Earlier this week,  the EU Alliance for investing in children -of which Eurodiaconia is part of-  launched a joint Call for Action to European Union Member States for an Investing in Children Council Recommendation. In 2019, 1 in 4 children in the European Union are still being failed, despite the EU being one of the most prosperous regions in the world.

Child poverty and social exclusion can have lifelong effects on children’s lives, leading to poverty in adulthood. Children who grow up in poverty often have fewer opportunities than their peers to access quality education starting from early childhood education until higher education and are more likely to experience social exclusion and health problems in the future.

Breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty can only happen through an integrated policy approach and by tackling the structural barriers which create social inequalities that persist across Europe. The prioritisation of child poverty is decisive at EU level not only as a means of protecting vulnerable children today but also an investment for tomorrow’s Europe as we break the cycle of poverty and increase the social return on investment for society. In particular, measures tackling over-indebtedness are fundamental to overcome the issue of dysfunctional social security systems and to safeguard human dignity.

Against this context, Eurodiaconia is pleased to invite you to the Extreme Destitution Network Meeting in Utrecht (NL) on 25-26 November 2019, hosted by our member Kerk in Actie. This year’s meeting will focus on over-indebtedness, social justice (the issue of fair debt managing measures and practices) and poverty.

To read the Call for Action to European Union Member States for an Investing in Children Council Recommendation please visit the Alliance’s website.

To know more about our upcoming Network Meeting, please read the invitation and draft agenda.