EAPN was invited to speak in the S&D Conference Winning the Fight against Child Poverty – for a European Child Guarantee, 11th January, to support the delivery of the S&D proposal for a European Child Guarantee, together with other key stakeholders including Eurochild. The S&D proposal builds on the idea of the Youth Guarantee and seeks to tackle child poverty through 5 key areas: Free quality health care, education, childcare, decent housing and adequate nutrition. They also call for ESF to be earmarked to finance it, together with the development and monitoring of key indicators. The European Parliament has agreed a preparatory action on child guarantee schemes with the Commission, who is looking at the scope for specific action. EAPN’s input welcomed the commitment and approach to try to offer a guarantee of living standards to children and the areas tackled, but highlighted the need to base the Guarantee on the Investing in Children Recommendation – ie ensuring a rights-based access to adequate resources, quality services and participation to children and their families, and link it to the SDG Agenda and Social Protection floor initiative backed by the UN and ILO. EAPN is particularly concerned that a guarantee should not just focus on access to services but support families with children through also ensuring adequate income – through quality jobs/living wages and adequate income support including minimum income. Only through an integrated approach which also supports participation can progress on poverty be made. NGO’s working with children and familes have a crucial role to play.
Find more information here, on the S&D website.
Contact Sian Jones – EAPN Policy Coordinator: sian.jones@eapn.eu