On Germany's celebration of the World Children's Day (20th of September),  our MEP Helmut Geuking- a member of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee- will host a discussion and examination of the European Child Guarantee. Mr. Geuking is also co-chair of the Intergroup on the Demographic Challenges, Family-Work Balance and Youth Transitions.

In 2019, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the launch of a European Child Guarantee, an initiative which aims to ensure that every child in Europe at risk of poverty or social exclusion has access to the most basic of rights like healthcare and education.

The objective of the European Child Guarantee is to prevent and combat social exclusion by guaranteeing effective access of children in need to a set of key services:

- free early childhood education and care

- free education (including school-based activities and at least one healthy meal each school day)

- free healthcare

- healthy nutrition

- adequate housing

Phase I of the program assessed the efficiency and benefits and made suggestions. The next step was a detailed study exploring the economic costs and impact. Finally, for Phase III, the Commission partnered with UNICEF in order to test how the European Child Guarantee would work in real life.

We wish to evaluate whether the goals of the program are being met, the challenges at national level, and to explore suggestions for better results.

Before the conference, participants are invited to attend a religious service (mass) focused on children starting at 14:00, in the Meditation Room of the European Parliament. The event is free and open to the public. Please register at the link below, before 15 September.

Event date and location: 20 September 2023, European Parliament Brussels, Room 5 E3, 15hrs00- 17hrs00.

Host:

MEP Helmut Geuking

Speakers:

Chiara Piccolo- Managing Director, Alliance for Childhood

Rev. Dr. Joebarth Abba

Rev. Hans Schmeinck

Maarten van de Fliert- ECPM General Director