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 rEUsilience project under Horizon Europe (with COFACE as an integral partner), has recently published on eligibility and benefit adequacy for families in the tax-benefit system.
In September 2024, The European Child Sexual Abuse Legislation Advocacy Group of which COFACE is member, organised a breakfast in Strasbourg to welcome newly elected MEPs and encourage them to use their position to fight the ongoing Child Sexual Abuse Crisis affecting millions of children across Europe.
Dr. Antonia Torrens, General Director of KMOP, has been elected President of COFACE Families Europe for a four year mandate from 2024-2028.
COFACE monitors closely the implementation of the strategy in both care service fields: early childhood education and care (ECEC), and long-term care (LTC). For ECEC, we monitor especially measures taken through the European Child Guarantee national action plans, working with the Alliance for Investing in Children. For LTC, we do this together with a European care advocacy alliance of more than 20 NGOs and trade unions.
On the 17th of September, CEPS, ECRI, and ECMI held an event on the future of financial policy in Europe, bringing together a diverse group of experts, policymakers, supervisors, and academics. The event aimed to examine the evolving financial landscape and address the challenges that lie ahead for the European Union's financial sector.
September is a packed month of European political developments, as anticipated following the June European elections. Brussels has been particularly busy with the unveiling of portfolios of the new European Commission college by President-elect Ursula von der Leyen, with a full presentation to the European Parliament of the plans for 2024-2029.
