European Commission Recommendation: Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage – 20 February 2013

On 20 February 2013, the European Commission issued a recommendation on “Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage” for tackling poverty and social exclusion of young people in Europe.  It encourages Member States to organize and implement policies to address child poverty and social exclusion, promoting children’s well-being. To achieve these objectives, the recommendation proposes the use of multidimensional strategies that rest on three fundamental pillars:

–        access to adequate resources: supporting parents’ participation in work having a direct impact on access to good quality services and availability of adequate living standards for children;

–       access to affordable quality services: reducing inequality at a young age by investing in early childhood education and care;

–       children’s right to participate: supporting the participation of all children in play, recreation, sport and cultural activities by reducing costs and by creating safe spaces for children.

The Commission also calls for enhanced coordination between the key actors involved in developing and implementing policy initiatives to combat child poverty and social exclusion, including states, local communities and civil societies.