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The European Platform for Investing in Children (EPIC) is an evidence-based online platform that provides information about policies that can help children and their families face the challenges that exist in the current economic climate in Europe.

Helping to implement the Recommendation for Investing in Children

EPIC serves as a tool for Member States to monitor activities triggered by the Recommendation for Investing in Children. EPIC is also a platform for sharing the best of policymaking for children and families and to foster cooperation and mutual learning in the field.

A series of EPIC policy memos and policy briefs provide short, accessible introductions for policymakers and practitioners about key topics in children’s wellbeing.

The EPIC country profiles, updated annually, offer a short comparative overview of the main trends and policies relevant to child wellbeing in each EU Member State.

EPIC also collects and disseminates innovative and evidence-based practices that have a positive impact on children and families in EU Member States to enable cross-regional learning:

• The collection of Evidence-Based Practices aims to share best, promising and emerging practices for children and families which are being implemented across the EU.
• The Social Innovation Repository features practices that are innovative and have a clear theory of change but as they have been developed in the past 5 years, may therefore not have sufficient evidence of their effectiveness.
• The User Registry provides an overview of practices being implemented across Europe, which are shared in the spirit of collaboration.

Practices can be searched by name, topic, country, and other features. If your organisation is developing or implementing child-focused practices, you can share this knowledge with other users by submitting it to EPIC.

Moreover, EPIC’s repository of studies and reports and statistics features links to further resources and research relating to EU child and family policy.

Recommendation for Investing in Children

In February 2013, the European Commission adopted the Recommendation ‘Investing in Children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage’ as part of the Social Investment Package.

The Recommendation provides guidance for EU Member States on how to tackle child poverty and social exclusion through measures such as

• family support and benefits,
• quality childcare
• early-childhood education.

Member States' integrated strategies should be developed according to three key pillars:

1. Access to adequate resources
2. Access to affordable quality services
3. Children's right to participate

Social investment in individual capacities during the early years is particularly beneficial for children from a disadvantaged background and can provide large social returns. They are also a crucial factor in breaking cycles of intergenerational transmission of poverty.

Newsletter

EPIC produces an occasional electronic newsletter intended for anyone with an interest in policies that can help children and their families face up to the challenges of the current economic climate.

• Latest edition: October 2018
• August 2018 edition
• June 2018 edition
• April 2018 edition
• February 2018 edition
• December 2017 edition
• October 2017 edition
• January 2017 edition
• 2016 edition

Feedback

EPIC welcomes your comments on

• the type of information or the quality of the material on this website
• the process for submitting a practice
• the evaluation criteria for evaluating a practice
• any other comments about the usability of this site.