Investing in Children: A challenge and task for Europe of the 21 st century

1. Investing in Children: A challenge and task for Europe of the 21st century What is needed to implement the European Commission Recommendation Hugh Frazer EU Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion National University of Ireland (Maynooth)

2. Outline of presentation • About the Network’s reports • Some key findings • Main recommendations

3. About the Network’s reports • Focus on 1st & 2nd pillars of Recommendation • 28 country reports • assess the strengths and weaknesses of approach and policies • identify key challenges • recommendations on priorities • Overall synthesis report • draws out common themes (governance & policy) • 22 Recommendations • short summary of key priorities for each country

4. Overall findings

5. Extent of challenge varies greatly • Member States with a high (31-35%) [UK, LT, ES, HR, IT, IE, EL8] or very high (40-52%) [LV, HU, RO, BG] proportion of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion face the biggest challenges but • Member States with a low (15-21%) [FI, DK, SI, NL, DE, CZ, SE, AT] or medium (22-30%) [EE, FR, BE, LU, SK, CY, PT, PL, MT] proportion of children at risk have areas in which improvements could be made • Good policies make a difference

6. Improving approach & governance • More integrated, multi-dimensional strategies • Mainstream children’s rights in policy making • Better target most at risk in context of universal policies for all children • More stakeholder involvement (esp. children) • More evidence based policy making • Protect children from crisis & austerity policies

7. Policies to ensure adequate income • Increase parents participation in labour market • Need to address combination of challenges • Make work pay for parents • Increase employability • Improve affordability, availability/quality of ECEC • Work life balance • Improve income support • Improve adequacy & availability • Better target most at risk • Reverse cut backs • Tackle stigmatisation and non take up • Link income support & support services

8. Access to affordable services • Cross-cutting issues • increasing investment in services • addressing uncertainty with a long-term perspective • tackling regional & rural disparities • better targeting & outreach to those most at risk • increasing awareness of diversity & intercultural differences • improving coordination & integration of services • better linking social services & income support • increasing involvement of stakeholders • listening to children • improving the quality of services.

9. Improving specific services • Education • addressing stratification, social/ethnic segregation & uneven quality • redressing impact of cutbacks on children from poor backgrounds • more focussed attention to disadvantaged groups • addressing regional disparities and tackling early school leaving • Health • increasing overall investment in health care systems • reducing costs • increasing access for children from disadvantaged backgrounds • improving outreach • addressing regional disparities &better targeting of the most disadvantaged areas

10. Improving specific services • Housing and living environment • increasing the provision of social housing • reducing housing costs • assisting people with housing indebtedness • Family support & alternative care • developing local social & child protection services • putting more focus on de-institutionalisation & care in the community • enhancing the outreach capacity of services

11. Mobilising relevant EU financial instruments • Improvements in approach and governance • making childhood & social inclusion an SF priority • better targeting of funds at most disadvantaged children • better analysis & more strategic approach • development of more integrated approaches • better vertical-horizontal coordination • greater stakeholder involvement • improved monitoring. • Priorities in specific policy areas • enhance labour mktparticipation of parents (esp. migrant women) • tackle educational disadvantage & school-work transitions • support Roma assistants in ECEC and school settings • enhance ECEC provision • better education & training for parents (lone & LTU parents) • support health care • develop social services in the community • increase support for family-work reconciliation • develop alternatives to institutional care

12. Main Recommendations

13. Better integrate the Recommendation into Europe 2020 • Annual Growth Survey; NRPs; targets; CSRs; monitoring • Promote child well-being as a key part of the social dimension of EMU • Key part of reinforced surveillance of employment & social policies & strengthened policy coordination • Put child well-being at heart of the Social Open Method of Coordination • SPC annual work programme; NSRs

14. Child proof austerity policies • impact assessments (esp. programme countries) • Enhance evidence-based policy making • Better data • Material deprivation & child well-being indicators • MS surveys of children • Strengthen children’s rights in policy making • Link UNCRC and Recommendation monitoring • Develop guidelines for MS

15. Improve balance between universal & targeted approaches • Promote progressive universalism • Enhance exchange & learning • Knowledge Bank; Social Policy Network; “Cluster” MS • Reinforce stakeholder participation • Develop guidelines • Maximise use of EU Funds • Challenge MS to make child poverty a programming priority • Encourage Funds to be used in strategic manner

16. Conclusion – situation getting worse

17. Urgent action needed • Rising child poverty & social exclusion • 19 Member States having statistically significant increases in the proportion of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion between 2008 and 2012 • 7 countries increases are in the range of 6-8pp • BG (8.1pp), IE26 and HU (7.5pp), LV (7.3pp), EL (6.7pp), MT (6.2pp), CY (6pp) SO • Invest in children – implement the Recommendation