COFACE Families Europe

Webinar: The serious issue of Play - How to foster connections and well-being in an increasingly fragmented world
2025-06-11 16:00 - 17:30 (Europe/Brussels)
International webinar co-hosted by
COFACE Families Europe and Mattel
On the 11th June 2025 from 4 PM – 5.30 PM CET (Brussels time) and on the occasion of the International Day of Play, this webinar explored how play can help future generations to rebuild connections and restore happiness. Play is a recognised universal right (UNCRC Article 31), but is also a critical pathway to well-being, connection, and creativity. This is especially relevant in our increasingly disconnected and stressful lives.
The webinar gathered key stakeholders from United Nations, European institutions, national decision-makers, civil society and industry, in a discussion about the benefits of play for children and families. The event will mark this second edition of the UN International Day of Play.
Panel
Moderated by Elizabeth Gosme, Director at COFACE Families Europe
Speakers
1. Marie-Cécile Rouillon, European Commission coordinator on the Rights of the Child
2. Bertrand Bainvel, Representative to EU Institutions, UNICEF
3. Willy Bergogné, Director, Save the Children EU
4. Chris Down, Chief Design Officer, Mattel
Key questions and points of discussion

What is the best place to look for a collection of research publicly available that explores how play (and what kind of play) improves cognitive, mental and social development in children?
Who have you seen as the main creators and facilitators of play across your experiences and research, educators, parents, other children, institutions, etc? Put differently who do you feel is the most impactful recipient of right to play advocacy?
Playful approaches can also help ‘teach’ children to be inclusive towards their peers with different abilities
I have a question about plays that could help to identify mistreatment of children or abuse. Have they been developed? either for families or for schools?
The EU is a very strong supporter of Education in Emergencies. To ensure quality education play can make a huge contribution to child development. How do we ensure with so many priority to keep this focus?
Just sharing our approach with single parent families in Scotland: we regularly hold our get ready for summer event to promote low or no costs activities during summer holidays e.g scavenger hunts puddle jumping particularly important for families impacted with poverty.
For small children play is actually the way they learn almost everything. Play is therefore crucial and it doesn’t take any sophisticated toys, free play is really the best way to learn and develop for this age group.
Very interesting views indeed on the fundamental role that playing has on the development of almost every aspect of children’s lives. I also think we all really need it at any age for improving our everyday quality of life, by looking at things through the eyes of children!
It was very good to hear from everyone, including from Bertrand about the efforts to challenge stereotyping and increase diversity in toy marketing and on packaging, the important studies mentioned from Chris at Mattel, and the diversity represented in the Mattel lines. At Let Toys Be Toys we feel it is so important not to limit children’s access to play with barriers like outdated gender stereotypes, and to be as inclusive as possible in all ways.
For children, they will naturally play provided they are given the time and the space
Play can also be empowering for children or adolescents to also design or organise games or plays involving peers…challenge rules and create new ones!

Resources shared during the webinar

Study by Mattel on the Shape of Play
Save the Children Resource centre
Family nest model in Estonia – Perepesa

Online study session: Preventing institutionalisation through EU Funding – the role of the new MFF
2025-06-17 14:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Brussels)
Online study session: Preventing institutionalisation through EU Funding – the role of the new Multiannual Financial Framework
As part of the European Expert Group on the transition from institutional to community-based living (EEG), we are pleased to invite you to our annual Study session: Preventing institutionalisation through EU Funding – the role of the new MFF.
The event will take place online on 17 June 2025, from 14:00 to 16:00 CET.
You can register here.
Despite long-standing commitments, over 1.5 million people in Europe remain in institutions, often due to the lack of accessible, community-based services and preventative support for families. While EU funds have supported major progress in some countries—such as closing institutions and developing personal assistance and housing services—challenges persist. In some cases, EU funding has even contributed to maintaining institutional settings.
The study session will focus on three key areas:

misuse of EU funds that have prolonged institutional care,
positive national practices in redirecting funding toward independent living (with a case from Bulgaria),
and the need for strong monitoring systems to track the use and impact of EU investments.

The aim of this study session is to discuss how EU funding under the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) can better support the transition to community-based care for persons with disabilities, children, and people experiencing homelessness—ensuring that reforms are rights-based, data-driven, and aligned with EU policy commitments such as the Guidance on Independent Living and the European Child Guarantee. It aims to bring together EU and national policy-makers, managing authorities, civil society organisations, service providers, and people with lived experience to explore how EU funding can be used more effectively to prevent institutionalisation and support inclusive living.
See the full programme here and further information on the EEG’s website.

COFACE working group on climate change and families
2025-07-08 14:00 - 15:30 (Europe/Brussels)
COFACE Families Europe is organising an internal working group meeting on climate change and families at 14.00 on 8th July.
We will discuss the potential impacts on families of both the climate change and the measures mitigating them. We will also discuss key target groups and recommendations.
This meeting is open to COFACE members only.
Register here.

Round table on the role of EU policy in shaping inclusive labour markets
2025-09-04 10:00 - 12:30 (Europe/Brussels)
PATHS2INCLUDE and the Civil Society Organisations’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) are co-hosting a Policy round table to discuss the role of EU policies in shaping inclusive labour markets on 4 September 2025.
The round table will focus on PATHS2INCLUDE research findings highlighting contextual factors determining labour market inclusion and the intersections of health and age which create labour market vulnerabilities. Together with participants from institutional and non-institutional stakeholders working at EU level, it will consider how these findings can feed into different EU policy initiatives. The aim will be to:

Connect EU policy makers working on inclusive labour markets from different perspectives (inclusion, employment, discrimination, social dialogue, CSR) at EU level;
Highlight some points of vulnerability emerging in the research, reflecting on how these depend on the interaction between individual characteristics and the structural features of the context in which people live.
Explore different European labour market scenarios, including the potential impact of reducing the gender employment gap in terms of poverty reduction and increased fiscal space.
Discuss how different EU policy and legal frameworks can provide potential solutions to these vulnerabilities and scenarios.

The outcomes of the round table discussions will feed into a PATHS2INCLUDE policy brief, aimed at institutional and policy stakeholders, focusing on best practice for inclusive labour markets, namely contextual factors and how they shape inclusive labour markets.

Online exchange with COFACE members on social media bans
2025-09-05 13:30 - 15:00 (Europe/Brussels)
Online exchange with COFACE members on social media bans
5 September 2025 13.30-15.00
You might probably have heard it already, but more and more governments are calling for social media bans/clear age restrictions/a digital age of majority. These discussions also take place at a European level in the European Parliament.
We would therefore like to organise an exchange with COFACE members to hear your different views and expertise related to this topic, and to understand the different developments in Member States.
This meeting is for COFACE members only. Please register here to join the exchange and share updates about developments in your country!

Breaking Silos, Building Futures: Policy Innovations for Integrated Family and Child Support
2025-09-25 08:00 - 2025-09-26 17:00 (Europe/Brussels) | Brussels, Belgium
Brussels, 25-26 September 2025

The conference objectives and core themes
Co-hosted by COFACE Families Europe and the Odisee Centre for Family Studies in Brussels, this conference convenes researchers, policymakers, public administrators, and NGOs to advance integrated, place-based strategies that strengthen family resilience and equity through systemic service coordination. Centering on policy levers that empower municipalities and amplify early investments, the event will explore how cross-sector collaboration enhances service quality and maximizes long-term societal returns.
The program features a keynote roundtable followed by four interactive streams, each structured as workshops to foster debate and cross-fertilization of ideas. Stream 1 reimagines ECEC centers as community anchors, coordinating education, health, and social support. Stream 2 examines integrated service hubs to streamline access for families. Stream 3 tackles governance innovations to break silos in local prevention efforts, while Stream 4 harnesses digital tools to bridge service gaps.
Core themes include:

Strengthening local ecosystems: Municipal leadership, data-driven decision-making, and sustainable funding as key resilience levers.
Systemic coordination for quality: How aligning housing, health, and education services improves efficacy and equity in service provision.
Scaling what works: From Flanders’ Huis van het Kind model to Estonia’s digital platforms, showcasing actionable frameworks for replication.

By bridging research, policy, and practice, the conference will identify scalable solutions to build resilient communities where families thrive.
Context and background
The European Observatory on Family Policy is a joint programme of COFACE Families Europe and the Center for Family Studies. It 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.
The Observatory brings together different perspectives on family resources and needs from a range of public policy, research, and advocacy contexts. It strives to integrate these viewpoints into a unified theoretical framework, and to design suitable recommendations for policymaking at EU, national, and local levels. Key outputs include a European monitoring report published in 2024 Towards greater family policy integration in Europe and in 2025 a Factsheet on the Childcare gap in the European Union.
The starting point for the Observatory is human rights, gender equality, social inclusion, diversity, empowerment, and intergenerational solidarity, with a stated ambition of promoting policies which support all types of families, without discrimination.
Programme and meeting report
See full programme here.See full meeting report here.
On 25th September we will kick off with a plenary debate, and then divide into four streams of work throughout the day focusing on:
1.Expanding the boundaries of ECEC: This stream will examine the expanding role of early childhood education and care services, analysing how their mandates are broadening to include parental support. The morning session will explore leadership challenges and local innovations, focusing on North Rhine-Westphalia’s pioneering certification model for ECEC centres transitioning into Familienzentren. The afternoon session will investigate how ECEC centres can serve as anchors for multidisciplinary local service networks.2.Integrated family support models: The stream will focus on multidisciplinary support models for parents with young children, showcasing international examples of co-located, intersectoral services. Case studies include Flanders’ Huizen van het Kind, now a decade-old initiative; Estonia’s family nests; Save the Children Italy’s Poli millegiorni centres; and Bulgaria’s Tulip Foundation family centres3.Prevention through cross-sectoral collaboration: The stream will approach cross-sectoral collaboration through the lenses of prevention and nurturing care, emphasizing cooperative networks rather than centralized hubs. Discussions will highlight Germany’s Fruehe Hilfen networks and Praeventionsketten, examining their impact from a prevention perspective. A second panel will explore collaborative strategies to prevent child institutionalization through nurturing care frameworks.4.Innovations for equitable family support: The stream will address digital innovation as a tool for equity, presenting platforms that improve access to family support services. Finland’s SOTE reform will be discussed, including its digital family centres under the new “wellbeing service counties” administrative model. Estonia’s Prevention Council and automated data-sharing mechanisms for families with disabled children will also be examined, illustrating how technology can streamline benefits/service delivery.
On 26th September, we will organise a site visit to the Elmer house in Brussels. As a ECEC neighbourhood service, Elmer organises social day-care (3 months – 3,5 years) and has 4 branches in the most underprivileged areas of the Brussels Region. Elmer aims to reach a socio-cultural mix of families living in the neighbourhood and focuses especially on vulnerable families. In total Elmer has a capacity for 190 children. Each year we count more than 400 children in our daycare services. Elmer enables the wellbeing of each child, offers rich opportunities to develop and stimulates connectedness. Parent participation is a keystone in the work of Elmer. The parents are the first educators, together we are co-educating the children. Elmer aims to work on social participation of parents and organizes opportunities for young parents to meet and share experiences in education. In the neighbourhood, Elmer is an active partner in common activities. In Schaarbeek, Elmer also organises a family centre as an integrated service. We combine preventive family support, medical prevention in the early years, educational activities for children and parents, guidance on education, social participation and language development, with childcare. The family centre reaches over 500 families each year. As centre for inclusion, Elmer gives particular attention to children with special needs and supports their families. Elmer combines the ECEC-service with employment and training of educators – often recruited out of the group of parents. The team of Elmer is very diverse, as are the children and their families.
Resources
Presentations Keynote panel

Wim VAN LANCKER, KU Leuven
Christian MORABITO, Save the Children
Mara YERKES, Utrecht University
Olivier THÈVENON, OECD

Presentations Stream 1: EXPANDING THE BOUNDARIES OF ECEC

Geraldine LIBREAU, European Commission
Hester HULPIA, Artevelde University of Applied Sciences
Sandra FISCHER, University of Bonn
Elizabeth SHUEY, OECD
Mihaela IONESCU, International Step by Step Association
Anne LAMBRECHTS, Elmer

Presentations Stream 2: INTEGRATED FAMILY SUPPORT MODELS

Tine ROMMENS, Opgroeien Agency & Ivan PAUWELS, Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities
Luciano MALFER, FBK Foundation
Maarja OVIIR-NEIVELT, Lapseheaolu
Maria PETKOVA, Tulip Foundation

Presentations Stream 3: PREVENTION THROUGH CROSS-SECTORAL COLLABORATION

Ivelina BORISOVA, & Sanja BUDISAVLJEVIC, UNICEF
Jörg FISCHER, Erfurt University
Christina WIEDA, Bertelsmann Foundation
Debora SANGUINATO, Save the Children
Giorgio TAMBURLINI, Centro per la Salute delle Bambine e dei Bambini
Paola MILANI University of Padua

Presentations Stream 4: INNOVATIONS FOR EQUITABLE FAMILY SUPPORT

Rense NIEUWENHUIS, Stockholm University
Maria Kaisa AULA, Welfare area of Central Finland
Marina WETZER-KARLSSON, Väestölitto – the Family Federation of Finland
Hanna VSEVIOV, Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs
Claudia PERONI, Eurofound

COFACE Disability platform - online exchange
2025-10-07 13:00 - 14:30 (Europe/Brussels)
On 7th October from 13.00-14.30, we will hold an online meeting of the COFACE Disability platform to consult family carers on two matters:

Learning resources for family carers
Inclusive education practices across Europe

The aim of this exchange is to bring together COFACE members to kick-start a discussion on the development of a European educational resource designed for informal carers of persons with disabilities, and to discuss actions to promote inclusive education at the European level. The objective of the discussion is to gather members’ views, provide a platform for sharing experiences, and better understand the situation across different countries. This is an internal meeting open to COFACE members only.
The working language of the meeting is English.
You can register here. We hope to see you on 7th October!

Breakfast Bytes webinar: Family Education to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse
2025-10-08 09:30 - 11:00 (Europe/Brussels) | Online on Zoom
Date: 8 October 2025, 9.30-11.00 CET
Speakers:

Silvija Stanic, Parents Association Step by Step, Croatia
Elli Kaplani, KMOP, Greece

Description:
The aim of this breakfast byte was to share existing tools and resources on preventing child sexual abuse, especially for parents and guardians, but also professionals and children themselves. During the webinar we touched upon good practices and challenges to support families in preventing child sexual abuse. The work of two COFACE members was spotlighted, but the aim was to also gather examples and expertise from other organisations and experts. Every child has a right to grow in a safe environment and enjoy the best possible health, which includes well-balanced sexual health. To acquire well-balanced sexual health, children need evidence-based sexual education already from early childhood. Sexual education that is started early supports the child’s development and provides the child with information and skills to better protect themselves and other children. Increasing knowledge of children, as well as parents and professionals, can help prevent child sexual abuse. Two organisations came together in this webinar, to spotlight their work to build trainings and tools to prevent child sexual abuse.
Step by Step Parents Association in Croatia promotes the rights of children and their families through different programmes. One of those programmes is the Child Assault Prevention Programme (CAP Programme). The CAP programme exists already for 25 years in Croatia and it equips children with effective prevention strategies to reduce their vulnerability and exposure to various forms of violence. Additionally, it ensures better support for parents, 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. See full presentation here.
KMOP, the Social Action and Innovation Centre in Greece has extensive experience in education, research, policy and social action. They partnered in a project of the European Union Internal Security Fund (ISF) called “Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Education” (CSAPE 2022-2024). As part of the project, they conducted a survey to map the attitudes and practices of children and youth concerning their online behaviour, ability to recognise potentially dangerous situations online, and awareness of available reporting and support mechanisms in case of online abuse in their respective countries. One of the resources developed by the project is a Guide for parents and guardians about Child sexual education. See full presentation here.
Further information
CAP in general – URKPK. Resource of Parents Association Step by Step, Croatia
CSAPE – Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Education. Resource of KMOP, Greece
Prevention of violence specifically in (amateur) sport clubs. Resource of Defence for Children International
You are not alone. Programme in Finland run by Vaestoliitto (Family Federation of Finland)
Comment protéger les enfants dans votre structure sportive. Resources developed by PARCS 2.0
European Commission launches new network for Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse
EU Strategy for a more effective fight against child sexual abuse
COFACE is proud member of ECLAG – a European coalition working to end child sexual abuse online
Get the facts about grooming and Warning signs to watch for. Resources developed by RAINN
How to recognise child grooming signs. Resource developed by Raising Children, Australia
The Real red flags of grooming. Resource of the National Children’s Alliance, USA
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Terminology
Child sexual abuse: Any act, by an adult or a person significantly older than the child, that violates a child’s right to sexual self-determination or any attempt of such act. Child sexual abuse includes e.g., engaging in sexual activities with a child, causing a child to witness sexual activities or sexual abuse, and coercing, forcing, or threatening a child into sexual activities with a third party.
Child sexual abuse material: Any photo/video material that depicts a child engaging in sexual conduct (with or without an adult) and material with a focus on the genital/anal region of the child.
Grooming (solicitation of a child for sexual purposes): An adult approaching a child online or offline, with the goal to abuse the child sexually. Grooming can include the following (Note! All of these are also considered child sexual abuse):

Communicating with a child in a sexualised way
Commenting on the child’s image or body with sexual connotations
Asking a child for a nude/intimate photo of themselves
Sending nude/intimate or pornographic material to a child
Getting a child to act in a sexual way in front of a camera
Getting a child to agree to meet online or offline

COFACE Disability annual platform meeting
2025-11-13 08:00 - 2025-11-14 17:00 (Europe/Brussels)
COFACE Disability annual platform meeting
Paris, 13-14 November 2025
This year’s meeting aims to bring together COFACE members and external partners to share diverse insights and experiences related to the inclusive transition of care services for persons with disabilities. The discussion will dive into what this transition concretely entails on the ground, what are the challenges and opportunities in facilitating it, the presentation of local best practices, as well as insights into the best way to integrate families in its realisation. The discussion aims to encompass developments at European, national, and regional levels.
This meeting is for COFACE members only.
SAVE THE DATE and register by contacting Sebastian Gonzalez sgonzalez@coface-eu.org

European peer exchange: The House of the Child in Belgium
2025-11-19 10:00 - 12:30 (Europe/Brussels)
European peer exchange
Focus: The House of the Child in Belgium
19th November 2025 – 10.00-12.30 CET online
Background
Europe is facing a range of challenges, from an ageing population to increasing financial insecurity, growing inequalities and evolving work practices. While policymakers know that adapting to these changes is key to a resilient European economy, this is usually only discussed in relation to individuals. What’s left out of these conversations is families. “The vast majority of people live within some form of a family, so their resources and capacities are fundamentally shaped by the close relationships formed within this setting,” says Rense Nieuwenhuis, associate professor of Sociology at Stockholm University.
This is especially true for children and their family environment, which has a huge impact on their health and well-being. In this respect, the European Child Guarantee is contributing to rolling out different services to support families across Europe, including the family centre model which is expanding in a number of countries such as Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Aims of the European peer exchange
For Universal Children’s Day 2025, COFACE put the spotlight on the Child Guarantee and its potential to drive positive change for children and their families. The aim of this peer exchange was to spotlight the Belgian family centre model referred to as the House of the Child, and to use this as a starting point for transnational exchanges and mutual learning with other countries in the EU and neighbourhood countries. This was a public webinar open to policy-makers and practitioners set in the context of the implementation of the European Child Guarantee.
Programme
See the full programme here.
Chronology of the development of the Houses of the Child here.
Factsheet about the Houses of the Child here.
Child participation
Children are welcome to participate in COFACE webinars. These webinars are set up with child safeguarding in mind to ensure they are a safe and inclusive space for child participation.
Presentations
Holly Shorey – 15 principles for family rights and resilience
Martino Serapioni – Integrated family support models in Europe
Tine Rommens – House of the Child
Evelien Umans – House of the Child
Key resources

Opgroeien (Flemish agency for family and child support)
Ogroeien database with an overview of qualitative methodologies and programmes
Insights on Family Policies series: spotlight on Italy, Belgium and Germany
rEUsilience Roadmap for boosting the rights and resilience of European families
15 policy principles for family resilience
Breaking Silos, Building Futures: Policy Innovations for Integrated Family and Child Support | COFACE Families Europe
Networks of family resource centres – list of studies including social return on investment
European Observatory on Family Policy
2021 Council Recommendation establishing a European Child Guarantee
European survey on the European Child Guarantee asking children for their feedback by 8th December.
European Child Guarantee Monitoring framework
Evaluation of Sure Start Services in the UK
Resource for support to English-speaking families in Belgium who have children affected by autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia (DCD) https://neurodiversity.be
European conceptual framework on family support
Resource about sexual health in 14 languages
Triple P Return on Investment studies: United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada

Family centres in other world regions

Family resource centres in Australia
Family resource centres in Canada
Family resource centres in Hong Kong
Family resource centres in Singapore
Family resource centres in the United States

COFACE webinar: Communicating Social Europe in a changing social media landscape
2025-11-25 09:30 - 12:30 (Europe/Brussels)
COFACE Communication Webinar
25th November 2025
9.30-12.30 CET
European and national social rights advocacy requires constant adaptation in this digital era. We believe our webinar is timely and important, especially considering shifting algorithms, rising misinformation, changing user habits, content moderation policy changes, new regulations on targeted advertising and the growing importance of short-form content.
Social Europe can be understood especially as EU-level initiatives taken to improve social rights and promote social inclusion, as well as national initiatives and campaigns to promote social rights.
European and national civil society are key stakeholders in the implementation of Social Europe and dissemination of key initiatives to the grassroots level. COFACE members are part of this stakeholder community.
With this webinar we wish to collect feedback from COFACE members on how civil society is using social media for communication and dissemination on social rights, their challenges and successes, and how they are managing the constantly evolving social media landscape. This part of the webinar will be for COFACE members only.
For the third panel of the webinar from 11.20-12.30 CET, we will invite COFACE partner organisations to join the discussion and share their perspectives (around 25 participants in total from national and European level).

Online workshop on EU funding for family support projects
2025-12-10 14:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Brussels)
Online workshop on EU funding for family support projects –
What’s available and how to apply?
10th December, 14.00-16.00 CET
This workshop aims to build capacity of the COFACE community to apply for EU funding to boost their work on family support in their communities.
It is designed for national civil society organisations supporting children and families.
Family support is an important element of many EU policies, including the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Child Guarantee, the European Care Strategy, as well as the transposition of laws like the European Work-life balance directive.
We will start with a general introduction to EU funding, and then focus on three specific funds:

Erasmus+ programme
Citizen, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme
European Social Fund +

The workshop is for COFACE members only.
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Further reading

EU Funding Consulting – Astrid Mechel
rEUsilience Roadmap for boosting the rights and resilience of European families (see chapter 5 on EU funding)
EU Funds for Social Services – HELPDESK
Use of the European Social Fund for actions to combat poverty and social exclusion of children

COFACE Working group on work-life balance
2026-01-27 09:30 - 13:00 (Europe/Brussels)
COFACE Working group on work-life balance
27 January 2026 9.30-13.00 CET (online)
Background
COFACE is hosting an online working group meeting on work-life balance with members and partners to discuss key topics such as adequately paid leaves, take up of leaves by men and the childcare gap.
The childcare gap remains one of the most pressing challenges facing new parents across Europe today. This gap arises following the birth of a child, when well-paid parental leave has been exhausted, but access to state-supported full-time Early Childhood Education and Care is not yet available. During this period, families often struggle to balance care responsibilities and employment. This shows the shortcomings of existing work–life balance policies.
According to the find hand and European Equality Legal Network, gaps in the transposition of the EU Work-life Balance Directive persist—particularly in ensuring adequate compensation for parental leave and encouraging greater uptake of family leaves by fathers. These shortcomings often rooted in gender inequalities such as the gender pay gap, further deepen the childcare gap. Strengthening the effective implementation of the WLB Directive, especially by improving parental leave compensation and promoting equal sharing of caregiving responsibilities, is therefore essential to closing the childcare gap and supporting parents more effectively in the early years of their child’s life.
Aim of the working group meeting

Take stock of latest trends on work-life balance policies across the EU with a focus on the adequacy of leave payments and the take-up of parental and family leaves by men.
Discuss the current state of play regarding the transposition and implementation of the EU Work-life Balance Directive in Member States.
Examine childcare the gap, and explore how to bridge this period
Identify and discuss potential flagship initiatives and best practices that could help close this gap.
Assess recent research findings and policy developments that can enhance future action.

Read the full meeting report here
Resources
Presentations:

Willem Adema (OECD)
Vytautas Peciukonis (EIGE)
Karolina Andrian (ShareTheCare)
Martino Serapioni (COFACE)
Ivana Dobrotic (University of Zagreb)

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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.

European conference on inclusive labour markets
2026-02-03 09:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Brussels)
About the conference
As member of the Horizon Europe PATHS2INCLUDE consortium, we are proud to announce the project closing conference “European labour markets under pressure – new knowledge on pathways to include persons in vulnerable situations”.
The project’s final conference will take place in Brussels, Belgium on 3 February 2026 and aims to be a key tool for dissemination and incubator for new partnerships for the take-up of PATHS2INCLUDE data in policy and practice.
The aim will be to:

Present key research findings emerging from the PATHS2INCLUDE research, highlighting key points of vulnerability in different labour market scenarios as well as new knowledge on best practice in labour market inclusion;

Connect participants working on inclusive labour markets from different perspectives at national and EU level; and

Discuss how different EU policy and legal frameworks can provide potential solutions to these vulnerabilities, and different scenarios to develop inclusive labour markets for persons in vulnerable situations.

A variety of topics will be discussed related to the labour market inclusion of groups in vulnerable situations, such as reflections on gaps in data, workplace dynamics to prevent discrimination, gender equal labour markets, older workers in vulnerable situations, the impact of digital developments on labour markets, the role of the European Union in shaping inclusive labour markets, and more.
The agenda is available here. Please contact Cloë Rossenbacker, COFACE Project and advocacy officer, for further information about the conference.
crossenbacker@coface-eu.org
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.

Breakfast Bytes Webinar - Empowering rural women, strengthening families: Community-based solutions in practice
2026-03-03 09:30 - 11:00 (Europe/Brussels)
Empowering rural women, strengthening families: Community-based solutions in practice

Date: 3 March 2026, 9.30-11.00 CET
Speakers

Margit Batthyány-Schmidt, President, Union of Hungarian Women Association
Viktória Szeri, Coordinator, Union of Hungarian Women Association

Description
In the run-up to the UN International day of women’s rights (8th March), this webinar will focus on rural women, families, and community-based good practices, and with speakers from the Union of Hungarian Women Association (UHW). The main objective of UHW is to empower rural women, enhance their role in the family, improve their quality of life, maintain their physical, mental and emotional health and encourage them to become entrepreneurs. They believe that family well-being can be ensured by strengthening the social, economic and cultural role of women.
During the webinar, participants will learn about the TalentA Programme run by UHW in order to support women entrepreneurs in rural areas, a programme previously developed in cooperation with Corteva Agriscience (an international agricultural science and technology company that focuses on helping farmers produce food more sustainably and profitably). The programme is aimed at women who tend to be underrepresented in business leadership, and has a sectoral focus on agriculture and more specifically on green and digital transition in farming, aligning it with EU’s twin transition agenda and key innovation goals. The TalentA Hungary Programme has been included among the best practices of the EU Interreg Europe programme.
In parallel, they also focus on the right to health for rural women, with a new National Health Promotion Programme launched in January 2026. This programme focuses not only on physical health, but also on mental and emotional wellbeing, with a strong family and community perspective. Additionally, they participate in European projects like the CERV project called Grapes of Change focusing on care, mental health, and community resilience.
Further information
Magyar Női Unio | női egyesület
TalentA Hungary – Training and micro-grants for women driving green & digital farm innovation
Register now!
Register here
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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.

Families in the age of Artificial Intelligence: Rights, inclusion and empowerment
2026-03-17 08:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Athens)
Families in the age of Artificial Intelligence:
Rights, inclusion and empowerment
European expert meeting
17th March 2026
Athens, Greece
Background
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in daily life, its impact on families is growing, shaping how they work, learn, care, communicate, and stay safe online.
Co-hosted by COFACE Families Europe and KMOP, this expert meeting will convene researchers, policymakers, tech experts and civil society to discuss the impact of Artificial intelligence on family life and inclusion, with a focus on rights, equity and empowerment in the digital age.
Using a multi-generation approach looking at children and adults, we aim to collect information from COFACE members and partners about family experiences at home, in the labour market, in schools and in the online environment, while highlighting the transformative role of AI and looking at both risks and opportunities.
The programme will aim to highlight the state of play of artificial intelligence today, while also looking towards the future and its impact on families.
Key areas to be explored during breakout sessions are the following:

Future of work: what risks and opportunities for AI-exposed workers?
Online safety and navigating AI in digital environments
Leveraging AI for inclusive care and social protection
AI for families in migration: threat or opportunity?
Financial inclusion and consumer rights in an AI world
AI in education: enhancing equity and respecting children’s right

Together, we will identify the challenges for families of today and consider the building blocks of a family-friendly digital future, one where AI serves as a tool for social inclusion, equity, and well-being for all families.
Working languages: English and Greek.

Programme of the event
The full programme can be found here.
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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.

COFACE working group on financial inclusion
2026-03-26 10:00 - 13:00 (Europe/Brussels)
Objective of the working group
The objective of this working group is to bring together COFACE members and partners working on financial inclusion, to discuss EU developments and exchange information on key national trends. We will discuss relevant EU legislation, and collect information on challenges and good practices from our Member organisations. This is an internal meeting, with some guest speakers. The working language of the meeting is English.
EU context
Two main topics will be addressed during the meeting.
The first one concerns financial literacy. The European Commission published an EU Financial Literacy Strategy on 30 September 2025 (as part of its “savings and investments union” package). The strategy responds to low financial literacy levels in the EU (with fewer than 20% of citizens reporting a high level of financial literacy) and sets out EU-level actions to support Member States, including coordination and sharing of good practices, an EU-wide awareness campaign, targeted EU funding for initiatives and research, and monitoring of progress over time.
The second one is about the use of AI in finance. At the EU level, discussions continue to focus on how the EU AI Act will be implemented in practice, especially for use-cases relevant to financial services (general-purpose AI used in workflows, and high-risk systems such as creditworthiness checks). Key recent EU-level developments include the entry into application of GPAI obligations from 2 August 2025, the publication of the GPAI Code of Practice (10 July 2025) and Commission guidelines clarifying the scope of GPAI obligations (17 October 2025). Some relevant workstreams have been launched in 2025 such as consultations on copyright/text-and-data-mining opt-out protocols (open 1 Dec 2025–23 Jan 2026) and on a draft implementing act for AI regulatory sandboxes (open 2 Dec 2025–13 Jan 2026). In parallel, the Commission has also signalled potential simplification amendments to the AI Act as part of its Digital Omnibus/Simplification work (19 November 2025), which may impact consumers.
Registrations
Register here to receive your personal zoom link.
Please note: this meeting is open to COFACE members only.
__________________________
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.
