Brussels, 13 June
The Child Guarantee was established by a Council of the EU Recommendation (14 June 2021), with the aim of reducing child poverty by providing free early childhood education and care, free education, free healthcare, at least one free healthy meal each school day, and by ensuring access to healthy nutrition and to healthy housing.
More than one in five children in the European Union live in households at risk of poverty or social exclusion, representing more than 18 million children across the EU. In his keynote address, the Special Rapporteur emphasized the need to avoid the new budgetary rules adopted by the EU leading to backtrack from earlier commitments stipulated in the national action plans adopted by Member States. He also discussed the vicious cycles perpetuating poverty, the relationship between poverty and mental health, as well as the need to address the non-take-up of rights and discrimination on grounds of poverty, as specific challenges facing the implementation of the Child Guarantee.
European Commission News: European Child Guarantee: giving equal opportunities to children in need