COFACE Families Europe

Stepping up implementation of the EU Child Guarantee: National action plans in the spotlight
2022-09-27 09:30 - 16:00 (Europe/Brussels) | Berlin, Germany
By calling on EU Member States to guarantee access to basic rights and services for children in need and their families, the Child Guarantee represents a pivotal and timely instrument to enhance the protection of children experiencing poverty and social exclusion. Moreover, it lays the foundation for a stronger social and equity-driven Europe. Over the last months, it has been up to each EU Member State to draw up their Child Guarantee national action plans to outline how the framework will concretely be implemented in their respective countries until 2030.
The war in Ukraine and the ensuing crisis shows again that it is by consolidating family support systems, based on a mix of resources, services, and leaves which are accessible to all families without discrimination, that the European Union will be resilient and strong enough to absorb shocks.
COFACE and AGF hosted an expert meeting in Berlin to:

examine the measures highlighted in the national action plans on the Child Guarantee to boost family supports;
study policy and service solutions to enhance child and family well-being;
bring together family policy-makers working to improve outcomes for children and their families;
boost the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan.

Working languages: English and German
Participation on invitation only.
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Key takeaways

Technical guidelines for implementation was highlighted as one way to support national ministries in the implementation process. Guidelines on measurement, indicators, monitoring, evaluation. Going via the Technical Support Instrument is a great opportunity of course, and used by many with lots of added value. But maybe an operational document with general technical guidelines (and not country-specific) could boost implementation further.
The biennial European Commission report on implementation could include both policy and funding updates, namely on the use of EU funds for the Child Guarantee.
Working in partnership with the target groups remains central, and civil society organisations are there to facilitate this.
Child participation can take many forms, from more simple to more elaborate forms. That diversity of participation forms can be a big help to bring the voices of children to the process in a meaningful way.
The importance of the Child Guarantee coordinator cannot be underestimated, to bring a transversal approach to the implementation process and to function as ambassador for the Child Guarantee in other ministries.
Key governance pointers were mentioned such as having a focal point on the CG in each ministry or in each region, creating a children’s council, building interdepartmental committees for coordination, developing local action plans (relevant given regional/local differences highlighted today), allocating specific budgets for implementation in national budgets but also in the EU funds.
Whether building on existing laws or developing new laws, any approach is relevant, respected and valued. However, two points are essential: embedding the Child Guarantee as much as possible in national legal&policy processes, and also ensuring that family diversity is recognized in national legislation, to ensure full access to social rights and financial supports to deal with difficult life transitions.
The challenges of today are many (COVID, war, inflation), but they can help highlight gaps in our social systems and help focus on filling these gaps.

See full meeting report here

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Useful links
May 2019: Council Recommendation on High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care Systems
This recommendation identifies 5 key components of a qualitative system: access to early childhood education and care; training and working conditions of staff in charge of early childhood education and care; definition of appropriate curricula; governance and funding; monitoring and evaluation of systems. The Quality Framework has already supported reforms in many countries and helped improving the offer of early childhood education and care.
June 2021: Council Recommendation establishing a European Child Guarantee
In September 2022, the following countries had published their National Action Plans on the Child Guarantee: Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden. More here
December 2022: Council Recommendation on Early childhood education and care
This was adopted by the Council of the EU as part of the European Care Strategy package launched on 7th September, and should be adopted by the Council of the EU by end of 2022. More here
Alliance for investing in Children
The EU Alliance for Investing in Children brings together over 20 European networks sharing a commitment to end child poverty and to promote child well-being across Europe.

Building effective policies to support single parenthood
2022-10-04 09:00 - 16:30 | Prague, Czech Republic
The COVID-19 pandemic has damaged our societies and economies, and the war in Ukraine is adding further pressure (expanding the number of single parent families in Europe). The situation has also put centre stage the role of families as safety nets while magnifying the shortcomings of our systems which have been ignored for too long. This situation is unacceptable and now is the time to build back better using national and EU policy and legislative tools to achieve greater wellbeing of children and their families, access to high quality, inclusive and community-based services. Co-hosted by COFACE and Women 4 Women Czech Republic, this European expert meeting explored the effectiveness of family policies to address the realities of single parent families.
Single parenthood, like any family type, is not a homogenous block and covers different realities: headed by mothers, fathers, and even by a grandparent raising their grandchildren, having one child or being a large family, being from a migrant background, having a child or parent with disabilities. According to a recently commissioned European Parliament study, single parenthood is becoming more common in the EU, and the majority of single parent households are headed by women. For some people, single parenthood is a choice. But for many it is not, and linked to a series of life events they have not chosen. Children in single parent families do not necessarily have any more needs than children in other types of families, but their vulnerabilities will increase due to heightened risk of poverty and exclusion of their parent. Compared to couples with children, single parents do have higher rates of living in a household with low work intensity, at-risk-of-poverty (AROP), or material deprivation. More here. The share of single parents among all households with children varies considerably from one country to another in the European Union, from more than 20% in Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and France to less than 9% in countries like Croatia, Romania, Finland, Greece, Slovakia, Malta, Poland, Spain, Slovenia. More here.
Each policy should aim for universal results by triggering a two-track way of thinking from the beginning (i.e. mixing universal measures for all families and targeted measures for families in vulnerable situations). This cannot be treated in parallel or one after the other, this universal particularism needs to be integrated in the thinking from the outset. This will allow for policies that aim to prevent and redress the situation, mobilising all levels of governance in an integrated way. In order to do that, the policy-making should be more inclusive and allow concerned families and their representative organizations to participate to their shaping, monitoring and evaluation.
The European expert meeting objectives were the following:

Explore the reality of single parents across different EU countries, using a multi-generation lens;
Discuss existing challenges and solutions in policy and practice;
Review family policies to integrate and respond to diverse needs of families of today, in light of developments under the EU Child Guarantee action plans;
Boost the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, namely principles 2 (gender equality), 3 (equal opportunities), 9 (work-life balance) and access to childcare and support to children (11)

See the programmes in English and Czech.
See full meeting report in English

Presentations
Supporting single parents and their children under the EU Child Guarantee: objectives, plans, partnerships. by Martina Štěpánková Štýbrová – Director of Department of Family Policy and Protection of Children´s Rights, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Czechia.
Beyond family policy: The effectiveness of policies to address the realities of single parents in the European Union by Rense Nieuwenhuis, Associate Professor in Sociology, Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI), Stockholm University
Study session 1: Mental health and work-life balance

Mary Halloran, Board Member, Irish Countrywomen’s Association, Ireland

Study session 2: Policies which reach out to single-parent realities

Rasa Zemaite, Coordinator, National Assembly of Active Mothers, Lithuania
Daniel Alvarez, Project Manager, Isadora Duncan Single-Parent Foundation, Spain

Study session 3: Separation, mediation, and blended families

Evelyn Martin, Honorary Chairperson, ÖPA, Austria

Study session 4: Housing solutions for social and economic integration

Nina Ould Ami, President of the Fédération Syndical des Familles Monoparentales, France

Webinar: Inclusive labour markets: a support service for persons with disabilities to match their skills with employment opportunities
2022-11-22 09:00 - 11:00
Download the presentation slides of this webinar here.
Date
22nd November 2022 from 9.30-11.00 CET
Title
Inclusive labour markets: a support service for persons with disabilities to match their skills with employment opportunities
Speakers
Gonçalo Solla, General Manager at Fundação LIGA, PortugalEmília Mesquita, Case Manager at OED, Fundação LIGA, Portugal
Description
Operação de Emprego para Pessoas com Deficiência (OED) works directly with persons with disabilities to provide meaningful opportunities for employment. It works with persons with disabilities to find employment that fits their skills and needs, whilst also providing follow-up support and training to ensure successful workplace integration. It also interacts directly with employers to ensure that workplaces and recruitment processes are accessible.
OED provides individualised support to persons with disabilities to be able to match them with employment opportunities that fit their skillsets and wishes. This approach allows OED to support sustainable employment for persons with disabilities since they are invested in and supported before and after recruitment. Direct engagement with employers promotes a more diverse and inclusive workforce, providing positive representations of persons with disabilities.
This initiative is a partnership between Fundação LIGA (NGO and COFACE Disability member), Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (Lisbon Municipality) and Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional (Institute of Employment and Vocational Training).
More information
http://www.oed.com.pt
EU context
In September 2022, the European Commission presented Disability Employment Package to support Member States in ensuring that persons with disabilities enjoy social inclusion and economic autonomy through employment. The package is part of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 and is in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The package includes a Practitioner toolkit on strengthening PES to improve the labour market outcomes of persons with disabilities.

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After a great year 2021 connecting with the COFACE Family Lab community through regular breakfast byte webinars looking at different types of supports to families (a support service, a campaign, a policy, a project, and more) we launched a new breakfast byte series again in 2022.
It again focuses on diverse types of family supports across the EU, including campaigns on inclusive education, cross-border recognition of familial ties, family leadership for an inclusive life, employment supports to adults with disabilities, tips for child safety in the home, training of non-formal education staff for working with children with and without special needs, building energy systems which put families before profits and more.
With these breakfast bytes, we aim to increase critical thinking and understanding of family support systems. The target group of the webinars is especially professionals working with families and children but is open to all (researchers, policy-makers, teachers, health workers, families, and more). It is more important than ever to connect professionals through transnational exchanges in order to tackle the social impacts of COVID-19 on families and children.
Did you miss our breakfast Bytes series or you would like to re-watch it? You can find it on COFACE TV, our Youtube channel.

Download the presentation slides of this webinar here.

Webinar: The Giant’s House – Child Safety and prevention on tour
2022-12-13 09:30 - 11:00
Download the presentation here
Date
13th December 2022 from 9.30-11.00 CET
Title
The Giant’s House –Child Safety and prevention on tour
Speaker
Erik Boon, Event Manager – Project manager The Giant’s House/Reuzenhuis. Gezinsbond vzw, Belgium
Description
Accidents can happen in a tight corner, up a staircase with very high steps, with a saucepan, at the bottom of a deep bath… After all, most homes are not made for a child’s size. Step into the shoes of a young toddler and experience as an adult with an exhibition and new technologies the dangers and discover some useful prevention tips. Get to know how Gezinsbond and Ligue des Familles went on tour in Belgium. And why not … bring it to your country. During the webinar you will get to know more about the project and get some tips on child safety.
More information
www.reuzenhuis.org
www.maisondesgeants.org
Download the presentation here.
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After a great year 2021 connecting with the COFACE Family Lab community through regular breakfast byte webinars looking at different types of supports to families (a support service, a campaign, a policy, a project, and more) we launched a new breakfast byte series again in 2022.
It again focuses on diverse types of family supports across the EU, including campaigns on inclusive education, cross-border recognition of familial ties, family leadership for an inclusive life, employment supports to adults with disabilities, tips for child safety in the home, training of non-formal education staff for working with children with and without special needs, building energy systems which put families before profits and more.
With these breakfast bytes, we aim to increase critical thinking and understanding of family support systems. The target group of the webinars is especially professionals working with families and children but is open to all (researchers, policy-makers, teachers, health workers, families, and more). It is more important than ever to connect professionals through transnational exchanges in order to tackle the social impacts of COVID-19 on families and children.
Did you miss our breakfast Bytes series or you would like to re-watch it? You can find it on COFACE TV, our Youtube channel.

Transnational Family Dynamics - online brainstorm on the state of play
2022-12-13 14:00 - 16:30
Transnational Family Dynamics
COFACE online brainstorm/exchange
13 December 14.00-16.30
COFACE Families Europe is part of a new COST network called Transnational Family Dynamics in Europe which aims to deepen the knowledge of the growing, rapidly changing phenomenon and dynamics of transnational families (TNF) by bringing together researchers and stakeholders from different disciplines and countries to address the need for transnational insights and to formulate policy and practice-oriented recommendations with an impact on international, national, sub-local and local practices. We’re keen to examine to what extent EU social policies cover this reality, kicking off with a brainstorm with researchers and policy shapers on 13th December.
Although transnational families (TNFs) are not a new phenomenon, they have only gained academic interest in recent decades. TNFs reflect critical social, economic and political aspects of globalisation, separate from, but still linked to, the concept of “migrant families”. The shift from migrant families to TNFs can be seen as a reconceptualisation of migration as an “uprooting” life event to the idea that migrants maintain ties to their home societies in many ways. Altogether, research on TNFs has led to the questioning of fundamental concepts and assumptions in research, policy and practice, as an exclusive ‘local’ and ‘sedentary’ focus conflicts with the mobile and/or transnational life of different TNFs and/or with the transnational nature of the challenges they face. Gradually, the concept of transnational families is appearing in public and political debates where TNF ties are seen as both a challenge and an opportunity. While research has acknowledged TNFs as an important societal actor in both sending, transit and receiving countries, migration politics and policies as well as the general public are not yet aware of their central role in different migration regimes and their outcomes. One of the main goals of our Action is to address the relative invisibility of TNFs and to raise awareness among the general public, institutions and policy makers of their existence and multiple realities that impact not only on the lives, well-being and decision-making of migrants and their families but also on various aspects and policies of the societies in which they live, such as the allocation of social protection and healthcare.
Join us for this first brainstorm and exchange! Agenda and registration link here
Further information: Attila Böhm COFACE policy and advocacy officer, abohm@coface-eu.org

COFACE member exchange on energy poverty
2023-01-17 10:00 - 12:00
COFACE member online exchange on energy poverty
17th January 2023 10.00-12.00 CET
This is a internal space for COFACE members to take stock of the energy crisis and its impact on families.
Partnerships
COFACE Families Europe is member of the Right to Energy Coalition.
EU context
Families Corner Newsletter November 2022 What has the EU done to address the energy crisis?
European Commission communication: Tackling rising energy prices: a toolbox for action and support
European Parliament briefing: Energy saving and demand reduction

Interventions to support children and youth in the digital environment
2023-02-08 09:30 - 11:00
Download the presentation slides of this webinar here.
Date
8th February 2023 from 9.30-11.00 CET
Title
Interventions to support children and youth in the digital environment
Speakers
Halla Holmarsdottir, Professor, Faculty of Education and International Studies, Oslo Metropolitan University. Coordinator Horizon 2020 research ‘The Impact of Technological Transformations on the Digital Generation (DigiGen)’.
Holly Shorey, Project and advocacy officer, COFACE Families Europe. Impact manager of DigiGen.
Description
Following 3 years of EU Horizon 2020 research on the impact of digital transformations on children and youth, the “Digital Generation”, fresh insights and recommendations will be presented during the breakfast byte for use by families, practitioners, policy-makers and key industries. DigiGen starts putting a language to what we see, as a society, about children and young people’s everyday digital realities. Instead of relying on moral panics and paternalistic presumptions, we respond to what hundreds of children and young people are telling us about their everyday digital lives. It is clear that the digital generation is made of active digital citizens who can be resilient and responsible participants in the digital civic space if adequately supported and recognised accordingly across their ecosystem: through schools, leisure time, families, and other civic spaces. This can be done by employing a more holistic, child-rights-friendly approach to digital access and competency. Namely that all children across Europe should have:

Access to digital devices, connectivity, and to a digital environment that enables their active participation as digital citizens
Room to develop competency across digital skills, media literacy, and social competences

Achieving this relies on proper governance distribution between EU and national regulation, industry self-regulation, and awareness raising.
More information
www.digigen.eu
Links shared by participants
The OECD published information on regulatory frameworks to foster children’s protection in the digital environment

Apple published a post outlining features and Safer Internet Day activities across Europe in 2023
DigiGen toolkit: “Talk!”
Eurochild published a statement on child online safety
Skills4Parents online HUB
Safely online, a European resource with tips for parents, by Gezinsbond and Child Focus (Belgium)
Online course developed by COFACE and KMOP: School Bullying Management – Effective Skills for Educators
“Más que un móvil” – A guide of the AEPD (data protection agency) in Spain

Download the presentation slides of this webinar here.

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After two great years of connecting with the COFACE Family Lab community through regular breakfast byte webinars looking at different types of supports to families (a support service, a campaign, a policy, a project, and more), join us for more breakfast bytes in 2023.
In 2023, we are focusing on different EU supports for families, including research, policies, education tools and more.
With these breakfast bytes, we aim to increase critical thinking and understanding of family support systems. The target group of the webinars is especially professionals working with families and children but is open to all (researchers, policy-makers, teachers, health workers, families, and more). It is more important than ever to connect professionals through transnational exchanges for cross-border mutual support and care.
Have you missed our breakfast Bytes series so far or you would like to re-watch it? You can find it on COFACE TV, our Youtube channel.

COFACE Communication capacity-building on diverse participation in the 2024 European elections
2023-02-15 09:30 - 12:30
COFACE Families Europe is bringing together its members, EU institutions, and European partner organisations for a half-day capacity-building event to discuss key tips and practices to boost diverse participation in the 2024 European elections through communications.
Join us for an opportunity to share your own good practices and learn actionable tips and strategies from other experts in the field to trigger further strategic dynamics in your organisations and communities.
Please note that this is an invitation-only event with priority access for COFACE members and its network.
Working language: English
For more information contact: Bettina Guigui bguigui@coface-eu.org.

See full programme here.

Online exchange on Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care
2023-03-09 11:30 - 12:30
You are welcome to join us on 9th March from 11.30-12.30 CET for an online exchange on quality in Early Childhood Education and Care.

This online meeting is open to all COFACE and COFACE Disability members.
The session will kick off with a presentation by Professor Michel Vandenbroeck on the state of play of quality in ECEC, with a focus on Belgium and Europe (including the Care Strategy and Child Guarantee).
The focus will especially be child-staff ratio as a primary driver for child well-being and family engagement.
This will be followed by a Q&A and exchange with COFACE members about the situation in their countries.
To receive information about registration, please contact lgosme@coface-eu.org
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Background information
2022 European Care Strategy
2022 Council Recommendation on ECEC
2021 COFACE policy brief on ECEC
2018 COFACE New Deal for ECEC

European expert meeting: Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Europe
2023-03-28 09:00 - 17:30 | Monza, Italy, Italy
Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Europe
COFACE Disability European expert meeting Tuesday 28th March 2023, 9.00-17.30 Monza, Italy
Read the full meeting report here
The COFACE Disability Platform for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and their Families (COFACE-Disability) was founded by COFACE in 1998 to improve the representativeness of people with disabilities and their families. With more than 20 members, COFACE-Disability fights for the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and for sufficient, appropriate care provision and services, close-to-home and in-home help services for people with support needs and their families to be made available in all Member States, and for resources, assistance and provision to be harmonised within the EU. COFACE-Disability defends the need to develop public care infrastructures supporting persons with disabilities and their families following a life cycle, whole family approach, boosting independent living and meaningful inclusion from birth to old age. This includes service provision that responds to the needs of persons with disabilities and their families but also to the removal of barriers in mainstream services. The topic of this event, inclusive education, lies at the intersection of these two necessary paradigm shifts. Recent EU frameworks such as the EU Child Guarantee, the Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the European Care Strategy, have renewed the impetus around strengthening our education system for more inclusion and resilience. Building on the results of the 2018 COFACE conference on sustainable and future-proof education systems, the COFACE-Disability back-to-school webinar of 2020, the different practices highlighted in the 2021 S.H.I.F.T. report and the expertise of COFACE Disability members, COFACE-Disability and AIAS Monza held a 1-day European expert meeting on inclusive education in Monza (Italy). Taking the Italian system as a starting point for discussion with European peers, we brought together organisations of families of persons with disabilities and service providers, education professionals, persons with disabilities and their families and policy-makers from several countries to examine key actions to implement inclusive education in line with the UNCRPD and the General Comment n4. We aim to apply the COFACE whole-family lens to the topic of inclusive education as a way to build inclusive societies for persons with disabilities and their families:

Education for building independent living and meaningful inclusion in society;
Inclusive education from a life course perspective, namely inclusive education beyond compulsory education;
Looking at the continuum of services between formal and non-formal education with an added focus on culture and sports.

We hope this meeting will foster innovation and knowledge transfer between civil society organisations, create new synergies between COFACE and COFACE Disability members and key Italian and European stakeholders, and contribute to the S.H.I.F.T. towards more inclusive education systems in Europe. Working languages: English and Italian. Participation on invitation only.
See full programme in English.
See full programme in Italian.
Presentations ‘From theory to practice: the challenges and successes of implementing the Italian inclusive school legislation’
Letter by Alessandra Locatelli, Minister for Disabilities, Italy
The challenges and successes of the implementation of Italian legislation on inclusive schools inclusive by Giuseppe Arconzo, Associate Professor in Constitutional law and Rector’s Delegate for Disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders in the University of Study of Milan, Italy
Inclusive education for an inclusive Europe by Elisabeth Lammers, Vice president in charge of European affairs, UNAPEI, France
Presentations ‘Inclusive education at all ages: building blocks for inclusive society’
Inclusive ECEC Services- Special responses for children with disabilities by Renata Nacinovich, MD, Professor of Child Neuropsychiatry University of Milano Bicocca Head of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, S. Gerardo Hospital – ASST Monza Brianza, Italy
Boosting the profession of support teachers in schools by Prof. Antonio Prizio, Head Teacher Istituto Comprensivo Statale “Via Raiberti” Monza, Italy
Presentations ‘Inclusion in non-formal education and lifelong learning’
Sport for inclusion programmes: enriching and empowering persons with disabilities through sports by Cristian Fiora, Certified Club Manager, PGA Elite Golf Professional and AIAS Golftherapy trainer and Training Director AIAS, Italy
The power of artistic collaboration between performers with and without disabilities by Gonçalo Solla, Director, Fundaçao Liga, Portugal. Watch the video of Fundacao Liga’s dance programme ” Plural” here.
Inspiring society with learning hubs for the future of inclusive learning, living and working in Flanders by Femke Houbrechts, Social Innovation and Education Coach, Konekt, Belgium
Presentations ‘What is Europe doing to boost inclusive education?’
Agency work on inclusive education by Antonella Mangiaracina, Policy Officer, European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education
How do we contribute to building inclusion in education? by Eugenia Casariego Artola, Development and Advocacy Coordinator, European Schoolnet
Inclusive education in ESF Flanders by Caroline Meyers, Expert transnational cooperation and knowledge management, Department Werk en Sociale Economie, Belgium
Read the full meeting report here

COFACE member exchange on financial inclusion
2023-04-14 10:00 - 12:00
COFACE member online exchange on
financial inclusion
14th April 2023 10.00-12.00 CET
This is a internal space for COFACE members to take stock of key developments in the field of financial inclusion at EU level, including the transposition of the Consumer Credit Directive, the work of the European Central Bank on the Digital Euro, and personal insolvency.
Partnerships
COFACE Families Europe is member of Finance Watch.
EU context

Families Corner Newsletter May 2022: OPINION piece by Peter Norwood is a Senior Research and Advocacy Officer at Finance Watch: Will the revised EU Consumer Credit Directive fully protect vulnerable consumers?
Families Corner Newsletter July 2022 OPINION piece by Martin Schmalzried, COFACE Senior policy and advocacy manager: Digital euro= Digital cash?
Families Corner newsletter December 2022: COFACE-Families Europe welcomes the agreement on the revision of the Consumer Credit Directive

Transnational family dynamics in Europe - online meeting
2023-05-11 09:30 - 12:00
Social rights of transnational families
May 11th 2023, 9.30-12.00 CET
In the framework of the TraFaDy COST network, COFACE is co-organising an online expert meeting on transnational families and social rights. Key topics to be addressed will be the following:

Social challenges and social protection of young migrants
Social protection of migrant academics, diplomats, artists, and members of their families,
Social challenges and social protection of adult migrants
Care issues of elderly in families of migrants

For further information contact Attila Böhm abohm@coface-eu.org

High Quality ECEC: The importance of Child-Staff ratios for children’s well-being and families’ engagement
2023-05-16 09:30 - 11:00
WEBINAR
See the full presentation here.
DateTuesday, 16 May 2023 9.30-11.00 CET
TitleHigh Quality ECEC: The importance of Child-Staff ratios for children’s well-being and families’ engagement
Speakers

Martino Serapioni, Research programme coordinator, COFACE Families Europe
Irene Bertana, Senior Policy Officer, European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)
Tuscany Bell, Policy Coordinator, Social services and Youth, European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)
Dr. Stefan Iszkowski, Policy Officer, Social rights and inclusion, European Commission

Description
It is the ambition of COFACE Families Europe to support all children’s right to education and the reconciliation of work and family life by developing policies and workplace measures around three pillars: access to Resources, Services and Time. Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is an essential part of the Services pillar. COFACE Families Europe has been advocating for quality ECEC settings that are accessible, inclusive, and function as a two- and multi-generational tool benefiting children and adults.
High-quality ECEC systems ensure that every child has regular access to a variety of responsive, sensitive interactions with adults, peers, and materials in playgroups and early education classrooms. COFACE highlights the multiple socio-economic benefits of children’s regular participation in this type of nurturing and engaging environment. For day-care and preschool centres to offer a high-quality service to all children, however, several enabling elements must be in place.
For the 2023 International Day of Families, COFACE is hosting a webinar focused on a crucial aspect of quality ECEC services: the ratio of children to staff in daycare settings (child-staff ratio). Adequate child-staff ratios can yield multiple benefits for the children and all the other actors involved in the system, particularly when developed as part of a broader effort to improve the working conditions and professional status of the ECEC workforce.
Join us to learn about the different benefits of low child-staff ratios for children, families, and staff, build partnerships with key organizations, and discuss how to make this a reality, as part of the implementation of the European Care Strategy and the European Child Guarantee.
(1) See the 2014 publication of a Proposal for key principles of a Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care (report of the Working Group on Early Childhood Education and Care under the auspices of the European Commission).
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EU POLICY CONTEXT
The European Pillar of Social Rights Principle 11 states that children have the right to affordable early childhood education and care (ECEC) of good quality. Since its adoption, the European Commission has been actively engaged in developing policy proposals and indicators to improve the availability and quality of ECEC in the European Union. The most recent framework is the European Care Strategy, including the Council Recommendation on early childhood education and care: the Barcelona targets for 2030.
It came to reinforce other actions such as the EU Strategy for the Rights of the Child and the European Child Guarantee that also calls for free access to quality accessible ECEC services for children in vulnerable situations. Both frameworks were adopted by the Council Recommendations, following the steps of the 2019 Recommendation on High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care Systems. Other policies such as the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 also put forward actions to make ECEC more accessible to children with disabilities.
PRESENTATION AND LINKS
You can find the presentation of Martino Serapioni here, and the full COFACE Thematic Note on child-staff ratios in ECEC here.

See the full presentation here.

Further links were shared by participants during the webinar:

In Germany there was a joint call on 15th May 2023 by 30 something organizations, trade unions etc. on the need of high quality care and education.
In France, the social regulatory authorities (IGAS) monitoring quality in ECEC published a report in March 2023 denouncing the lack of quality in ECEC.
There is a European Commission expert group working on monitoring and evaluation of ECEC.
Recommended book on interactions between ECEC funding and ECEC quality “The Decommodification of Early Childhood Education and Care: Resisting Neoliberalism”
Quality for everyone: Scientific based standards for ECEC
A literary review made by researchers in France concluded : “The internationally recommended ratio is 1:3 for children under two years of age, and a maximum of 1:5 for children aged 2 to 3 years, in groups of no more than 8 children (Ahnert et al., 2006; Melhuish et al., 2015; Slot, 2018; Tardif, 2012).”
EASPD position paper on ECEC
EMBRACE project on the inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in ECEC

COFACE online exchange: Recognition of parenthood between Member States
2023-06-28 10:00 - 11:30
28th June from 10.00-11.30 CET
COFACE members are invited to join the discussion on a regulation proposed by the European Commission in December 2022 aimed at harmonising at EU level the rules of private international law relating to parenthood. The proposal is focused on the best interests and the rights of the child.
It aims to provide legal clarity for all types of families, who find themselves in a cross-border situation within the EU, be it because they move from one Member State to another to travel or reside, or because they have family members or property in another Member State.
One of the main elements of the proposal is to create a European Certificate of Parenthood: children (or their legal representatives) can request it from the Member State which established parenthood, and choose to use it to prove their parenthood in all the other Member States. The Commission proposes a harmonised template, common to the whole EU. The use of the Certificate would be optional for families, but they have the right to request it and to have it accepted all over the EU.
Registrations open.

Background information
The Rainbow Europe Index: an annual benchmarking tool developed by ILGA-Europe, providing a comprehensive overview of LGBTQ+ rights and protections in European countries. The 2023 rankings showcase both progress and challenges within Europe. See more here.

COFACE Disability working group on age and disability
2023-09-14 11:00 - 12:00
Disability and Ageing.
The needs and challenges for persons with disabilities and family carers
Working group (online)
14th September 11.00-12.00 CET
COFACE Disability members are invited to this online information session to follow up
from the discussions in Monza end of March 2023.
For further information contact Camille Roux, Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer on disability rights and gender equality croux@coface-eu.org
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Background
EU strategy for rights of persons with disabilities
European Care Strategy

COFACE working group on education for social rights
2023-09-19 10:30 - 12:30
COFACE working group on education for social rights

19th September 10.30-12.30 CET
REGISTER HERE
This online working group meeting is being organised in the context of the L.I.N.K. education programme, a joint initiative of COFACE Families Europe and KMOP education hub, which is part of the European Family Lab launched in 2020.
The meeting is aiming to create an informal and collaborative space, serving as an education hub, where members from different countries can learn from one another, exchange ideas, build partnerships and explore ways to improve and promote their education practices.
The working group will bring together committed professionals and staff in the COFACE network who are actively involved or interested in education programmes within their organisations, aiming to support both families and professionals through upskilling and life-long learning. REGISTER HERE
For further information, contact Beybin Elvin Tunç, Education Programme Coordinator btunc@coface-eu.org
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Background about L.I.N.K.
L.I.N.K. (Learning and Innovating through New Knowledge) focuses on key social challenges of our times. L.I.N.K. educational tools and courses of are based on values of human rights, non-discrimination, gender equality, social inclusion, diversity, empowerment, and intergenerational solidarity, and are designed for contributing to addressing important challenges that modern societies face.
The L.I.N.K. programme is a result of the collaboration between COFACE Families Europe and KMOP Education Hub. COFACE offers the programme its extensive knowledge on issues related to families at the European level, while KMOP, based on its long-term experience in actions supporting children and young people, as well as its knowledge in educational planning, provides documented and modern educational methods.
L.I.N.K reflects the joint goal of COFACE and KMOP to create a modern educational center aiming at supporting education and lifelong learning for a range of challenges, in which families, professionals and modern societies in general need support and continuous guidance.
In general, the goal of L.I.N.K. is to develop learning courses and tools. The courses may follow asynchronous, synchronous, and blended e-learning methods, through all the series of educational modules that are developed.  These educational modules provide learners with new skills and solutions to societal challenges affecting families of today, supporting also the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Pillar of Social Rights.
More here.

COFACE online exchange on the EU Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) regulation
2023-10-04 09:00 - 10:00
COFACE online exchange on
the EU Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) regulation
4th October 2023 09.00-10.00 CET

This exchange will be a space for COFACE to :

brief its members about the state of play on the Child Sexual Abuse regulation currently being discussed in Brussels
connect different organisations working on this subject and exchange any updates about their work in this field

The CSA regulation was proposed in May 2022 aiming to better regulate risk assessments and detection of CSA online, imposing different obligations on tech industries, and also setting up an EU centre responsible for the monitoring and implementation of the regulation.
For further information, please contact Beatrijs Gelders, Policy and advocacy officer on safer internet and digital citizenship bgelders@coface-eu.org
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Background information
European Child Sexual Abuse Legislation Advocacy Group
European Commission website
European Parliament briefing
Flash Eurobarometer survey (July 2023) on the protection of children against online sexual abuse

Study session on Deinstitutionalisation practices
2023-10-12 14:00 - 16:30
Looking at deinstitutionalisation practices in EU national contexts: Spotlight on Czechia, Malta and Spain
12 October 2023, 14.00 to 16.00 CET
Register here

This public study session organised by the European Expert Group on the transition from institutional to community-based care will take place in the afternoon of 12 October 2023.
It aims to bring together professionals, persons concerned by deinstitutionalisation, their families and representative organisations to discuss the shift toward meaningful inclusion in the community.
A diverse group of people in the European Union are still institutionalised, and de-institutionalisation processes are at different stages.
The study session is an opportunity to help improve understanding of the deinstitutionalisation (DI) process in the EU where participants will discuss the initiatives in place in their country to advance the DI process for several concerned communities.
We have invited expert speakers from both civil society and governments from Czechia, Malta and Spain to present and discuss with the audience the different deinstitutionalisation processes in their countries.
More specifically, the study session will focus on large-scale mental health reforms in Czechia, deinstitutionalisation of people with disabilities in Malta, and a pilot project on deinstitutionalisation of people who are homeless in Spain.
See the full programme here

Leaving nobody behind: Making social rights available to all families
2023-10-17 09:00 - 18:00 | Madrid, Spain
European expert meeting on family diversity
co-organised by COFACE Families Europe and UNAF Spain
9.00-18.00Tuesday 17th October 2023
Madrid, Spain
A 2020 OECD working paper “Treating all children equally? Why policies should adapt to evolving family living arrangements” refers to modern family life and the profound changes to children’s family living arrangements. An increasing number of children live with unmarried parents whose informal cohabitation implies unequal rights in terms of access to welfare benefit and social protection programmes compared to those in married life. In addition, children experiencing family dissolution are increasingly likely to share their time between the two homes of the separated parents, and/or to live in a stepfamily. The partnerships of rainbow families are still not recognised in many countries (even if progress is being made to ensure more inclusive data collection for same-sex families (OECD 2023); while single parent families and parents of children with disabilities are often overlooked by family policy/support systems. Family living arrangements are very diverse and not fully identified by official statistics and addressed by national family policies, with consequences on families’ living standards and their capacity to take risks and be resilient.
The context is one of fast-paced changes in labour markets and income security to which families have to act as key responsive entities, cushioning potentially negative impacts and enabling/disabling risk-taking and change. As well as being under care and work pressure, families are time-starved with negative impacts on their mental health and well-being.
Policy and support systems need more than ever to be inclusive, flexible, connected and complementary to ensure that families can be resilient to internal and external shocks. However, are these policies and services truly accessible to all types of families and are they designed with family diversity in mind? Families whose composition is less traditional are especially vulnerable and can be affected much more by social and economic hardships.
The European Union is taking different policy and legal initiatives to support this process under the European Pillar of Social Rights (e.g. EU Work-life balance directive, European Care Strategy, EU Child Guarantee), but more could be done to ensure that new social rights are fully accessible to all without discrimination.
The family policy mix generally consists of measures to address typical care and poverty challenges for families, such as work-life reconciliation, child-rearing support, long-term care, and financial and nonfinancial assistance for families in vulnerable situations. These measures are often designed and funded in different policy fields (education, employment, social, migration, housing).
This expert meeting co-hosted with UNAF Spain will:

Provide an overview of the social rights of families at national and EU level
Study policies to support families in Spain
Take specific look at early childhood services and policies and their availability for different types of families
Facilitate cross-country exchanges of good practices in family diversity policies
Identify any gaps in eligibility or family policy designs
Consider what adaptations of social protection systems and EU policies are needed.

Working languages: English and SpanishParticipants on invitation only: NGOs representing families, policy-makers, and researchers.
Full programme available in English here and in Spanish here.
See full Meeting report here.
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Links and presentations shared during the meeting
Text of the Spanish proposal for a Family Diversity law
EU Social Policy Through a Family Diversity Lens (presentation of Attila Böhm)
State of play on family policies in Europe: spotlight on 5 countries (presentation of Martino Serapioni)
Family diversity workshop (presentation of Beybin Elvin Tunç)
Activity on social media:
Policy and support systems for families need more than ever to be inclusive, flexible, connected, and complementary (Facebook)
COFACE connects with its supportive network in Madrid (Twitter/X)
Peek into the heart of COFACE’s creativity (LinkedIn)

School Bullying Management – Effective Skills for Educators
2023-10-24 09:30 - 11:00
School Bullying Management – Effective Skills for Educators.
A benefit for Children, Families and Schools
Date
24th October 2023 from 9.30-11.00 CET
Title
School Bullying Management – Effective Skills for Educators.
A benefit for Children, Families and Schools
Speakers

Dr Antonia Torrens – Educational psychologist – Creator of the Live Without Project in Greece, and the recently launched e-learning course on school bullying management.
Irene Pateraki, Pedagogical and Monitoring Manager, Central Support Service for the European School Education Platform

Description
This breakfast byte webinar is being organised in the run-up to the 2023 UNESCO international day against bullying, as a contribution to awareness-raising and capacity-building around the topic of bullying. Dr Torrens will kick off the webinar with a deep dive into the LINK e-learning course focusing on school bullying prevention and management, which aims to provide effective skills for teachers mainly, but also for all professionals in any educational setting who work with children, adolescents, and their families. The course follows an interactive approach to ensure each thematic unit is fully understood and can be implemented successfully.
Irene Pateraki from the European School Education Platform will be invited to respond to this presentation from their perspective. More specifically she will talk about the professional development initiatives organised on the theme of bullying in the European School Education Platform taking into account the European Commission recommendations/frameworks and making specific reference to the Pathways to school success and the LifeComp, as well as reference to some key eTwinning projects on the topic of bullying.
Further information
LINK programme
Pathways to school success
LifeComp
Webinar resources shared by speakers and participants
Programme used in Estonian kindergartens and schools which is originally Danish
FUSE programme developed by University College Dublin in Ireland
eTwinning schools factsheet
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Background
After two great years of connecting with the COFACE Family Lab community through regular breakfast byte webinars looking at different types of supports to families (a support service, a campaign, a policy, a project, and more), we are organizing more breakfast bytes in 2023.With these breakfast bytes, we aim to increase critical thinking and understanding of different family support systems. The target group of the webinars is especially professionals working with families and children but is open to all (researchers, policy-makers, teachers, health workers, families, and more). It is more important than ever to connect professionals through transnational exchanges for cross-border mutual support and care.

Research webinar: European Observatory on Family Policy
2023-11-15 14:00 - 15:30
RESEARCH WEBINAR

Towards greater family policy integration across Europe:
Overcoming sectoral fragmentation in supporting families with young children
15th November, 14.00-15.30 CET
This research webinar was open to anyone interested in research on family policies (from a design or implementation perspective).
It was the occasion to discuss the results of the first research report of the European Observatory on Family Policy with COFACE Families Europe and the Centre for Family Studies of ODISEE University of Applied Sciences, founders of the Observatory. Download the full Observatory report here and watch the recording of the webinar here.
The Observatory aims to serve as a platform for the observation, analysis, and dissemination of evidence on family policy and other social concerns directly relevant to family well-being across the European Union.
Programme
14.00-14.10 Welcome
Annemie Drieskens, President of COFACE Families Europe
Kathleen Emmery, Coordinator of ODISEE Knowledge Centre for Family Studies
14.10-14.50 Presentation of the research findings
Martino Serapioni, Research Programme Coordinator, European Observatory on Family Policy
See full presentation here
14.50-15.20 Q&A with participants
15.20-15.30 Conclusions and next steps
Working language: English
Webinar platform: Zoom

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About the report
Family policy is a complex and multifaceted domain that encompasses a wide spectrum of policies, programmes and services aimed at supporting families and promoting their well-being. This first Observatory report aims to provide a comparative description of the state of this field in five countries of the European Union (EU). The report focuses especially on processes of alignment and integration between policy areas catering to families with young children, as well as on the specifics of coordination between education, care, and health services.
Today, many signs point to the heightened significance of these policies. Within the framework of the EU, following the unveiling of the European Pillar of Social Rights in 2017, activity in the broader family domain has increased rapidly. The Pillar has been a catalyst for strengthening national parental leave legislation, tackling child poverty, raising targets for participation in early childhood education and care (ECEC), and developing national frameworks in the areas of long-term care and disability rights.
Families with young children face a complex array of needs prior to their children’s compulsory schooling. These needs, which are often intertwined with specific circumstances and contexts, span across different areas of the public sector. They cannot simply be defined on the basis of existing public administrations, as educational desires, healthcare demands, or caregiving wants. Addressing these needs requires the involvement of various public administrations, services, and professionals in a collaborative manner. Furthermore, this does not constitute a one-time event, but rather requires ongoing coordination between different services over an extended period of time.
In light of this, the report seeks to delve into three distinct scenarios of complex needs faced by families with very young children: balancing care, family life, and return to employment; managing early childhood development and education; and ensuring access to guidance and support during and after the perinatal phase. To achieve this objective, the report conducts an in-depth analysis of five country case studies, namely Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland and the Belgian region of Flanders. These case studies will provide valuable insights on how services that fall within the purview of related family policies can either effectively integrate or remain fragmented while addressing these complex needs across multiple sectors.

EU policy webinar - European Child Guarantee
2024-01-23 10:30 - 12:30
EU Policy Webinar on the implementation of
the European Child Guarantee
10.30-12.30 CET on 23rd January 2024

Speakers
• Rute Guerra, Chair of the EU Social Protection Committee (Full presentation)
• Mathis Porchez, Policy Officer, Child Guarantee, DG EMPL, European Commission (Full presentation)
• Jeroen Jutte, Head of Unit, European Social Fund +, DG EMPL, European Commission (Full presentation)
• Ciresica Feyer, Deputy Head of Unit, Labour market, Education, Health & Social services, DG REFORM, European Commission (Full presentation)
Background
EU Member States agreed through the Article 11(c) of the Council Recommendation establishing a European Child Guarantee to submit National Action Plans on the implementation of the European Child Guarantee (NAPs) by the 15th of March 2022.[1] These should include actions across the four identified areas notably through targeted measures for the different target groups identified considering the national circumstances.
COFACE advocates for a two-generation approach in policy and practice to tackle child poverty, which is based on the interrelated well-being of children and their caregivers, as highlighted in the COFACE Child Compass 2030.[2] This is the vision that was put forward in the Child Guarantee adopting a two-generation approach.
To support the development and implementation of the Child Guarantee, COFACE and the Association of German Family Organisations (COFACE member), has already jointly organised two expert meetings in Berlin bringing together civil society organisations and family policy-makers.[3]
Objectives of the EU policy webinar
This webinar brought together speakers from the EU institutions, and ministries working on the Child Guarantee and COFACE member organisations, in order to :

Discuss tools for monitoring and evaluation of Child Guarantee implementation;
Foster stronger links between different policy and funding initiatives taken at EU and national level;
Share knowledge from national and EU level in order to strengthen the policy and funding levers to boost implementation;
Develop recommendations to feed into frameworks which are key in the implementation process such as the National Action Plan reviews, the EU Child Guarantee Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, the mid-term review of the EU Multi-annual Financial Framework, and the future of EU Cohesion policy.

Working language: English
See full programme here.
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[1] Article 11(c) Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004 of 14 June 2021 establishing a European Child Guarantee.
[2] COFACE Families Europe, “Child Compass 2030 – For a Europe which invests in shaping a healthy society, environment and economy fit for children”, 2020.
[3] COFACE Families Europe, Berlin Meeting 2022: Stepping up implementation of the EU Child Guarantee – National action plans in the spotlight; COFACE Families Europe, Berlin Meeting 2020: The Child Guarantee – A tool to tackle family poverty?

Online capacity-building on EU funding and social services for families
2024-03-12 11:30 - 12:30
Online capacity-building on EU funding
and social services for families
12th March 11.30-12.30 CET
It is widely acknowledged that social services are facing significant difficulties, such as chronic underfunding, staff shortages and challenges in transitioning to community-based and person-centred forms of services. Receiving adequate funds and making sure that these are easily accessible and used to fund quality interventions in the field is critical to overcome these obstacles.
A representative from the Helpdesk on EU funds for social services (run by EASPD) provided an overview of key funds and how they support the development of social services linked to the implementation of different European strategies.

Life-long learning: Bringing the family perspective to the education field
2024-04-16 09:00 - 16:30 | Dublin
European expert meeting on families and life-long learning
16th April 2024
Dublin, Ireland
Read the key findings here.
See presentations from speakers below.

European context
The European Pillar of Social Rights puts a strong focus on education and lifelong learning, and namely on guaranteeing the right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate fully in society and manage successfully transitions to the labour market. The 2023 European Year of Skills agenda aims to raise awareness around skills and the need to improve and develop skills to address skills shortages, while also helping people to get the right skills for good quality jobs through reskilling and upskilling.
Advocacy and collaboration between education and social rights NGOs further supports equitable education. COFACE advocates for educational policies and initiatives that support the diverse needs of families, ensure educational equity, and foster a supportive learning environment for all types of families. It does this especially through its European Family Lab.
Objectives of the European expert meeting
This expert meeting brought together speakers from Ireland and Europe to help pave the way for family-centred education and learning systems. The expert meeting was an opportunity to:

Discuss the links between education and social rights
Spotlight the diversity of educational approaches by featuring professionals working with families in different EU countries, to share their insights on developing learning materials by-with-for families;
Build partnerships with key education stakeholders at national and European level

Working language: English
Participation on invitation only: NGOs representing families, policy-makers, and researchers.
See full programme in English
Resources
Read the key findings of the meeting here.
Presentations Session 1: Setting the scene. Bringing the family perspective in education: diversity of approaches

Beybin Elvin Tunç, Education Programme Coordinator, COFACE Families Europe
Andrea Lapegna, Deputy Director, Life-Long Learning Platform
Dearbhail Lawless, CEO, National Adult Learning Organisation of Ireland (AONTAS)

Presentations Session 2 The family perspective in education – country spotlights

Victoria Forget, Operational Assistant for life-long education, Ligue des Familles, Belgium
Rachel Cassen, Director, LEAP Ireland
Daniel Martinovic, President, Rainbow Families Croatia

Presentations Session 3 Opening up education to bring the perspectives of families

Dr. Justin Sinnott, Manager, Transformation Project Management Office, SOLAS-Learning works, Ireland
Dr. Antonia Torrens, General Manager, KMOP, Greece
Davide Muraro, Policy and Project Coordinator, European Association for the Education of Adults

Study Seminar on child abuse in the digital world
2024-05-08 08:00 - 17:00 | Zagreb, Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska)
European Study Seminar on child abuse in the digital world
9.30-17.30, Wednesday 8th May 2024
Zagreb, Croatia
The Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Programme is one of the most comprehensive and innovative prevention programmes for child abuse in the world. The original CAP programme began to be implemented in the United States in 1978. The International Center for Assault Prevention (ICAP), founded in 1985, has expanded the programme to other countries around the world. This central organisation does not exist anymore, but the programme continues to be implemented in Regional Training Centres.
COFACE member, Step by Step Parents Association, is such a Regional Training Centre in Croatia where they train facilitators to implement the CAP programme. The CAP programme equips children with effective prevention strategies to reduce their vulnerability and exposure to various forms of violence. Additionally, it ensures better support for parents, legal guardians, and educators. The programme has several variants that are intended for children of different ages and needs: preschool, kindergarten, teenagers, and children with disabilities.
The aim of this study seminar was to learn more about the CAP approach in Croatia, exchange ideas with practitioners from other countries working also to prevent child abuse, assess together how to upgrade programmes to prevent child abuse online, and finally to build partnerships between family organisations and Safer Internet Centres.
In the afternoon, COFACE hosted a working group on safer internet with its members and partners.
Working languages: English and Croatian
See full programme here.
Speaker presentations

Gorana Hitrec, Step by Step Parents Association (Croatia), Spotlight on the CAP Programme in Croatia
Andreas Rentzis, KMOP (Greece), Presentation of Actions
Patricia Cardona Roca, Brave Movement (Spain), Prevention of child sexual abuse online: perspectives from European countries
Beatrijs Gelders, COFACE Families Europe, EU Developments Safer Internet
Vineeca Kuo, INHOPE, Fighting CSAM
Antoaneta Vassileva, Bulgarian Safer Internet Centre, Cooperation with Insafe and INHOPE network
Tomislav Ramljak, Croatian Safer Internet Centre, Introduction to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Amaia Echevarría, UNAF Spain, Safer Internet initiatives for families

Further links

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Education (CSAPE) Project
IWF Report: How AI is being abused to create child sexual abuse imagery
IWF Resource for parents: TALK Checklist
UNAF Campaign: Elige tu rol – Choose your role

State Of The European Union for families
2024-05-15 17:30 - 19:30
COFACE Meet&Connect event – 15th May 17.30-19.30

On 15th May from 17.30-19.30 in the Schuman area of Brussels, COFACE Families Europe invited friends to assess the results of the last 5-year mandate of the von der Leyen Commission and highlight some key messages ahead of the European elections.
This was also be the occasion to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the International Year of Families.
COFACE Families launched its “State Of The European Union for families” assessment of the last 5-year mandate of the von der Leyen Commission and how it contributed to achieving eight specific outcomes for families. We also presented our #ActNow for Families of Today call to action, which comprises 10 specific actions that COFACE believe should be integrated into the EU’s 2024-2029 programme. Also available in Easy-to-read version here.
Last but not least, a COFACE song has been developed with the aim to push our message in a creative and engaging way.
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Background
In 2019, COFACE Families Europe mobilised voters locally through its member organisations (representing families of all types, without discrimination). A call was launched to the COFACE network to vote and speak out in May 2019 using 10 key values as a compass: non-discrimination, equal opportunities, empowerment, internet for all, social inclusion, sustainability, respect of human rights, solidarity, child well-being, accessibility.
Following the 2019 election of the new European Parliament and the publication of the European Commission’s political guidelines, COFACE Families Europe published its New Deal for Families of Today which is a list of key short-term demands (also available in Easy-to-Read language) to be achieved by the new European Commission from 2020-2024. They are to be seen as concrete steps to meet the long-term goals of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
These demands reflect the needs and challenges of families of today and call for a mix of European actions (policy, law, funding, benchmarking, innovation) to drive real change. These recommendations are addressed at EU-level policymakers in the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the EU, from whom we expect joint leadership to ensure tangible results for Europe’s citizens.
It is on this basis that we have assessed the work of the European Union’s work from 2019 to 2024, and how it contributes to achieving positive outcomes for families of today.

COFACE financial inclusion working group
2024-06-04 10:00 - 12:00
COFACE financial inclusion working group – online meeting

4th June 10-12.00 CET

This online meeting was open to COFACE members and partners working on financial inclusion matters. The objectives of the meeting are to connect EU actions to the local actions of civil society to support financial inclusion of families, provide an update on the actions of COFACE-Families Europe on financial inclusion, and provide an opportunity for members to share their activities related to financial inclusion. We were delighted to have representatives from Finance Watch with us.
Speaker presentations
Martin Schmalzried, COFACE Families Europe
Update on EU developments (covering the digital euro, open finance, payment account directive, personal insolvency). See Presentation.
Paul Fox, Finance Watch.
Reset Finance EU elections campaign. See Presentation.
Sonsoles Riviergo, Single-Parent Families Foundation Isadora Duncan.
Overview of programmes to support economic empowerment and financial literacy. See Presentation.
Further links
Which services are needed for financial inclusion? Finance Watch
Budget management tool, SPFF Isadora Duncan
Training on “What is money”?, COFACE Families Europe
Towards an economy which cares: Economic Principles. COFACE Families Europe
European Pillar of Social Rights – 20 principles, European Commission

Key tools for driving change towards parenting equality in Poland
2024-06-20 09:30 - 11:00
Key tools for driving change towards parenting equality in Poland
Date
20th June 2024 from 9.30-11.00 CET
Title
Key tools for driving change towards parenting equality in Poland
Speakers

Karolina Andrian is a founder and president of the Share The Care Foundation in Poland. Social entrepreneur in Femmeritum, and Board member of COFACE, she is an expert in the area of gender equality, DEI and parental equality.
Luis Lineo is actively involved in Sweden’s Feminist Initiative Party and works at the secretariat for the MenEngage Europe secretariat (MenEngage is a global network of civil society organisations working with men and boys for gender equality)

Description
This breakfast byte webinar was hosted on international fathers’ day to put the spotlight on men and care through a parenting equality lens.
The organisation Share The Care Foundation in Poland recently organised the second edition of their “Equal at home – Equal at work – A win-win for all” campaign on the occasion of the entry into force of the EU work-life balance directive in Poland. Their campaign aims to spark discussions and insights into whether the directive has indeed empowered individuals to achieve greater gender equality in the work and family life.
MenEngage Europe (a global network of civil society organisations working with men and boys for gender equality) responded to the Polish actions from their more global perspective, highlighting some key challenges and successes in relation to parenting equality.
The webinar was an opportunity to take a closer look at legal and policy tools, as well as company tools, support services and campaigns to support parenting equality, aiming to inspire other countries to support men in their caring roles and encourage take-up of family leaves.
Further information
Presentation of Karolina Andrian
Share the Care Foundation
Equal at Work – Equal at Home: A win-win for everyone!
MenEngage

Work-Life Balance Strategies in Family Policy
2024-09-25 08:00 - 17:00
Work-Life Balance Strategies in Family Policy
25th September 2024
Vilnius, Lithuania
Acknowledging the importance of work-life balance is crucial for maintaining personal well-being and mental health which encompasses various aspects, such as emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Therefore, a healthy work-life balance positively affects our personal relationships and helps coping with stress. This balance extends to family responsibilities, including care for both children and elderly family members.
Family care includes taking care of both children and older family members. According to 2019 Eurostat data, almost 90 million people in the EU have care responsibilities for children, and more than 12 million people in the EU take care of ill, elderly and/or disabled relatives. Work-life balance rights are being consolidated in public policy across Europe (in great part following the transposition of the EU work-life balance directive), and also increasingly in company policies which are building family-supportive workplaces.
The European Pillar of Social Rights puts a strong focus on work-life balance of parents and carers, with different initiatives to support families: legal frameworks like the EU work-life balance directive and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive; and policy frameworks like the European Care Strategy and the European Child Guarantee.
This European expert meeting
1. Explored the intersectional dimensions of work-life balance, considering how factors such as gender, socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity intersect with family dynamics and mental health outcomes.
2. Promoted the integration of family-friendly working conditions, mental health services and family-friendly policies into organisational structures that best meet families’ needs.
3. Facilitated dialogue and collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including employers, employees, policymakers, researchers, and community organisations, to develop comprehensive strategies for supporting family mental health in the workplace.
Working languages: English and Lithuanian
Full programme: English and Lithuanian.
Key findings: You can see the full meeting report here.
Resources
Presentations Session 1: Study session 1: The evolution of family policies in Europe

Willem Adema, Senior Economist, Social Policy Division, OECD
Silvija Stanić, Director, Parents Association Step by Step, Croatia
Teresa Roščinska, adviser of Horizontal Policy and Project Management Group, Ministry of Social Security and Labour, Lithuania

Presentations Session 2: 1000 days of parenthood and the mental load

Vytautas Peciukonis, Research Officer at European Institute for Gender Equality
Martino Serapioni, Research Programme Coordinator, European Observatory on Family Policy
Vilma Ražauskienė , Researcher at Institute Of Sociology At The Lithuanian Centre For Social Sciences

Presentations Session 3: Caring for the caregiver

Sylvia Van Walleghem, Researcher at KU Leuven in Magentaproject, Belgium
Sarah Loriato, Policy Officer on Employment and European Parliament Liaison, AGE Platform Europe
Sandra Norvilienė, Human Resources Manager, Employment Partner Retiva, Lithuania.

Presentations 4: Building family-supportive workplaces

Tina Weber, Research Manager, Eurofound
Marta Pompili, Policy Officer responsible for Gender Equality, EQUINET
Inga Ruginienė, President, The Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation

The role of local level prevention systems for implementing the European Child Guarantee
2024-10-09 10:00 - 17:30
The role of local level prevention systems for implementing the European Child Guarantee
9th October 2024
Berlin, Germany
The European Child Guarantee recognises the importance of using national and local policy levers to support its implementation through quality services for children in vulnerable situations. Municipalities and services are at the forefront of work to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. According to a report adopted by the European Parliament in November 2023, “more needs to be done to achieve a more comprehensive, intersectoral approach to tackling children’s risk of vulnerability and to ensure genuine implementation by removing the policy, political, administrative and financial barriers.” This aligns with recent developments in various European nations, where there is a growing focus on enhancing multi-agency collaboration across local service providers. These offer a wide range of early intervention support to families through a proactive, preventive approach, which can facilitate smooth transitions during times of stress or crises, such as poor health, financial hardship, or unemployment.
This expert meeting will:

Connect the European Child Guarantee recommendation to the local level, looking more closely at the impact of services on children and their families.
Explore different local service models across countries with a view to better understand what works and what does not.
Utilise the integrated family policy framework created by the European Observatory on Family Policy to facilitate discussions on potential approaches for the sector, in addition to developing an agenda for the years 2025 and beyond.

Working languages: English and German
Programme: English
Participation: Invitation only
Presentations
Session 1: Supporting parents and carers in the early years: effective models of intervention
Arianna Lazzari (University of Bologna)
Sandra Fischer (University of Bonn)
Kristien Nys (Odisee University)
Session 2: An international perspective on effective models of prevention
Jörg Fischer (Erfurt University of Applied Sciences)
Olivier Thévenon (WISE Centre – OECD)
Martin Lichte (European Social Network)
Session 3: Leveraging effective local prevention systems for implementing the European Child Guarantee
Jiří Švarc (DG EMPL – European Commission)
Martina Kottmann (Fed. Ministry of Family Affairs – Germany)
Hanna Vseviov (Ministry of Social Affairs – Estonia)
