Breaking the poverty cycle through family support Agata D’Addato Policy Officer ( «Support of positive parenting as a primary factor of society development» Bratislava, 1st March 2011

Representing over 90 children´s organisations from 32 European countries Mission to promote the rights and welfare of children & young people in Europe Work underpinned by the principles enshrined in the UNCRC The only EU network specifically focused on child rights & well-being that brings together membership from different sectors (NGOs, professionals, local/regional authorities, academic institutions) Who is Eurochild?

Outline  Facts & figures on child poverty in the EU  Policy recommendations derived from first-hand knowledge & experience of members  Latest developments at EU level  Way forward

1 in 5 children in the EU live at risk of poverty Facts & Figures on Child Poverty Source: Eurostat – Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion: a statistical portrait of the EU, 2010 At-risk-of-poverty rates, children and total, 2007 (%)

Who is the most at risk of poverty? Facts & Figures on Child Poverty Children in lone-parent households => 1 in 3 children Children in large families (3 or more dependent children) => 1 in 4 children Children living in households where nobody works => 1 in 10 children in the EU Children with parents born outside the EU => 1 in 3 children (EU 15 data) Early school leavers (those who drop out of school early with no more than lower secondary education) => 15% in the EU Data from Eurostat SILC 2007 – what about those not living in households? What about the impact of the crisis?

The impact of the crisis on children – Eurochild’s members assessment  Increasing levels of unemployment with impact on child poverty levels. Youth unemployment particularly high. Delays in young families having children.  Cuts in public spending with direct impact on chidlren’s services, including health, education, access to culture & leisure activities, non-formal education. Move away from prevention and early intervention – whilst protection tends to be ring-fenced.  Increasing demand for services. Reports of more children referred to social services, more children taken into care. It is essential that governments at all levels recognize this challenge and ensure that budget cuts do NOT compromise the well-being of families and children.

Policy recommendations (1) Increase investment in prevention & early intervention  To break the intergenerational transmission of poverty, assistance must be provided as early as possible. Families with young children, and in particular those facing poverty & social exclusion, must receive the necessary support & encouragement  The long-term benefits of prevention & early intervention services are intuitive, i.e. better education and health outcomes, fewer school drop-outs, and fewer costs associated with the consequences of social marginalization & exclusion  BUT they are much harder to quantify and evaluate in terms of outcomes

Policy recommendations (2) Invest in services to support parents  Resourcing parenting in terms of competencies, skills, information, psychological and social support  Strengthen family and parenting support services provided by regions, municipalities, NGOs, or other services providers  Services should be universally available but additional targeting and out-reach must be provided  Services must be delivered in an empowering way  Empowerment of parents to look after their children will help reducing cases of neglect or abuse & mitigating the need for young people to be taken into care

SERVICES TO SUPPORT PARENTS Universal serviceses Training & education support Targeted support for most at risk

Policy recommendations (3) Policies and practices work best when they focus on empowering children & developing children’s own potential  Child poverty cannot be decoupled from child well-being & all efforts to tackle child poverty should be underpinned by a child- rights approach  There must be a recognition of children’s own right to grow up in an environment that nurtures their full potential. Emotional poverty in which children & young people grow up cannot be neglected  Secure attachment, psychological support, safe community environments, good peer relations, access to cultural resources, etc., all impact on the future well-being of young people

Policy recommendations (4) Action to address child poverty & social exclusion must support effective partnerships  Promoting a joined-up thinking and an integrated approach to children’s well-being across different policy areas, enhancing coordination between and within ministries as well as at local and regional level  When different government departments and social services work together it is easier to target those groups that are most at risk of poverty and social exclusion  Working together makes a difference to children’s lives!

The added-value of EU action Europe 2020 Strategy foresees a quantitative objective of reducing the number of people living at risk of poverty by 20 million by While this overall European objective has to be translated into national targets, a specific target on the reduction of child poverty should be adopted by Member States. In the ‘European Platform Against Poverty & Social Exclusion’ child poverty & social exclusion is identified as one of the priorities. Postponed until 2012, Recommendation on child poverty and well- being would demonstrate a firm commitment to the fight against child poverty. EC Communication on early years and education was launched on 17 February. EC Communication on a EU Agenda for the Rights of the Child was launched on 15 February.

1.Access to adequate resources for all children and their families  Income and benefits  Reconciling work and family life 2.Access to quality services and opportunities  Early childhood  Education (with specific attention to Roma children)  Health care  Environment/housing  Child protection from violence, abuse and exploitation & social services (with specific attention to placement of children in institutional care) 3.Ensure active participation & inclusion of children and young people  Children’s right to be heard  Participation of children in social, recreational, cultural, sporting & civic activities Call for a Recommendation on Child Poverty & Well-being: 3 pillars

The way forward Tackling child poverty across the EU requires:  Political will & leadership – use Europe 2020 to pressure national government to prioritise child poverty. Strengthen our call for a EC Recommendation on child poverty & well-being, backed up by indicators.  Well-resourced & well-informed regional/local governments – use existing EU networks to find out what works, why and how. Strengthen involvement at EU political level.  Cooperation across different sectors – change for children happens best when all different sectors and professionals who are working towards better quality of life for children actually work together!  Better (& better known) evidence-base of what works for children – strengthen EU comparative indicators on child well-being. Strengthen persuasive economic arguments/evidence for investment in children.

EUROCHILD ANNUAL CONFERENCE Tackling child poverty through supporting & strengthening families 30 November – 2 December 2011, Cardiff (Wales, UK) EUROCHILD ANNUAL CONFERENCE – Tackling child poverty through supporting & strengthening families Save the date!