COFACE Families Europe

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
See full programme 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 10.00-13.00 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.

Registrations
This meeting is open to COFACE members only – register here.
For further information about the programme, contact Attila Bőhm abohm@coface-eu.org

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.

Save the date! Programme coming soon.
