The EU Alliance for Investing in Children is a new form of cooperation bringing together over 20 European Networks.
The EU Alliance has been advocating for the full implementation of the European Commission Recommendation ‘Investing in Children – Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage’ since its adoption in 2013. In 2020 this gained new momentum with the promise of a European Child Guarantee.
Mission
Our mission is to promote child-centred, quality and comprehensive policies to tackle child poverty and promote child well-being, by providing expert support in the development of EU and national policies, legislation and funding programmes, in line with the European Commission Recommendation ‘Investing in Children – Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage’ and all horizontal principles included therein. We are united by our commitment to a multidimensional, rights-based approach to tackling child poverty and promoting child well-being. We believe the EC Recommendation offers a valuable framework for policy development at national and subnational level, but that its impact depends on political will, resources and effective decision-making.
Objectives
The Alliance has been established in to:
- Fight child poverty and promote child well-being in Europe
- Promote effective implementation of the European Commission Recommendation Investing in Children – Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage
- Carry out advocacy activities at EU and National levels
- Make the most of opportunities offered through EU policies, processes and funding to reach these goals.
Our objectives at European level are:
- To secure and retain political will to end child poverty and promote child well-being in Europe
- To trigger and support reform in policy and practice based on a knowledge exchange to identify what works best for children and their families
- To strengthen meaningful engagement of relevant stakeholders in decision-making on public policy and resource allocation for children and build their advocacy capacity
Our objectives at national level are:
- To carry out advocacy and ensure dissemination of Recommendation to promote reform
- To use opportunities from the EU (Europe 2020; European Semester, Structural Funds) to promote investment in children
- To organise a high level event with national politicians and policy-makers
- To carry out consultations and participatory activities with children and young people
- Capacity building for National Alliances
Flyer of the EU Alliance for Investing in Children
How we work
We are active at 2 levels:
- EU Alliance, made up of European Networks and Organisations, representing a broad spectrum of stakeholders:
→ Organisations working on children’s rights and well-being
→ Organisations working on poverty and social exclusion
→ Organisations representing public authorities
→ Organisations representing social service providers
→ Find more at: Partners
2. Pilot National Alliances in Spain and the UK
→ Coordinated by the Spanish National Committee for UNICEF and Children in Wales respectively.
→ Find out more at: National Pilots
Alliance’s Advocacy Toolkit:
The EU Alliance for Investing in Children prepared a Toolkit to support the advocacy work of networks and organisations on tackling and preventing child poverty and promoting child well-being at national and sub-national level. Alliance’s aim is to capitalise fully on opportunities coming from European Union level, through direct advocacy actions on child poverty and child well-being supporting national level implementation. Download the toolkit in English or French.
Contact:
- Katerina Nanou, Katerina.nanou@savethechildren.org Senior Advocacy Advisor, Child Poverty and Children in Alterative Care, Save the Children
- Enrico Tormen, enrico.tormen@eurochild.org, EU Affairs Officer, Eurochild
