Gezinsbond vzw
Belangen van alle gezinnen in Vlaanderen en Brussel verdedigen.
ID: 368638523386-68
Lobbying Activity
Response to European Child Guarantee
6 Oct 2020
Gezinsbond calls for a vigorous poverty policy that focuses on prevention - including financial support for families - and on countering the consequences of living in poverty for families and their children. Any poverty policy must be tailored to what children need (= child standards). Preventing child poverty and strengthening families living in poverty today requires a holistic approach.
The fight against child poverty must also be a key goal for European policies. Notwithstanding Europe’s austerity measures there must always be room for investments in childcare and education facilities for children. We need a 2-generation perspective. Combating child poverty also means strengthening families, with due respect for their autonomy. Attention should be paid to parenting support and parental involvement in childcare and education. At this stage the role of parents is almost non-existent in the Child Guarantee.
Important principles for the Child Guarantee:
- EU efforts in the field of social policy are important. Gezinsbond calls for Europe to implement child standards as a leading principle in all policy fields so that children benefit from the most favorable protection and that policies are adapted and tailored to their minimal needs and to their maximal capacities ( to what children need or can handle.)
- Corona has put the digital divide back on the radar! Next to supporting and financing access of all families to cable internet (at home or via sufficient public access points) the EU's e-inclusion strategy should also invest in e-accessibility and digital skills for everyone.
- Europe must also fulfil and coordinate its commitment to children's rights financially. The European Parliament should monitor the annual budgets, the National Reform Programmes, and the country-specific recommendations under the European Semester based the percentage of European money that Europe invests in children.
- Attention needs to be paid to the participation of children in poverty in the different domains.
- Children and young people are also consumers who deserve better protection. They too are confronted daily with advertising for harmful products. Europe can play a role here by enacting stricter regulation. For example, we think of advertising for (online) gambling
- In order to improve access to services, affordability is important, but that is insufficient. There are also cultural barriers, both among families in poverty (e.g., not seeing benefits in childcare if one does not work) and among service providers (e.g., stereotyped views on the competences of migrant pupil among teachers). Attention should also be paid to the structural barriers that hamper access to services for children in poverty. For example, in the case of healthy food, industry must also play its role by making healthy choices more self-evident.
- In order to combat child poverty, it is insufficient to improve children's access to services. Raising the family income is also important. The Child Guarantee should pay attention to welfare allowances (above the at-risk-of-poverty threshold), child benefits, maintenance payments after divorce, financial support for families in various domains (e.g. study grants, social rates for energy, water, transport, internet).
- Europe can be a direct buffer against poverty and its consequences by reducing the cost of basic needs (water, electricity, internet…) through market regulation.
- Europe has another powerful weapon that has an immediate impact on the family budget for basic goods: value added tax (VAT). We ask to extend the List H for necessary children's items: children's clothing and children's shoes, baby bottles, prams and children's bikes, children's nappies (disposable and reusable) and baby care products all basic care products for personal hygiene (soap, toothpaste, shampoo, washing and washing-up products and toilet paper).
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