Take a look at our 2023 journey to build a strong social and inclusive Europe
COFACE Core Values
COFACE – FAMILIES EUROPE is a network promoting the well-being, health and security of families and their members in a changing society. And serves as a trusted entity for family mainstreaming and for the voice/needs of families in the EU and beyond.
COFACE Families Europe is rooted in a set of six core values:
COFACE key activities
We advocate for families of all types without discrimination, bringing their voice to the table of European Union decision-making, ensuring that EU policies and legislation work in the general interest.
Furthermore, we support transnational exchanges between COFACE members (civil society organisations representing and supporting families) in the form of expert meetings, trainings, campaigns, conferences, webinars and more.
COFACE members are regularly updated and partners via the Families Corner newsletter, and interact with our social media communities.
Act NOW for families of today
COFACE Families Europe together with its members is very active in addressing the social challenges faced by families of today and advocating for policies to support their well-being. Here are ten specific actions (also available in Easy-to-Read language) which we would like to see integrated in the programme of the European Union from 2024 to 2029.
HIGHLIGHTED COFACE NEWS
Latest articles
Call for COFACE Project intern for 6 months, January-June 2025
The Project intern will join the COFACE secretariat in Brussels, Belgium, from January to June 2025 working closely with the rEUsilience Senior Project and Advocacy Officer on implementing key project tasks across communications, events, and policy.
Who’s caring for the carers ? Call for greater recognition and support for family carers across EU policies and funding
In most European countries, there is a lack of adequate community-based services for persons with care needs. In many cases, this gap is filled by family members who frequently face the challenge of balancing their own needs with the demands of caregiving. However invaluable this role may be, non-professional care provided by family members should never replace the duty of national public authorities to provide high-quality, accessible and affordable support and care services to ensure people’s full participation in society.
Isadora Duncan Single Parent-Family Foundation advocates for ending economic violence
On International Equal Pay Day 2024, COFACE member FIAPAS took a strong stand against economic violence targeting women in the workplace. Economic violence refers to practices that undermine women's financial autonomy and security, often hidden behind unequal pay, denied labor rights, or exploitation within family businesses.
Explore more of COFACE work
COFACE develops different types of publications
including position papers, studies based on feedback from families, briefs on family and EU policies, meeting reports.
Our latest publications include a list of economic principles to help build an economy that cares.
You and the EU
The European Union develops different actions and laws to ensure family and child well-being.
And we at COFACE try to shape these actions based on our core values. These actions include:
- key guidelines and laws for national governments to strengthen their social and family policies;
- different long-term action plans to support governments;
- funding mechanisms to boost NGOs and families.
European Family Lab
Family supports & resilience in challenging times
Family supports are an essential part of making social rights a reality, and civil society has grown over decades to create a wide range of supports to families and children to ensure health and well-being.
Now, more than ever, it is important to connect professionals in real time through transnational exchanges in order to tackle the social impacts of different transitions (digital, green, energy, health) on families and children.
We believe the European Family Lab is the place to connect them, serving as an innovation incubator for ideas and cross-country knowledge transfer to help family professionals deliver the best possible supports for Europeans. We are building the Lab virtual room by virtual room, with a newly launched Education&Training programme for upskilling of professionals and families: the L.I.N.K. Programme.
COMING UP with COFACE
Events
Preventing institutionalisation of children: strengthening families and building community-based alternative care
Preventing institutionalisation of children: strengthening families and building community-based alternative care
On behalf of the European Expert Group on the transition from institution to community-based living (EEG), we are pleased to invite you to our annual study session.
Webinar: Care and support for families with hearing disabilities
Webinar: Care and support for families with hearing disabilities
This breakfast byte webinar will put the spotlight on supports to families with hearing disabilities, starting with a deep dive into a programme developed by FIAPAS (COFACE Disability member) in 1998. FIAPAS have a network of more than thirty Family Care and Support Ser...