforce, with nine Eurochild member organisations, will be an important driver of change and will ensure that national governments and political leadership prioritise the European Child Guarantee. The Child Guarantee aims to guarantee the access of children in need to a set of key services including early childhood education and care, education, healthcare, nutrition and housing. The Taskforce will provide the organisations a space to share and examine innovative approaches, strategizing and exchanging relevant knowledge and good practices, to better influence the development of national action plans in their respective country. Each Taskforce team will also reach out to allies and explore ways in which they can work together. The work of the Taskforce will be tailored to the specific needs and context in which the organisations operate.

The Eurochild Child Guarantee Taskforce will work on country reports that should be published in January 2022. These country reports will support national advocacy on the National Action Plans and provide strong evidence-based arguments in strategic communications. They will also provide information to EU institutions such as data and case studies from the national-level perspective and help shape the European Commission’s common monitoring framework.

An active civil society equals success for children

The European Child Guarantee sets out that Member States must involve stakeholders in developing, implementing, and monitoring the Child Guarantee National Action Plans. EU countries are obligated to “ensure the participation of regional, local and other relevant authorities, children and relevant stakeholders representing civil society ….” [1]. Additionally, the unique perspective, societal position and on-the ground experience and knowledge of civil society will significantly benefit the development of the National Action Plans. Therefore, involving civil society organisations is not merely a technical obligation, but rather a must in the pursuit of making the National Action Plans as comprehensive and efficient as possible. Civil society is an indispensable partner for public authorities at all stages of the National Action Plans.

The leading organisations involved in the Eurochid Child Guarantee Taskforce are:

Bulgaria- The National Network for Child; 

Germany- The German Children’s Fund;

Greece- The Smile of the Child;

Hungary– Family, Child, Youth Association;

Ireland- Children’s Rights Alliance;

Italy- Fondazione L’Albero della Vita ONLUS;

Portugal- Instituto de Apoio à Criança;

Romania- Hope and Homes for Children Romania;

 Spain- Plataforma de Organizaciones de Infancia.

Background:

The Council Recommendation establishing a European Child Guarantee from June 2021 aims “to prevent and combat social exclusion by guaranteeing access of children in need to a set of key services, thereby also contributing to upholding the rights of the child by combating child poverty and fostering equal opportunities.”

Eurochild and its members have greatly influenced the shaping of the European Child Guarantee, since the first proposal by the European Parliament in 2015. Member States now must submit their national action plans in March 2022. These action plans should outline how they will implement this Recommendation up to 2030.

Read Eurochild’s reaction to the European Child Guarantee.

[1] Council Recommendation (EU) 2021 establishing a European Child Guarantee, p.30

On 9 November 2021, the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (Council) held a high-level conference on the European Child Guarantee Initiative, aptly named “Equal opportunities for every child”. The event discussed how EU Member States should translate the Council Recommendation on the Child Guarantee into action at the national level. The event included the participation of national and international policymakers, researchers and members of the civil society, including Eurochild.

The conference timely testified that we are living a crucial momentum in the development of the Child Guarantee. The Council adopted the Recommendation in March 2021 and passed on the baton to the EU countries, which are expected to draft national Child Guarantee National Plans by March 2022.

The Child Guarantee is a unique opportunity to make a difference in tackling child poverty and social exclusion, and to boost national policies and investments in the sector. It is thus fundamental to ensure that all EU countries take advantage of this opportunity and contribute towards the successful realisation and implementation of these Plans.

The conference was characterised by many important interventions. The Portuguese Minister Ana Mendes Godinho, for example, underlined that no child is an island and that failing to protect a single kid is a failure and an offence for the whole society. The Slovenian Minister Cigler Kralj made a strong call for the preparation of action plans, saying that it is now up to the EU countries to live up to their commitment in implementing this crucial initiative.

The French Secretariat of State, Adrien Taquet, confirmed the French commitment in this field (France will hold the Presidency of the Council from January to June 2022) and emphasised the necessity to invest more in early childhood development. You can find more info on the other interventions here.

Notably, all the Child Guarantee National Coordinator recently nominated by the EU Member States had the opportunity to follow the rich discussion and take inspiration for their crucial work on the drafting of the Child Guarantee National Plans.

Eurochild played a prominent role throughout the event:

• Our President, Her Excellency Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, was invited to speak in the introductory panel. She highlighted the necessity for governments to act and take advantage of this unique opportunity to protect children and build a sustainable and fair Social Europe. She also stressed the crucial role played by investments in early childhood development. In her concluding remarks, H.E. Coleiro Preca underlined that child poverty represents a burden on Europe’s future prosperity and stability, and that children require and deserve a strong and sincere political commitment.
• Eurochild’s work on DataCare was presented by Stela Grigoras, Child Protective Specialist and Programme Manager of the Child Guarantee Feasibility Study Phase III at UNICEF. The study demonstrates that EU Member States’ data for children in alternative care can be used to establish comparable EU monitoring indicators on residential care, family-based care, ‘other’ and total children in alternative care. These findings can help Child Guarantee National Action Plans monitor the situation for children in alternative care. Publication of the findings are forthcoming.
• Eurochild Secretary-General, Jana Hainsworth, had the honour of summarising the main points discussed during the event and offering an analysis from perspective of civil society. She praised the abundancy of good practices and examples shared by the different speakers and underlined the necessity to use the political momentum offered by the EU to fight child poverty and social exclusion. Child poverty rates are simply unacceptable and Europe cannot afford to pay the price of inaction.

As underlined by the latest Eurostat data, child poverty is an increasing phenomenon that concerns every country within the EU, illustrating that the Child Guarantee must be a priority for all. This conference was a pivotal occasion to state that the Child Guarantee National Action Plans must be ambitious, strategic and meaningfully involve all relevant stakeholder, such as children and civil society. Moreover, the conference also offered an occasion to recognise that the Child Guarantee Recommendation is a fundamental step in the right direction, but alone it will not be enough. Children need comprehensive national policies, innovative instruments, and long-term strategies. Children need their governments to be bold; there is no time to shy away.

Children’s views count too! Hear from Eurochild Children’s Council member, Ranya, from Slovenia on how European Child Guarantee can benefit children with migrant backgrounds. Thanks to the Slovenian Presidency and to our members Zveza prijateljev mladine Slovenije and PIC for empowering children to speak up!

In Greece, Roots Research Center will address the needs of children in alternative care in Crete, where most children in the alternative care system still grow up in institutions. They will train 80 social workers & psychologists working in residential settings to destigmatise deinstitutionalisation. By learning a new methodology, they will be better skilled to prepare children and young people for re-integration with their families or for independent living. Local juvenile lawyers and university students will also benefit from the training. The grant will also allow the organisation to support transition and placement of young people in semi-independent living apartments in the Greek island.

In line with the newly adopted Deinstitutionalisation strategy they will advocate for prioritising children in alternative as one of the main target groups of the European Child Guarantee in Greece.

In Turkey, the Hayat Sende Youth Academy Association will strengthen the foster care system and address misconceptions about family-based care by training over 450 prospective foster carers and offering psychosocial support to families or children in foster care and adoption. Benefiting from Eurochild’s expertise in advocacy, Hayat Sende aims to improve their working relationship with Turkish Ministries to promote family-based care across Turkey.

In the last ten years there has been an increase of family-based care in Turkey; still, two-thirds of all children in alternative care reside in institutions.

 “A strong and sustainable civil society is an important lever for change. We are delighted that this partnership will allow our members to progress child protection reforms in Greece and Turkey and share the knowledge and expertise through our wider network.” – Jana Hainsworth, Secretary General, Eurochild

“We are looking forward to this new phase in our fruitful partnership with Eurochild working together to reform child protection and offering technical provision regarding family-based care. We are grateful to consolidate and build on the progress we have been pleased to previously support in Greece as well as supporting a new partnership in Turkey.” – Daniel Croft, CEO, Martin James Foundation 

Background

In 2020, Eurochild started a fruitful cooperation with Martin James Foundation to push for national child protection reforms. This partnership supported three organisations in Greece, Croatia and Poland through re-granting, tailored capacity building and technical assistance. As a result, the organisations have gained recognition of their expertise and are invited to support government’s reflections and strategies on reforming child protection.

Hundreds of thousands of children across Europe are growing up in institutional care, characterized by depersonalization and routine. Many children who are separated from their families for protection reasons or because of disability, could in fact have remained in their family, if their family had received the necessary support. In cases where separation from their family is in the best interest of the child, alternative family care such as foster or kinship care should be prioritised. Children need stable and safe relationships with caring adults to thrive, and such relationships are far more likely to be created in a family environment.

Additional reading

Creating lasting change for children in alternative care – Lessons from Croatia, Greece and Poland

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, has recently published new statistics on children at risk of poverty or social exclusion.  

As expected, figures show an increment of almost 2 percentage points in the EU average; i.e. from 22.5% in 2019 to 24.2% in 2020. This means that 1 in 4 children in the EU are currently at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The Eurostat data on child poverty is a useful source for our advocacy actions, particularly when demanding investments in children and policies to end child poverty. Unfortunately, data from Italy and Ireland are still missing.

As reported by Eurostat for the year 2020, the Members States with the highest rates are:

1. Romania: 41.5%
2. Bulgaria: 36.2%
3. Spain: 31.8%

Figures increased in over half of the analysed countries (13/24), in particular in:

1. Germany: + 67,33% ↑ (increase from 15% in 2019 to 25.1% in 2020)
2. Romania: +15,92% ↑ (increase from 35.8% in 2019 to 41.5% in 2020)
3. Austria: +12,30% ↑ (increase from 19.5% in 2019 to 21.9% in 2020)

Members with the lowest rates are:

1. Slovenia: 12.1% (but still increased from 11.7% in 2020)
2. Czechia: 12.9% (13% in 2020)
3. Denmark: 13.5% (but still increased from 13.2% in 2020)

Unfortunately, Eurostat did not publish more comprehensive information to support this data. Hence, it is not clear to what extent the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been taken into considerations while calculating the statistics. The Statistical Office stated that the factors included in the calculation of these new figures included:

• Work intensity: 71.9% of the population aged less than 60 years living in very low work intensity households with dependent children were at risk of poverty;
• Level of education: 50.5% of children whose parents’ level of education was low were at risk of poverty compared with 7.7% of children whose parents’ level of education was high;
• Type of household: households composed of a single person with dependent children (42.1%), single-person households (33.2%) and households composed of two adults with three or more dependent children (29.6 %) had the highest risk of poverty or social exclusion;
• Migrant background: children with at least one parent with a migrant background were at a greater risk of poverty than children whose parents were both native-born (32.9% compared with 15.3%);
• Living conditions: 14.1% of households composed of a single person with dependent children were severely materially and socially deprived compared with 7.5% of all households with dependent children.

We would welcome your support

We would be interested in understanding your point of view on these statistics and we are happy to consider any information you would like to share. So please, if you have any suggestions, further questions or comments on this issue, please do not hesitate to contact Enrico Tormen, Eurochild’s EU Affairs Officer.

Eurochild’s President, H.E. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca will join the Slovenian Minister for Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Janez Cigler Kralj; the Portuguese Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho; the Vice-President of the European Commission, Dubravka Šuica and the Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit for the opening remarks.

Eurochild’s Secretary General, Jana Hainsworth, will share lessons learned and will talk about the way forward in a discussion moderated by Ružica Boškić.

Learn more about the programme and add this event to your calendar.

Von der Leyen spoke with pride of Europe’s win in the vaccine race, but we know from children’s rights organisations in Romania who form part of the pan-European Eurochild network that children are being sent home from school for another season of online learning – that is, if they’re lucky enough to have computers and a good enough internet connection at home.

The president talked about Europe’s unity when, in fact, the governments in Czech Republic and Hungary continue to challenge children’s rights, even though protecting these very same rights is an explicit objective of the European Union since every member state has signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

What do children’s rights advocates in the Eurochild network say about the real state of the EU?

We hear them say that children and young people are facing a mental health crisis across Europe. We hear COVID-19 has exacerbated levels of domestic abuse and violence against children, and the long-term impact is difficult to comprehend. We hear that while there was already one in four children growing up at risk of poverty before the pandemic, this number is now likely to be much higher. We hear that an acute digital divide persists across Europe. We hear that families are fearful of the future and that many will struggle to heat their homes this winter. We hear that our child protection systems are under pressure and children are often more damaged than cared for in public care.

Social inequality is on the EU radar. In her speech, President von der Leyen did refer to the European Pillar of Social Rights and the ambitious action plan adopted by the Member States earlier this year.

Eurochild particularly welcomed the European Child Guarantee Initiative that the European Council adopted under Portugal’s EU Presidency. We were also pleased to see the European Commission adopted its first-ever comprehensive strategy on the rights of the child. We are hopeful this will be endorsed by Council later this autumn.

However, we have to be careful in being too celebratory about such commitments, important though they are. It is delivery on the ground that matters most. This requires determination and commitment of resources, something some EU countries currently find all too easy to sidestep if it doesn’t meet their own national agenda.

So, while we might welcome the announcement of a new EU Care Strategy, let us be cautious about leaning too much into yet another EU initiative, without having the necessary means by which to hold member states accountable for their implementation.

The level of child poverty across Europe today is unacceptable and unnecessary. Child poverty is a burden on Europe’s future prosperity and stability. We can and must do better.

The European Child Guarantee initiative requires EU member states to “guarantee” children effective and free access to essential services, such as early childhood education and care, healthcare, education, nutrition, housing, as well as culture and leisure activities. It singles out particularly vulnerable children, such as those in precarious family situations, those with a migrant or ethnic minority background, children with disabilities, LGBTI+ children or children at risk or in alternative care.

The initiative must trigger national investment, as well as make better use of EU money. It is encouraging, for example, to know that Malta has, for some years now, introduced free early childhood education and care for all working mothers, while in Portugal the child guarantee has catalysed the introduction of a new policy guaranteeing free access to early childhood education and care to low-income families with children under three. National plans under the EU’s €750-billion recovery fund are also a promising opportunity to invest in the next generation.

Unfortunately, Eurochild’s analysis of these plans shows children are rarely prioritised. Short-term thinking continues to prevail. Without proper investment to ensure all children are able to reach their full potential, Europe cannot hope to build a sustainable, inclusive economic recovery.

Finally, we must ensure the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child gets the resources it needs for meaningful delivery. It is simply not enough to have words on paper. It needs to be followed through and followed up, including ensuring accountability mechanisms to challenge those member states which fail to comply with EU values.

If our EU leaders were more honest in assessing the reality, it would be easier to rally support from those who stand up for the bloc’s mission and values. The European Union is a powerful force for good. But papering over the cracks does no one any favours.

President von der Leyen said we should be inspired by the young generation and be bold in our values and action. I think children would also tell you “honesty is the best policy”.

Opinion piece penned by Eurochild’s President, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, originally published on Euronews.

The EU Alliance for Investing in Children (Alliance) is a group of 27 European networks, led by Eurochild and Save the Children, which share a commitment to a multidimensional, rights-based approach to tackling child poverty and promoting child well-being.

Over the last years, the Alliance has provided expert support in the development of EU policies, legislation and funding programmes. In particular, it has successfully influenced the shaping of the Council Recommendation establishing the European Child Guarantee. You can check the main achievements reached thanks to our common advocacy and on this chart.

In the following months, EU Member States are expected to nominate their Child Guarantee national coordinator and develop their Child Guarantee national action plans, alongside the EU funding programming for the next seven-year financial framework. EU Member States must include in their programmes how they will prioritise European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and other EU and national resources for the implementation of the Child Guarantee. This means that civil society organisations have a couple of months to influence the drafting of these plans and, consequently, the implementation of the Child Guarantee initiative until 2030.

To help its national members to engage with this vital process, the Eurochild and its Alliance peers have worked on a series of documents that we now want to share with you:

• The EU Alliance statement on the drafting of the Child Guarantee national action plans, which includes key recommendations to national authorities on the drafting of the Child Guarantee national action plans. You can use or translate this document when engaging with your national authorities and advocate for proper implementation of the initiative.
• The Child Guarantee Policy Briefing for national members, which presents an analysis of the most significant points included in the Recommendation and an assessment of the next steps that we are planning to undertake in cooperation with its members to influence its implementation and to monitor and evaluate efforts at the national level.
• A Google Doc Database, in which EU Alliance members and their national members can include information they are aware of and check what information other organisations have already shared. Please feel free to contribute to this online database by providing information in the shared document.

To make the Child Guarantee a reality for all children in need across the EU, Member States, civil society organisations, children and families must work together. The Eurochild network is ready to offer its expertise to ensure all stakeholders are involved in the development of ambitious national action plans and deliver real change at the national, regional and local level. Please do not hesitate to share any feedback, question or reflection by email to Eurochild’s EU Affairs Officer, Enrico Tormen.

Sandra Braunere, from SOS Children’s Villages in Latvia, presented an example of early intervention, outlining how they support high-risk families and teenagers to prevent separation in Latvia.