The European Platform for Investing in Children (EPIC) presents a round-up of the latest developments in child and family policy in EU member states in October 2019.

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Each piece of news contains a link to the original source, which may be in a language other than English. In most cases, they are press releases from the relevant ministries.

Croatia: Children's Budget for 2019-2021 published

The ministry with responsibility for family, youth and social policy (Ministarstvo za demografiju, obitelj, mlade i socijalnu politiku) has published its first ‘Children’s Budget’ (Dječji proračun): a consolidated record of all state expenditure on children and children’s programmes between 2019 and 2021. The Children’s Budget is part of an effort to systematically monitor investments in children in Croatia, with the aim of improving the implementation of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Denmark: New funding for vulnerable children in Greenland

On 26 September, the Danish Parliament allocated 5.3 million DKK (€710,000) of funding to a pilot initiative  aiming to support vulnerable children and young people in Greenland. Funds will be used for an emergency team of social workers to work with vulnerable children and young people and to pay for the specialist treatment for children who have been victims of abuse. In 2020, the governments of Denmark and Greenland plan to work together to evaluate the needs of these children and make recommendations with the aim of improving conditions for children in the longer-term.

Finland: Preparations begin for the National Strategy for Children 2040

On 01 October, the Finnish parliament began to prepare the National Strategy for Children 2040. Based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the strategy aims to implement a child- and family-friendly vision for the country by 2040. This strategy was launched in response to a number of challenges identified in Finland, including low birth rates, an ageing population, child poverty and intergenerational social exclusion.

France: Expansion of eligibility for IVF treatment in France

On 27 September 2019, the French national assembly (Assemblée nationale) approved a draft law that will allow lesbian couples and single women to conceive children through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). The bill would also allow two female parents to be recognised as joint mothers on a child’s birth certificate and would give children conceived with donor sperm the right to find out their donor’s identity upon adulthood. Before formally entering into law, the bill must be now be approved by the French senate (Sénat) in January 2020.

Germany: New online tool for measuring family friendliness of companies

The minister of family affairs (Bundesfamilienministerin) has launched a new online tool (Fortschrittsindex Vereinbarkeit) that will allow employers to develop, visualise and measure their company’s family-friendly activities. Amongst other features, the tool allows employers to compare the specific policies they have in place with those of other companies. Developed in collaboration with the German chamber for commerce and industry (Deutschen Industrie und Handelskammertages), the online tool is designed to help employers to embed family-friendly practices in their company’s policies and cultures.

Germany: Expansion of programme to support young carers

The minister of family affairs (Bundesfamilienministerin) has announced an expansion of the ‘Pause Button’ project  (Pausentaste), which aims to support children and young people with caring responsibilities by providing them with advice, support, and respite. In addition to a website with resources and a telephone and email hotline, young carers will now be able to “chat” with specialist advisors online. Since its launch in 2018, the website has attracted over 50,000 visits and carried out over 3,000 phone and email consultations.

Ireland: Funding for childcare and youth services announced

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has announced €94 million of additional funding for services aimed at children. Over €54 million of this additional funding will be directed towards early childhood care and education programmes, including the National Childcare Scheme. This scheme was launched on 29 October 2019 and involves a statutory entitlement to childcare subsidies for families in Ireland. In addition, over €30 million will be directed to the child and family welfare agency and an additional €2 million will benefit a fund for youth action on climate change.

Malta: Study on Maltese parents’ time with children

A study on the impact of the ‘Raising Positive’ campaign shows that parents spend an average of 5.6 hours a day with their children, while grandparents spend around 17 hours a week with their grandchildren. The ‘Raising Positive’ campaign was a four month social media campaign that aimed to promote positive communication between children and families in Malta.  

UK: Same-sex marriage and abortion legalised in Northern Ireland

On 22 October, marriage between two people of the same gender became legal and abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland, following legislation passed by the UK parliament in July 2019. As a result, same-sex marriage is now legal throughout the United Kingdom and the first same-sex marriages in Northern Ireland are set to take place in February 2020.

UK: Expansion of support for foster families

The Education Secretary has announced the expansion of the Mockingbird Family Model to in England and Wales. This project aims to help families who are fostering children by building a local network for peer support and practical learning. Each network has a mentor, who is an experienced foster carer, and runs projects that include offering short respite breaks for parents, practical advice and emotional support and social activities to foster families. The model currently operates in seven regions in England and will now expand to include another ten.