Protecting children and their families during and after the COVID19 crisis

The COVID19 pandemic is exacerbating already existing inequalities – a key determinant of children’s wellbeing and mental health. The foreseen impacts of the pandemic will bring severe socio-economic challenges to children and their families across the EU.

The EU Alliance for Investing in Children, of which Mental Health Europe is a member, has released a statement asking the European Commission and EU Member States to prioritise children and families in their COVID19 response.

Measures to support children and families in the short term

The EU Alliance for Investing in Children strongly recommends the European Commission and EU Member States to provide emergency support to children and families in vulnerable situations by:

1. Giving children, in particular all children from disadvantaged families and backgrounds particular attention in the design of immediate response measures to the COVID19 crisis.
2. Directing national budgets and unspent EU financial resources from the 2014-2020 EU funding period to support children and families in vulnerable situations

Measures to support children and families’ wellbeing in the long term

The EU Alliance for Investing in Children calls on the EU institutions to adopt measures that will support children and their families in the years to come. 

1. Adopt a comprehensive, social and sustainable Europe 2030 Strategy that will set a target to halve poverty and child poverty by 2030. 
2. Adopt a Council Recommendation on the Child Guarantee that has an integrated approach and includes access to financial resources, children’s access to services, and their participation. 

The EU Alliance for Investing in Children strongly recommends to: 

✓ the European Commission to update its proposal for ESF+ with a substantial increase of resources, in line with the European Parliament’s proposal, including an earmarking of 5% for the establishment of a European Child Guarantee 

✓ EU Member States to agree on an increase of the resources proposed for the ESF+, in line with the European Parliament’s proposal, including dedicated funding for the implementation of the Child Guarantee Council Recommendation.