Feasibility Study for a Child Guarantee: Children in alternative care

https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=8323&furtherPubs=yes

This target group discussion paper captures the situation of children in alternative care in EU countries. It shows that an effective decrease in the number of children in institutional care can only be sustained through measures including the development of family support services, the strengthening of other alternative care options such as foster care or kinship care, and the adoption of high-quality alternative care standards.

This paper was prepared in the context of the Feasibility study for a Child Guarantee.

Almost a quarter of all children in the EU are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The European Parliament and the European Commission called for a Child Guarantee to ensure that every child in Europe in a vulnerable situation has access to free healthcare, free education, free childcare, decent housing and adequate nutrition. This study assesses the feasibility, efficiency and overall benefits of a Child Guarantee scheme. It also includes concrete suggestions for improving policies and programmes at EU and national levels.

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