Newly formed Alliance to support children in Europe

Twenty European networks working with children and families announced the creation of the ‘EU Alliance for Investing in Children’. The creation of the Alliance coincided with one year’s anniversary of the European Commission’s Recommendation “Investing in Children – Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage” which was adopted on 20 February 2012. The Recommendation responded to the unsolved challenges in safeguarding well-being of Europe’s children.

Despite the EU’s efforts to combat child poverty, the situation in European countries is not getting better. The latest findings of Eurostat estimate that one in four children in the EU is experiencing poverty and social exclusion. The aim of the newly formed Alliance is therefore to support the implementation of the Recommendation at national, regional and local level by urging governments to allocate the necessary resources. This will be reflected in strengthened advocacy and capacity building activities to make sure that the Recommendation results in positive changes for children and families in the member states.

In addition to the European cooperation, the initiative will pilot alliances in Spain and the United Kingdom to boost the cooperation amongst various stakeholders at national level.

The European Commission welcomed the creation of the Alliance. “Children have been disproportionately affected by rises in poverty and social exclusion since 2008. Our societies cannot afford to let children grow up without the opportunity of continued access to quality education and good support services necessary for them to reach their full potential.  We therefore welcome the initiative of so many EU networks to join forces in support of implementing our Recommendation on Investing in Children. We owe it to our children and society as a whole – to ensure our common future” stated László Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.

The Recommendation is part of a broader Social Investment Package which invites EU countries in using their social budgets more effectively and ensures adequate social protection. The Recommendation features three main areas for equalising children’s opportunities: access to adequate resources for children and their families, access to affordable, quality services and children’s participation. These pillars should provide the basis for comprehensive strategies on child policies. The Recommendation also stresses that the living conditions and rights of most vulnerable children must be a priority for the governments and proposes measures to diminish the inequality among different groups of children.

The Members of the EU Alliance for Investing in Children include:

• Eurochild
• Alliance for Childhood
• ATD Quart Monde
• Caritas – Europa
• COFACE – Confederation of family organisations in the European Union
• Dynamo International – Street Workers Network
• EAPN – European Anti-Poverty Network
• EASPD – European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities
• ENSA – European Network of Social Authorities
• EPHA – European Public Health Alliance
• ESN European Social Network
• Eurodiaconia
• EuroHealthNet
• European Child Safety Alliance
• FEANTSA – European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless
• Mental Health Europe
• PICUM – Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants
• SOS Children’s Villages International
• UNICEF EU Office
• Save the Children EU Office

Read more about the EU Alliance on the Eurochild website.

Find more about the Recommendation “Investing in Children – Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage”.