A Europe that protects every child: Aligning EU’s policies and budget to eradicate child poverty
Recommendations from the EU Alliance for Investing in Children on the European Child Guarantee, EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, and MFF.
Child poverty remains a deep and persistent crisis across Europe, affecting millions of children in every EU country. Growing up in poverty is not just a childhood hardship – it can lead to lifelong inequalities that limit opportunities and weaken the whole society. Adults who experienced child poverty and social exclusion are less likely to be employed, earn 20% less on average, and suffer poorer health, equivalent to losing two weeks of life expectancy each year.
The cost of inaction is staggering. The annual economic burden of childhood disadvantage is estimated at 3.4% of GDP across OECD countries. Economic crises deepen existing inequalities, weaken social cohesion, strain public services, and ultimately undermine Europe’s long-term stability and growth.
Child poverty is a pan-European crisis that reflects systemic failure, with far-reaching socio-economic, health, fiscal, and security consequences. It leads to family separation, placing children in alternative care and perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Addressing this issue is not just a moral responsibility, but an economic and social necessity for a fairer Europe. The EU must act to end child and family poverty, leveraging existing frameworks like the European Child Guarantee and the upcoming revisions to the European Pillar of Social Rights and EU Anti-Poverty Strategy to focus on child poverty’s structural causes.
Policies alone aren’t enough; adequate funding is essential. The EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is crucial in providing resources to implement these policies, supporting pan-European coordination and financing cross-sector initiatives that national budgets may struggle to sustain.
For this reason, this paper outlines the EU Alliance for Investing in Children’s (Alliance) key recommendations on the European Child Guarantee, EPSR Action Plan, EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, and the MFF. We advocate for a bold, integrated, and adequately funded approach to eradicate child poverty.
