Here you will see news from Europe, from civil society, from research, highlighting emerging trends from local to international level relevant for families of today.
As part of the European Semester, the Joint Employment Report 2025 emphasises that participation in ECEC under three is improving but at a very low pace, calling for renewed efforts in line with the European Child Guarantee, the European Care Strategy and the Council Recommendation on ECEC.
All across Europe, COFACE members continuously work to contribute to positive outcomes for diverse types of families in a changing society, including single-parent households. Organisations such as La Ligue des Familles and Single Parents Foundation have both recently and respectively put a spotlight on concrete ways to support and empower single parents in Europe from Belgium to Hungary.
In November 2024, COFACE member organisation APF France launched its second season of the short TV programme "Tous en scène pour le Handicap" (All on Stage for Disability)”. After the success of its first season in 2023, 10 new artists and public figures have taken the stage to humorously share real-life stories experienced by members of APF France.
The European Social Policy Network (ESPN), which supports the European Commission in monitoring progress towards EU social protection, prepared a Synthesis Report collecting the findings from 35 national reports. The Synthesis Report describes and analyses the conditions under which persons with disabilities aged 18 years and above have effective access to social protection.
The European Union approved the new Barcelona targets for early childhood education and care. The Gezinsbond, a COFACE member organisation, agrees with the focus now also being on accessibility and quality of care. To achieve the goals, however, there is still much to be done and the Gezinsbond will continue to monitor the process closely.
A year has passed since the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, which has affected and displaced millions of children. Despite the international community’s repeated calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the plight of children and young people caught in this atrocious war remains with little end in sight.
Unaf and APF France handicap published the results of a survey on carers in relation to inclusive housing which formulate recommendations for stakeholders in the field and public authorities.
The president of COFACE member organisation, UNAF (the Union of Family Associations) Ascensión Iglesias Redondo, has recognised this Tuesday that the draft Family Law approved this by the Council of Ministers is "a great step forward" for "the protection and recognition of the rights of families in their diversity", but at the same time has called for "more ambitious" measures.
In Czech Republic the number of requests for help providing school lunches for children from low-income families has increased dramatically. The W4W: Lunches for Children project, FEAD programme, and municipalities have all contributed to providing lunches to around 30,000 children, however the number of applications is expected to further increase to 20,000 in 2022.
