European Child Guarantee adopted
On 14 June 2021, the EU Member States adopted a Council Recommendation establishing a European Children’s Guarantee, an instrument to guarantee access to essential services for children.
The document recommends that Member States ensure effective and free access to education and school activities, early childhood care, at least one healthy meal every school day and health care, as well as effective access to healthy food and adequate housing.
The aim of the recommendation is to prevent and combat the social exclusion of children in need and child poverty through access to a range of essential services, also ensuring the protection of children’s rights and equal opportunities.
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Countries have nine months to adopt national [action plans by 2030] and appoint a national coordinator to ensure services are available free of charge.
Under the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, EU Member States have taken a historic step in the fight against child poverty and social exclusion which affects 18 million children (1 child in 5) at risk of poverty in Europe.
The road to this big step was a long one. A provisional agreement of the European Parliament (Jan 2021) and an economic study released in March 2021 were still in progress during the first half of 2021.
See the First Years.First Priority Campaign Statement on the Council Recommendation on the European Child Guarantee.
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