 |
 | Belgium :
Leader in preschool education
Belgians express a level of satisfaction with their family life that is well above the European average, with 92% saying that they are ‘very or quite satisfied’. This may be linked to a number of family and equality-friendly policies of which preschool education is the most prominent. Preschool education is free from the age of three and 98% of children are enrolled in formal childcare or preschool. UNICEF found Belgium to perform best of the industrialised nations in terms of its education-related child well-being indicators.
|
 | Bulgaria :
Original solutions to support hard-working mothers
The employment rate of Bulgarian women compared to men is high – and they work long hours. Bulgarian maternity leave entitlements are generous in terms of time and money. There is also a special scheme entitling grandparents to parental leave. However, current spending on family policies and the fertility rate are low compared to the EU average. The government is responding through a comprehensive National Demographic Strategy for the period 2006 to 2020, which is the answer to the demographic drop in the country and the demographic change which Europe is facing.
|
 | Czech Republic :
Supporting parental care in early childhood
According to a Eurobarometer survey, a high percentage of Czechs find it difficult to reconcile work and family life. The fertility rate remains low and many mothers of young children do not work due to the lack of childcare provision. Government measures supporting families include providing long and flexible leave schemes for parents of young children and expanding the range of childcare services for preschool children.
|
 | Denmark :
Towards ideal conditions for balancing family and work
According to a Eurobarometer survey, Danes are among the happiest in Europe with their family life. Flexible working hours, universal childcare coverage, extensive leave rights and generous individual benefits are the main elements of the Danish policy mix aimed at supporting families. These favourable conditions are reflected in a high level of gender equality in employment and the highest proportion of working women and mothers in the EU. The fertility rate, at 1.83 children per woman, is high compared to other EU countries and UNICEF rated Danish children among the happiest in the world.
|
 | Germany :
Developing a sustainable family policy
German family policy aims to deliver stronger support for balancing family and employment commitments. Low birth rates (at 1.37 children per women) and a rapidly ageing population have prompted the federal government to develop a comprehensive and sustainable approach to reconciling work and family life for both women and men. This includes improving and expanding childcare infrastructure, enhancing financial support for families and promoting more family-friendly arrangements in companies.
|
 | Estonia :
Increasing support for families
The situation of Estonian families has been the subject of increasing government attention over the last decade. Several policy measures have been implemented to improve families’ quality of life and to encourage parents to have more children. They include a generous parental leave benefit scheme. Almost two thirds of Estonian women work, but only half of those with children under six years old. This gap appears to be due to generous parental leave benefit, insufficient childcare provision for children up to three years of age and a traditional view of the family prevailing among most men and many women.
|
 | Ireland :
Broad satisfaction with family life
People in Ireland express a high level of satisfaction with their family life and Ireland also has one of the highest fertility rates in the EU – 2.01 children per woman in 2007, well above the EU average (1.51). Financial support for families and children represented 2.5% of GDP compared to an EU average of 2.1%. The proportion of children at risk of poverty is similar to the European average.
|
 | Greece :
Difficult transition to the dual-earner family model
Combining work and family responsibilities remains difficult for Greek women – particularly those employed in the private sector. Traditional attitudes towards family responsibilities and inflexible working arrangements keep the female employment rate low despite government efforts. Birth grants are generous but childcare provision and financial support for families are less developed than in other EU Member States. The difficulties faced by families in Greece are reflected in high child poverty and low birth rates.
|
 | Spain :
Families take the strain
The situation of Spanish families has evolved greatly over the past few decades, with the dual-earner model becoming predominant. Support to families with children has however not kept pace. Spain's share of GDP devoted to family support is among the lowest in Europe and families have to bear the bulk of the costs of raising children. Although in line with the Barcelona objectives, the childcare provision is not yet sufficient to improve parents' work-life balance. The difficulty in juggling work and family commitments is reflected in the low fertility rate: at 1.4 children per woman in 2007, it is among the lowest in the EU.
|
 | France :
Strong support for female employment and high cash benefits
France has a long-established and comprehensive state family policy. A variety of state subsidised childcare options and a generous and diversified system of benefits – particularly targeted at large families – are the main instruments helping parents combine work and family responsibilities. The policies seem to work: France is among the EU Member States with the highest fertility and maternal employment rates, while the child poverty is lowest in the Union.
|
 | Italy :
Reconciliation of work and family life is still a challenge for women
Although the availability of childcare is close to the EU average, leave arrangements and social stereotypes often appear to bring many Italian women to choose between employment and having children. The results are low female employment rates, a low fertility rate (1.35 children per woman in 2006) and one of the highest proportions of children at risk of poverty in the EU.
|
 | Cyprus :
Generous support for large families
Cypriot families enjoy favourable conditions to balance their work and family lives. The child poverty rate is well below the EU average (12% vs. 19%). At 1.39 children per woman, the fertility rate is slightly lower than the 1.53 children per woman in the EU27 but large families are particularly favoured thanks to generous family transfers which significantly reduce their risk of poverty. The social welfare services are planning to carry out a new project under which care is subsidised for pre-school children whose mothers are having trouble entering the labour market.
|
 | Latvia :
Difficult times for families
Many Latvian parents work long hours, take on several jobs and spend little time with their families. The provision of formal childcare falls short of parents’ needs and the fertility rate is low at 1.4 children per woman. Moreover, amidst the current economic crisis, Latvia is cutting its state budget and is decreasing benefits for families. However, the Latvian government is taking measures to reduce child poverty and improve childcare provision.
|
 | Lithuania :
Dual earner family model and long parental leave
Times have changed in Lithuania, where families used to count on one, usually male, breadwinner. Nowadays, most Lithuanian women work, marking a clear shift to the dual-earner family model, and this in spite of insufficient childcare provision and relatively inflexible working hours. As a result, other relatives are picking up childcare responsibilities. The risk of child poverty remains comparatively high and the fertility rate – at 1.35 children per woman in 2007 – is among the lowest in the EU.
|
 | Luxembourg :
Work-life balance still difficult to achieve for women
Luxembourg is among the EU countries that spend the most on family benefits. However, insufficient and inflexible provision of childcare, unequal distribution of domestic tasks and low take-up of parental leave by men affect female employment and work-life balance. In consequence, almost two out of five employed women work-part time. In order to improve the situation, the government is increasing the number of childcare facilities with flexible opening hours.
|
 | Hungary :
Developing childcare services to help parents back to work
According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, Hungarians are among the Europeans who find it hardest to strike the right balance between work and family life. At 1.32 children per woman in 2007, the fertility rate was below the EU average of 1.53. While expenditure on family policies (around 2.8% of GDP in 2006) was noticeably higher than the EU-27 average of 2.1%, low female and maternal employment rates make economic conditions difficult for families. Developing childcare services to help parents return to work is part of the government’s response.
|
 | Malta :
The challenge of reconciling family and work for Maltese women
Malta has Europe’s lowest level of female activity in the labour market. Combining caring responsibilities and paid employment tends to be more difficult for women than for men. Faced with traditional gender stereotypes, short and inflexible leave, and scarcity of childcare provision, the majority of Maltese women leave their job after the first or second child, which led to a high level of child poverty.
|
 | Netherlands :
Reconciliation of work and family life through part-time work
People in the Netherlands express a high degree of satisfaction with their family life. Despite low spending on family benefits, Dutch children were rated by UNICEF as the most content in the world. Moreover, at 1.7 children per women, the fertility rate is above the EU average. Flexible working and generous leave arrangements, together with good provision of childcare, facilitate the reconciliation of work and family life. However, three quarters of women (and nearly one quarter of men) work part time.
|
 | Austria :
Refocusing support for families
Austrian family policies are among the most generous in Europe, accounting for as much as 3% of country's GDP compared to the EU average of 2.1%. The fertility rate is, like in many European countries, low at 1.38 children per woman. The employment rate of women is high, but many women work part-time. Reconciliation of work and family life is a policy priority and Austria is currently offering financial and non-financial measures to facilitate the reconciliation of work and family life.
|
 | Poland :
Tackling the challenge of work-life reconciliation
Poland struggles with high levels of child poverty, insufficient supply of appropriate childcare facilities, and low birth rates. In order to improve the conditions for families and help parents to better balance work and family life, the Polish government has recently launched a “Family Policy Package” that includes the expansion of childcare facilities, the improvement of maternity leave and the introduction of paternity leave.
|
 | Portugal :
Better childcare provision and state support needed to help work-life balance
Two thirds of Portuguese couples with young children have a double income – more than in any other country in the EU. These parents, who mostly work full time, need a higher level of support and often experience difficulties in combining work and family responsibilities. Despite significant public investment in recent years, current levels of care provision for young children and low public support for families have been identified as key problems.
|
 | Romania :
Many mothers employed but little childcare available
The situation of families in Romania is improving, although challenges remain with regard to the financial aspects of reconciling work and family life. The majority of women with children are employed, but the supply of childcare services is insufficient. This challenge is all the more important given that the full-time employment of both parents is regarded as the most practical way to combine work and family life. Current spending on family policies is low compared to the EU average and the high cost of raising children is a major concern for 40% of Romanians. Roma families remain particularly vulnerable in this context. Parental leave arrangements are set to become among the most generous in Europe.
|
 | Slovenia :
An active family policy to tackle inequality
The major policy reforms of Slovenia’s economic transition have improved aid for families. According to the 2008 Eurobarometer survey Slovenians expressed relative satisfaction with regard to family life, although less than half of respondents declared themselves ‘very happy’. The basis for government policy on the family is a document called the ‘Resolution on the grounds for the formation of family policy’, which includes strategic planning for the development of individual parts of family policy by the individual ministries concerned. In 2007 the fertility rate remained low at 1.38 children per woman, compared with 1.53 for the EU as a whole.
|
 | Slovakia :
Low birth rate and levels of childcare provision need to be addressed
In 2004, Slovakia updated its State Family Policy Strategy by adding the goals of addressing the problem of its ageing population, developing human resources and reducing the risk of poverty in families. It is putting special focus on areas such as equal opportunities and the creation of family-friendly social conditions, which should help to increase the birth rate. In 2007, the country’s fertility rate was the lowest in the EU27 (1.25 vs. the EU27 average of 1.53). Combining work and family life does not seem to be easy as there are few care facilities available to children under three.
|
 | Finland :
Towards a healthy balance between work and family life
Compared to other EU Member States, Finnish parents appear quite successful in combining work and family life. The majority of Finnish women and mothers work and child poverty rates are among the lowest in the EU. This is largely thanks to strong state support for parents with young children. Access to free public daycare is guaranteed to all children under seven and a generous system of family leave and allowances is designed to help parents cope with their child-raising duties, while keeping their jobs secure.
|
 | Sweden :
Successful reconciliation of work and family life
Swedish parents are among the EU’s most successful in balancing work and family responsibilities. Female and maternal employment rates are among the highest in the EU, and child poverty is the lowest. The country’s family policy is aimed at supporting the dual-earner family model and ensuring the same rights and obligations regarding family and work for both women and men. Generous spending on family benefits, flexible leave and working hours for parents with young children and affordable, high-quality childcare are the main factors for success.
|
 | United Kingdom :
Enhancing employment opportunities to fight child poverty
Spending on family benefits as a percentage of GDP is low compared to the EU average and child poverty rates are well above average, but the UK is looking to boost employment levels to tackle the issue of household poverty. The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created in June 2007 to promote the well-being of children and young people. In addition, the Childcare Act 2006 requires all local authorities in England to secure sufficient childcare to meet the needs of working parents. Sure Start Children’s Centres are a key part of this effort.
|
|
|
