11. Childcare and support to children

The EU Rules & Initiatives

EU and children:

Children have the right to affordable early childhood education and care of good quality.
Children have the right to protection from poverty
Children from disadvantaged backgrounds have the right to specific measures to enhance equal opportunities

In 2021, the European Commission presented the new EU Global Strategy on the Rights of the Child and the European Guarantee for the Child. These are two important policy initiatives to better protect all children, help them realize their rights and put them at the heart of EU policy making.

1. EU strategy on the rights of the child

The strategy brings together all new and existing EU legislative, policy and funding instruments on the rights of the child within 1 comprehensive framework.
This strategy builds on previous European Commission communications and existing EU legislation and policy, such as the EU agenda for the rights of the child.
It contributes to achieving the aims of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
The strategy is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and contributes to achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals.
It proposes a series of targeted actions across 6 thematic priority areas:
- participation in political and democratic life;
- socio-economic inclusion, health and education;
- combating violence against children and ensuring child protection;
- child-friendly justice;
- digital and information society;
- global dimension — supporting, protecting and empowering children globally, including during crisis and conflict.
To support these actions, children’s rights are mainstreamed across all relevant EU policies.
Funding for these actions is provided through a number of sources including the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the European Regional Development Fund ).

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2. EU Recommendation on European child guarantee

The European child guarantee complements the strategy on the rights of the child, and in particular the socio-economic, health and education theme.
It puts into practice principle 11 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, on childcare and support for children.
It applies to children under 18 at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
It sets out a number of core recommendations for EU Member States including:
- providing effective and free access to high quality early childhood education and care, education and school-based activities, at least 1 healthy meal on each school day and healthcare;
- providing effective access to healthy nutrition and adequate housing;
- breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and disadvantage, while making the best interest of the child a primary consideration;
- building a policy framework to identify and address financial and non-financial barriers to participation in early childhood education and care, education and school-based activities, especially for those groups of children experiencing specific disadvantages;
- nominating a Child Guarantee Coordinator to monitor and coordinate implementation;
- submitting national action plans for the period up to 2030 within 9 months of adopting the recommendation.
Member States can draw on EU funding to support their actions, in particular from the ESF+ and NextGenerationEU.