As part of the European Semester, the Joint Employment Report 2025 emphasises that participation in ECEC under three is improving but at a very low pace, calling for renewed efforts in line with the European Child Guarantee, the European Care Strategy and the Council Recommendation on ECEC.
COFACE and NAMS Lithunia organised a European expert meeting in Vilnius in September 2024 to explore the intersection of two domains (mental health and work-life balance), bringing together stakeholders from academia, industry, government, and civil society.
France recently introduced a new immigration bill, and in response, COFACE Member Unaf conveyed in a press release its opposition to certain measures within the legislation, emphasising the importance of a universal approach to family policy.
As of December 2023, Eurostat introduced a novel indicator titled ‘Children in formal childcare or education by age group and duration.’ This indicator aims to provide insights into the participation patterns of children aged 3 years to the minimum compulsory school age in formal childcare or education within the European Union.
Fostering early childhood education can boost women’s employment. According to an assessment conducted by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC), providing formal childcare to 40%, 50%, 60% and 65% of children under 3 would lead to remarkable increases in the labour supply of mothers.
The European Union approved the new Barcelona targets for early childhood education and care. The Gezinsbond, a COFACE member organisation, agrees with the focus now also being on accessibility and quality of care. To achieve the goals, however, there is still much to be done and the Gezinsbond will continue to monitor the process closely.
