How is the issue of child poverty addressed across Europe?

This week, the Social Protection Social Inclusion Communication Team would like to draw your attention on some European initiatives taken in the field of child poverty, and this in order to feed the debate and facilitate the exchange of best practice.

Here are some facts:

 Poor parental health, lack of information and obstacles to accessing the health system have a big impact on children. Poor children have worse health than others.

 Parental poverty and social exclusion significantly affect children’s cognitive development and educational attainment.

 Poverty puts the psychological wellbeing of children and adolescents at risk.

The European Union and its Member States have a role to play

Even accepting the significance of labour market conditions and social changes, this poverty rate spread between the different EU countries shows that there is nothing inevitable or unchangeable about child poverty: it is the reflection of policy choices.

Inspired by the priority given to the issue by the March 2006 European Council, many Member States have taken it to heart. In the 2006-2008 National Reports on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion, governments pledge to develop a strategic, integrated and long-term approach to preventing and addressing poverty and social exclusion among children.

The European Commission is firmly decided to support this commitment through the Social Protection Social Inclusion Process. Child poverty has been a key priority of the Community Action Programme on Social Exclusion and has been highlighted in successive reports produced by the European Commission. Several European projects on mutual learning, peer reviews, Round Tables and Presidency events have addressed various aspects of the issue. The European Union also gives support to the operating costs of European networks devoted to the fight against child poverty such as Eurochild and EAPN.