EU Ministers have today adopted the Council Recommendation establishing the Child Guarantee, an innovative framework for action which aims to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and social exclusion by calling on EU Member States to guarantee access to basic rights and services for children in need such as children with disabilities and mental health issues, homeless children, children in migration or with minority ethnic origin (particularly Roma), children in the alternative (especially institutional) care system and children living in precarious family situations.
The EU Alliance for Investing in Children, which includes EPHA as one of its members, has been advocating for the Child Guarantee for almost the last two years. After years of negotiations, evidence-based advocacy, and hard work, the European Commission and the Council of the EU have taken on board the majority of its recommendations to reflect the needs of children and their families in EU Member States.
However, now the work begins to ensure EU national governments develop their national Child Guarantee Action Plans and sensure adequate resources for its implementation, as well as ensuring children themselves, particularly the most vulnerable are involved in the design, monitoring and evaluation of the Child Guarantee Action Plans. The Alliance hopes that these new measures will ensure that the EU surpassses its target of bringing at least 5 million children out of poverty and social exclusion by 2030 and will be monitoring the next steps closely.
