Conference: 30 November – 2 December

Child Poverty in Europe:

European children’s experts meet in Cardiff

Young people from across Europe also participate and have chance to share their views and experiences with each other and with professionals

Children’s experts, representatives from European Institutions and young people from across Europe will be meeting in Cardiff at the end of the month to discuss tackling child poverty.  Delegates will come together at a conference organised by the European organisation Eurochild to discuss different ways that supporting families can help to tackle the problems of child poverty.

Catriona Williams, Chief Executive of Children in Wales explained:  "This conference is being held at a time when families right across Europe are suffering the impact of the economic problems.  Unemployment is increasing within the EU and many countries are introducing austerity measures.  This means that more and more families are finding themselves struggling, and more children are being brought up in poverty.

Across Europe the highest percentage of unemployed people are the young (between 16 and 25 years) creating poverty of aspiration.  This conference is a wonderful opportunity for those who work with children across the European Union to come together and exchange ideas about how to support families in these circumstances."

A Young People’s conference will be running in parallel with the main event.   This will provide opportunity for young people from different European countries to come together to discuss their concerns and experiences of child poverty and feed these into the adult conference.  It will include young people from Wales as well as those from Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia.

Notes

1.    The conference "Tackling Child Poverty through Supporting and Strengthening Families"  is being organised by Eurochild in association with Children in Wales.  It will take place at the Mercure, Holland House Hotel, Cardiff between 30th November - 2nd December 2011. 

Speakers at the conference include:

•     Rt. Hon Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister, Welsh Government

•     Radoslaw  Mleczko, Undersecretary of State, Polish Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (EU Presidency 2011)

•     Elodie Fazi, European Commission, Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

•     Maria Huerta, OECD - Doing Better for Families

•     Regina Jensdottir, Council of Europe, Head of the Children's Rights Policies Division – Follow-up to the Recommendation on Positive Parenting

•     Tijne Berg, NJI & Eurochild – The role of local authorities in parenting support in a time of crisis

•     Cllr Doreen Huddart, Committee of the Regions

A full programme can be accessed on Eurochild’s website: http://www.eurochild.org

The Young Person’s Conference will be held between 27th November and 2nd December.

2    Eurochild is a network of organisations and individuals working in and across Europe to improve the quality of life of children and young people.  Its work is underpinned by the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Eurochild is funded by the European Commission within the PROGRESS Programme.

Eurochild run an end child poverty campaign across Europe: www.endchildpoverty.eu/  and in January 2011 Eurochild published a report "How the economic and financial crisis is affecting children & young people in Europe" 

Children in Wales is a founding member of Eurochild.

3.   Children in Wales is the national umbrella organisation for voluntary, statutory and professional organisations and individuals who work with children and young people in Wales. www.childreninwales.org.uk. Children in Wales was established in March 1992 and became a registered charity in 1993.  It aims to promote the interests of children, to improve services in Wales and to put children high on the Welsh agenda.  It works closely with our members who comprise professionals, policy makers and consumer groups to improve the lives of all children living in Wales, but especially young children, those affected by family instability, children with special needs or disabilities, and those suffering the effects of poverty and deprivation.

4.   For more information please contact:

Nell Warner or Richard Jones at Children in Wales

25 Windsor Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BZ

E-mail: nell.warner@childreninwales.org.uk

Or richard.jones@childreninwales.org.uk

Tel: 029 2034 2434