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Report on Belgium EU Presidency Conference Who cares? Roadmap for a recommendation to fight child poverty. Hugh Frazer National University of Ireland, Maynooth. Key Findings – overall approach endorsed. * 3 policy areas endorsed as most important * Most recommendations strongly endorsed but
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Report on Belgium EU Presidency ConferenceWho cares? Roadmap for a recommendation to fight child poverty Hugh Frazer National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Key Findings – overall approach endorsed • * 3 policy areas endorsed as most important • * Most recommendations strongly endorsed • but • * A lot of detail and specificity added
Key Findings – 3 additional recommendations • A comprehensive approach to income support • An active inclusion approach • A children's rights approach regardless of background or legal status
Key Findings - 7 cross-cutting obstacles & solutions • Lack of awareness of children as citizens with rights • foster new culture of children's rights • Lack of political priority • highlight benefits of investing in children and costs of not doing so • Lack of minimum standards • EU & MS agree/monitor minumum standards (income, services, participation) • Limited awareness of good practices • more systematic and extensive mutual learning (& training)
Key Findings - 7 cross-cutting obstacles and solutions • Lack of funding • convince MS to invest; amend Structural Funds • Weak data, monitoring and reporting • Improve data collection, indicators, monitoring, evaluation & reporting • Lack of policy coordination and fragmented delivery • MS to develop coordinated and integrated approach involving all stakeholders
1. Access to adequate resources • 1.1 Access to adequate resources • Need for broader apprroach based on adequacy • Elaborate on universal versus targeted • Stress importance of non financial measures • Limit conditionality • Improve policy coordination • Emphasise monitoring and evaluation
1. Access to adequate resources • 1.2 Reconciliation of work and family life • Emphasise the needs of children • Enable parents to access employment • Stress need for multidimensional approach • Promote gender equality
2. Access to services & opportunities • 2.1 Early childhood (from 0 - school age) • “the” (not “a”) crucial stage • Spell out key role of childcare – stimulation; break poverty cycle; integration of minorities • Develop minimum stadards for quality criteria • Improve coordination, integration and outreach and involvement of stakeholders • Encourage family support services & involvement of parents
2. Access to services & opportunities • 2.2 Education • Move beyond creating access • Requirement to attend and opportunities to learn • Elaborate on ways to overcome barriers • Extend beyond school to link to training/business
2. Access to services & opportunities • 2.3 Health care • Reinforce universal access to health care by tackling inequalities and targetting particular groups • Elaborate on specific groups • Emphasise training of health providers • Elaborate on mental health services
2. Access to services & opportunities • 2.4 Housing and environment • Specify different needs • Emphasise importance of social mix • Promote community involvement in decision-making • Emphasise the importance of sustainable planning and housing
2. Access to services & opportunities • 2.5 Child protection and social services • Be more specific about groups needing support • Emphasise importance of child protection services & need for quality services • Improve governance • Improve coordination and cooperation; more flexible & accountable management; better links with other services (e.g. Income); more emphasis on prevention and early intervention; more links with families
3. Children's participation • 3.1 Children's right to be heard • Involve children in whole process and make processes accountable • Specify the path to implement recommendations • Emphasise reaching out to and listenting to the voices of the most marginalised children • Develop methodologies & standards: promote awareness & training • Foster a cultural shift in attitudes to children • Involve parents and families
3. Children's participation • 3.2 Participation in social, recreational, cultural, sporting and civic activities • Stress importance of proactive approach reaching out to the most disadvantaged • Broaden responsibility beyond schools