Representatives from the European Platform for Investing in Children (EPIC) team attended child guarantee workshops focusing on children with a migrant background, children residing in institutions and children living in precarious family situations.

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What is the child guarantee?

In 2015, a European Parliament Resolution on reducing inequalities called for the introduction of a child guarantee as part of an integrated European plan to combat child poverty. The child guarantee would involve a commitment from Member States to ensure that every child, including those at risk of poverty or social exclusion, in Europe has access to:

• free healthcare
• free education
• free early childhood education and care
• decent housing
• adequate nutrition

The Commission has identified four groups of particularly vulnerable children who may benefit particularly from the introduction of a child guarantee.

Why are some children in Europe particularly vulnerable?

The Commission has identified four groups of particularly vulnerable children who may benefit particularly from the introduction of a child guarantee:

• children residing in institutions
• children with disabilities
• children from a migrant background
• children living in precarious family situations

Children with disabilities often require additional support to ensure that their specific needs are met in terms of accessing education, healthcare and other services. Children from migrant and refugee backgrounds may be particularly vulnerable to threats to their wellbeing, particularly if they are unaccompanied minors, undocumented migrants or asylum seekers.

Children living in precarious family situations may face social exclusion, marginalisation or poverty as a result of their families’ resources or household composition. In addition, thousands of children are deprived of parental care and live in institutional care across the European Union which may not meet their needs. Many Member States are adopting various measures that aim to move away from institutionalisation and towards alternative arrangements that provide children with care within a family-like setting instead.

For these reasons, children who fall in one or more of these categories are likely to have poorer access to healthcare, education, early childhood education and care, nutrition and good housing.

Preparatory action of the European Parliament: a first study on the feasibility of a child guarantee is underway

A study on the feasibility of a child guarantee for vulnerable children is examining how such a scheme could combat poverty and social exclusion for vulnerable children, with the goal of presenting final conclusions and recommendations in early 2020.  

In particular, the study examines the impact that a child guarantee might have on these four groups of particularly vulnerable children. For each group, the study consortium has organised a fact-finding workshop that brings together expert practitioners and policy-makers to consider the challenges that they face and the benefits that a child guarantee could bring.

EPIC was represented at three expert workshops on the child guarantee

Members of the European Platform for Investing in Children (EPIC) team attended three of the workshops held on the child guarantee, on the basis of EPIC’s expertise in these areas.

The European Platform for Investing in Children (EPIC) is a platform which provides resources for Member States and monitors activities triggered by the Recommendation for Investing in Children by sharing good practices for children and families to foster cooperation and mutual learning in the field.

EPIC has published policy memos and policy briefs that outline:

• Access to quality education for children with special educational needs across EU28
• Approaches taken to the education of unaccompanied migrant children in different Member States
• Parental leave arrangements in place for non-traditional families across the EU28

In addition, EPIC collects examples of innovative and evidence-based practices, including several that support children living in institutions, from migrant backgrounds and living with disabilities:  

• SOS Kinderdorf semi-independent-living: supervised residential group in a students’ hostel in Salzburg : a programme operating in Austria that aims to equip young people with the necessary skills to live independent lives and be self-sufficient.  

• Centre for asylum-seeking families with children in Italy: a centre run in Italy that promotes the long term social inclusion of asylum-seeking families by providing reception facilities and support in accessing language services, accommodation, legal guidance, and healthcare.