European expert meeting
18th November 2026, Valletta, Malta
This European expert meeting on 18th November in Valletta will bring together experts from the COFACE (Disability) network, as well as key partners in academia and public policy, to take stock of the measures taken to support children with disabilities in the framework of the European Child Guarantee and on how to address remaining gaps. The meeting will be co-hosted with the Ministry for Social Policy and Children’s Rights, the Ministry for Inclusion and Social Wellbeing, and the National Parents’ Society for Persons with Disabilities in Malta. It will be a key action to support visibility of the World Children’s Day 2026 on 20th November.
EU context
In 2024 and in 2026, Member States submitted their progress reports on the implementation of the Child Guarantee. The European Commission assessed progress and on 6 May 2026, it adopted a new strengthened Child Guarantee, aiming at increasing efforts to end the cycle of child poverty. In this context, the COFACE European expert meeting will provide a timely opportunity to assess progress for children with disabilities, collect information on lived experiences of families across Europe, highlighting any challenges or gaps in provision, as well as putting forward policy and practice solutions for effective positive change for children with disabilities and their families.
COFACE actions to support implementation of the Child Guarantee
COFACE Families Europe is an active supporter of the European Child Guarantee, and is supporting its implementation through various tools and channels: expert meetings, policy work and analysis, research on integrated family support models, and organising peer exchanges between national family ministries on good practices at policy/practice level. In addition, COFACE has a specific platform of organisations (mainly representing family carers of children with disabilities) which monitors more specifically the rights of children with disabilities and their families (driven by the UNCRPD), through the Child Guarantee as well as other EU frameworks on disability, care and inclusive education. Key areas of focus include: recognition and support to family carers, promoting inclusive education models, supporting work-life balance of parents and carers, and ensuring that local services for families are fully inclusive of families with disabilities. The European expert meeting will be a great occasion to assess progress made for children with disabilities, to collect information on lived experiences of families across Europe, to highlight challenges or gaps in provision, and finally to put forward policy and practice solutions for effective positive change for children with disabilities and their families.
Programme
The programme can be downloaded here.
An Easy-to-Read version of the programme is also in preparation.
Safe and inclusive activities in COFACE
As a European civil society network dedicated to the values of non-discrimination, gender equality and equality and social inclusion, COFACE and its representatives must practice its values within all operations and activities, both internally within the secretariat and the network and externally when representing COFACE. In 2025, COFACE Families Europe adopted a Common Reference Framework for safe an inclusive activities. You can read it here in English and French, and here in Easy-to-Read language. Please know that we provide a safe space for all types of families without discrimination, and foster pluralistic discussions which acknowledge different viewpoints. It is important that all participants in COFACE activities fully respect these values, acting respectfully, and contributing to creating a safe space for all. If you wish to draw our attention to any difficult situations experienced during a COFACE activity, please write to us using the complaints form.
