A growing recognition of the challenges faced by care systems in the EU is leading to promising steps towards stronger support for family carers. COFACE is deeply engaged in shaping this agenda, advocating for comprehensive policies as outlined in its revised European Charter for Family Carers.
On 13 September 2024, Unapei’s Europe Commission held a pivotal seminar in Paris, bringing together members of the Unapei network and their European partners, including COFACE Families Europe. Unapei’s Europe Commission is dedicated to addressing EU political developments related to the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities and their families, with a focus on positively influencing these issues.
In September 2024, The European Child Sexual Abuse Legislation Advocacy Group of which COFACE is member, organised a breakfast in Strasbourg to welcome newly elected MEPs and encourage them to use their position to fight the ongoing Child Sexual Abuse Crisis affecting millions of children across Europe.
On 6-9th June 2024, Europeans voted to renew the European Parliament and new Members of European Parliament (MEP) will convene for the first time in Plenary mid-July in Strasbourg, France. While the European People’s Party (EPP), European Conservatives (ECR) and Identify and Democracy Group (ID) have seen an increase in seats, the Greens and Renew Europe have had significant losses. The Socialists have maintained around the same number of seats. The biggest increase has been for the non-aligned MEPs which are a heterogenous group, yet with most of them coming from the far right.
On 14 and 15 April, COFACE Families Europe participated in the Social Summit on the Future of Social Europe that took place in the small Belgian village of La Hulpe. The purpose of the high-level conference was to sign an inter-institutional declaration, with the ultimate goal of shaping the future social agenda of the European Union for period of 2024-2029.
Families with young children have complex necessities in the period before the start of compulsory schooling. Often, these needs cannot be reduced to educational, healthcare or caregiving demands alone.This comparative report aims to investigate possible responses to multisectoral needs of households by providing an overview of the current alignment and coordination between complementary services and policy areas in four European countries (Finland, Germany, Italy, and Poland) and the Belgian region of Flanders.
