Ethnic segregation is a widespread and systematic practice in many European countries. These practices are illegal yet continue to shape the lives of children and families across Europe. Our rights to education, housing, and health, ostensibly enjoyed by us all, remain divided along ethnic lines. For many Roma, their enjoyment of these rights is severely limited, often with the tacit support of the state.
We are pleased to welcome and introduce COFACE’s newest members joining us from Northern Macedonia, Georgia, and Malta to contribute to positive outcomes for families in a changing society.
On the 4th of June, COFACE-Families Europe held a financial inclusion meeting to discuss key priorities in financial inclusion at the European level, learn about political developments and the “Reset Finance” campaign from Finance Watch, and share good practices through the work of COFACE’s Spanish member Isadora Duncan. The event gathered members and attendees from across Europe to address the pressing issues faced by families in Europe related to economics and finance.
The European Commission has released a new toolkit to help policymakers make the best use of EU funding to invest in social housing and accompanying services. This initiative addresses the urgent need for affordable and decent housing, which is crucial for social inclusion and enables greater participation in education and the labour market.
Since 2017, the City of Paris has implemented a digital inclusion strategy with numerous partners, aiming to use digital technology as a lever for social integration. In 2024, COFACE member Unaf participated in the launch of the week-long event dedicated to digital parenting titled "My Child and Screens" and brought its 20 years of field experience and expertise to the discussions
This online meeting is open to COFACE members and partners working on financial inclusion matters. It will feature speakers from the COFACE secretariat, Finance Watch and Single parents foundation Isadora Duncan (Spain).
In 2019, COFACE Families Europe mobilised voters locally through its member organisations (representing families of all types, without discrimination). These recommendations are addressed at EU-level policymakers in the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the EU, from whom we expect joint leadership to ensure tangible results for Europe’s citizens. It is on this basis that we have assessed the European Union's work from 2019 to 2024, and how it contributes to achieving eight positive outcomes for families of today.
The European Expert Group on the transition from institutional to community-based care (EEG) welcomes the initiative of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union to host the knowledge-sharing Conference “European Child Guarantee: from engagement to reality” on 2 and 3 May 2024. This Joint Statement calls for increased emphasis on prevention and early intervention, including Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) and support to parents and carers, to be monitored at national and EU level and addressed in the updated versions of NAPs.
On 15th May from 17.30-19.30 in the Schuman area of Brussels, COFACE Families Europe is inviting friends to assess the results of the last 5-year mandate of the von der Leyen Commission and highlight some key messages ahead of the European elections. On this occasion we will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of the UN International Year of Families.
