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 February 2020.

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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.

Belgium: Legislation to lower age of compulsory education

The Government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles) has approved a draft bill that will bring the age at which children start compulsory education down from six years old to five years old. If passed, this bill would come into force from September 2020.

Alongside this bill, the government plans to launch a campaign to raise awareness of the importance and advantages of early education and care in order to encourage parents to send their children to nursery school.

The government aims to address inequalities in educational attainment by enacting these measures.

Croatia: Launch of programme against sexual violence against women and children

The Croatian government has launched the National campaign against sexual violence against children and youth (Nacionalne kampanje protiv seksualnog nasilja nad djecom i mladima) and a comprehensive prevention programme against sexual violence  (the SNEP programme).

The campaign and programme involves multiple institutions and civil society organisations and identifies secondary schools as a key space to work in order to combat sexual violence against children and women.

Through working in this space, the programme aims to develop programs and protocols to improve the protection of children from sexual violence.

Denmark: National funding to focus on vulnerable children and young people

The Board of the Social Investment Fund (Sociale Investeringsfond) has decided to focus funding and efforts on the well-being and protection of vulnerable children and young people throughout 2020. The Social Investment Fund was created in 2018 in order to fund social investment projects across a wide range of societal priorities in Denmark.

Denmark: New children’s rights law proposed

The Ministry of Social Affairs and the Interior (Social- og indenrigsminister) has launched a consultation regarding a new child’s law (Barnets Lov). The government hopes that this law will strengthen their efforts to support vulnerable children and young adults and to enshrine in legislation the principle that children have rights.

The legislation will be developed with the involvement of different organisations, experts, regions and children, with the ministry encouraging anyone with opinions on the law to contribute their suggestions.

Finland: Change in parental allowance

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö) has introduced a reform of the parental allowance. Under the new policy, the total amount of family allowance is increased from 12.7 months to just over 14 months. Each parent will now be able to receive an allowance for 164 days of absence. Of this, up to 69 days will be transferable between parents and single parents will be entitled to the allowance usually given to both parents.

This change means that both mothers and fathers now receive equal access to parental allowance. By enacting this change, the ministry hopes to reflect modern family composition and better support parents with young children in the workplace.

Germany: New funding programme against violence against women and children

The Federal German Government have launched a federal investment programme entitled “Together against violence against women” (Gemeinsam gegen Gewalt an Frauen). This programme will be used to fund structural support measures, including developing facilities to support women affected by violence and their children.

The federal government will provide a total of €120 million by 2023. So far, one federal state (Hamburg) has signed a funding agreement for this programme.

Ireland: Funding to support young LGBTI+ people

The Ministry for Children and Youth Affairs has announced plans to invest around €300, 000 in projects that will support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI+) young people aged between 10 and 24 across Ireland.

Organisations working with LGBTI+ young people in the areas of training, mentoring, coaching and development of policies will receive this funding to support their work.

The funding is part of the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy, which aims to create a safe and supportive environment for LGBTI+ young people. 

Italy: New Budget Law includes changes in family benefits and support

The Italian parliament has approved a Budget Law for 2020 that includes several changes and developments in benefits paid to families. This includes a new birth allowance (Bonus bebè) that will be paid to families for 12 months after the birth of a child with the amount depending on family income and whether the child is a first or second child.

The Budget Law also includes an increase in the nursery bonus paid to families with a child aged under three years old who attend nursery schools, with the exact amount depending on family income. will rise to up to EUR 3.000 per child per year (depending on income). In addition, paternity leave for privately employed father will rise from five to seven days and the government will provide additional funding to develop nursery schools.

Latvia: Development of child hotline

The Ministry for Welfare (Labklājības ministrija) has developed the children’s and adolescents hotline (Bērnu un pusaudžu uzticības tālrunis) to include online consultation via chat for children and adolescents. The Ministry hopes that the introduction of this new option will help children to better communicate and seek help.

Lithuania: Changes to some child benefits

The Ministry of Social Security and Labour Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublikos socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerija) has introduced changes to some child benefits in 2020. Eligibility for child allowance and for the supplementary allowance for children with disabilities will expand to include those with an income of less than €250 per capita (instead of €183).

The amount included in both allowances will also rise slightly (from €50 to €60 a month for child allowance and from €20 to €40 a month for the allowance for children with disabilities).

Sweden: New legislation against honour-related crime

The Swedish government has proposed legislation that would introduce a new child marriage offence. Under this proposed law, adults who induce or allow a child to enter into a marriage may be imprisoned for up to four years. The law would also increase penalties for ‘honour crimes’ and introduce travel bans for children considered at risk of child marriage or genital mutilation.

United Kingdom: New measures intended at protecting vulnerable children in care

The Department for Education is consulting on new regulations that will make it illegal for children under the age of 16 in local authority care to be placed in unregulated accommodation. Unregulated accommodation, which provides accommodation but not care, will also be subject to new minimum standards that are aimed at improving their quality and security.

United Kingdom: Corporal punishment of children banned in Wales

On 28 January 2020, the Welsh National Assembly has voted to outlaw all corporal punishment of children in Wales. The new law will come into effect in 2022, following an awareness campaign across Wales that will make parents aware of the new legislation.