Access to European Union law
<a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/content/help/eurlex-content/experimental-features.html" target="_blank">More about the experimental features corner</a>
Choose the experimental features you want to try
EUR-Lex
Access to European Union law

This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website

You are here
Use quotation marks to search for an "exact phrase". Append an asterisk (*) to a search term to find variations of it (transp*, 32019R*). Use a question mark (?) instead of a single character in your search term to find variations of it (ca?e finds case, cane, care).
Search tips
Need more search options? Use the Advanced search

Document 52026AR0189

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Child Wellbeing and Child Benefits – mapping child benefit systems across EU Member States

COR 2026/00189

OJ C, C/2026/2604, 20.5.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/2604/oj (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, GA, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/2604/oj

European flag

Official Journal
of the European Union

EN

C series

C/2026/2604

20.5.2026

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Child Wellbeing and Child Benefits – mapping child benefit systems across EU Member States

(C/2026/2604)

Rapporteur

:

Fauzaya TALHAOUI, President of the Council of the Province of Antwerp

Reference document

:

Letter from the Deputy Minister of European Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Marilena Raouna 29/10/2025 – Official Adonis ref 2025/3330

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (COR)

I.   INTRODUCTIONARY REMARKS

1.

 points out that promoting child wellbeing and eradicating child poverty are fundamental objectives of the European Union, firmly anchored in Article 3(3) TEU, Article 24 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child;

2.

 welcomes the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union’s strong commitment to children’s rights and child wellbeing, in particular its focus on combating child poverty and advancing the European Child Guarantee;

3.

 supports the Cyprus Presidency’s priorities to tackle child poverty, improve access to affordable and high-quality early childhood education and care, enhance children’s digital wellbeing and online safety, and strengthen protection from violence, abuse and exploitation, both online and offline;

4.

 notes with concern that, despite significant efforts, child poverty in the EU remains widespread and in some cases is worsening: nearly one in four children – 19,5 million in 2024 – are at risk of poverty or social exclusion;

5.

 underlines that children represent nearly one fifth of the EU population and, as citizens in their own right, remain among the groups most exposed to poverty and social exclusion through circumstances beyond their control, while lacking the autonomy to overcome poverty and exclusion on their own; stresses, in this context, the importance of ensuring that children and adolescents are involved in the development and decision-making process of policies that affect them;

6.

 reaffirms the social investment paradigm, recalling that inequalities in life chances are largely shaped in early childhood, including in the family environment the child is born into and grows up in, and are transmitted across generations; acknowledges that families are the cornerstone of society and the primary environment in which children develop, feel protected and receive emotional support; emphasises the need to invest in families through stable and predictable support policies; underlines, in this context, the central role of schools in promoting equal opportunities through education; stresses that child wellbeing policies must be understood as long-term social investments and that early investment in income security, quality services and supportive family environments, together with children’s involvement, is essential to breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and inequality and supporting more equal starting conditions;

7.

 highlights that the European Pillar of Social Rights, the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child and the European Child Guarantee together provide a comprehensive legal and operational framework to ensure children’s access to education, healthcare, nutrition, housing and early childhood services, supported by ESF+ funding and coordination mechanisms;

8.

 believes that promoting child wellbeing has a significant social return in terms of boosting human capital, promoting equal opportunities and building a more sustainable welfare model based on more inclusive and fairer economic growth;

9.

 stresses the importance of complementary EU initiatives, including measures to protect children from violence, trafficking and abuse – including in digital environments – as well as the European Care Strategy and recent EU action to improve access to adequate and affordable housing, including efforts to combat homelessness;

10.

 calls for a preventive approach that focuses on the promotion of wellbeing, the prevention of risks and early intervention, recognising that effective support for parenting and child development depends on coordinated public policies and a shared collective responsibility across society and public authorities;

11.

 calls on the European Commission to allocate at least EUR 20 billion in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to support the implementation of the European Child Guarantee, with a specific focus on capacity-building for local and regional authorities; stresses that progress on the Child Guarantee must not be undermined by reallocations affecting other EU programmes and invites the Cyprus Presidency to support this objective;

12.

 calls for a strong, clearly identifiable and well-funded European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) as the Union’s primary instrument for investing in people, social inclusion and the fight against poverty; underlines that a distinct and recognisable ESF+ within cohesion policy is essential to safeguard social and territorial cohesion, ensure shared management and enable place-based social investment by local and regional authorities in the next MFF;

13.

 notes that, despite some progress, child poverty rates remain persistently high and uneven across the Union; calls on the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Cyprus Presidency to acknowledge that the EPSR target of lifting 5 million children out of poverty by 2030 is not on track, underlining the need for renewed and strengthened efforts;

14.

 stresses that EU-level objectives are only credible when matched with clear and realistic investment commitments reflecting needs on the ground;

15.

 reiterates messages from previous CoR opinions on child wellbeing, emphasising the need to move from alleviating child poverty towards eradicating it through adequate resources, integrated approaches and strong multilevel governance that empowers local and regional authorities, strengthens children’s participation and improves children’s quality of life; underlines, in this context, the importance of prioritising preventive approaches over corrective responses in order to achieve a lasting reduction in child poverty and its effects in the long term through efficient resource use, integrated policies and strong multilevel governance based on responsibility, cooperation between local and regional authorities and an understanding of local circumstances;

II.   CHILD POVERTY AS A MULTIDIMENSIONAL AND TERRITORIAL CHALLENGE

16.

 urges recognition of child poverty as a multidimensional phenomenon that requires a broader set of policy responses beyond income-based measures alone, and is closely linked to housing conditions, access to early childhood education and care, health inequalities – due to gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation (especially in adolescents), disability, migration status and/or economic situation – food insecurity, digital exclusion and barriers to participation in social and community life; stresses that it is essential that the strategy for reducing child poverty focus on families, as children live in a family microsystem on which their wellbeing primarily depends; further stresses that all policies concerning child wellbeing and child benefits should be developed, implemented and assessed through the lens of children’s rights, protecting their best interests as a matter of priority and recognising children and adolescents as active citizens with rights;

17.

 underlines that child poverty is unevenly distributed across and within Member States, regions and local communities; urban neighbourhoods facing deprivation, rural, remote and island areas, depopulating regions and territories exposed to economic shocks are particularly affected;

18.

 points out that local and regional authorities are often the first to detect emerging forms of child poverty and are key partners for children and families; stresses that they should be systematically involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of child-related measures, including National Child Guarantee Action Plans and the upcoming first ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy;

19.

 emphasises that child poverty is shaped by both family circumstances and the wider community context; stresses, therefore, the importance of comprehensive support to families, particularly those facing multiple vulnerabilities, to ensure the effective realisation of children’s rights and social cohesion at local and regional level; therefore recognises the fundamental role of families as the primary environment for the protection, care and development of children, and stresses the need for public policies that provide support for raising children based on prevention, shared responsibility and cohesion;

III.   THE ROLE OF CHILD BENEFIT SYSTEMS IN PROMOTING CHILD WELLBEING

20.

 recognises child benefit systems as a cornerstone of social protection for families, playing a key role in reducing income poverty, stabilising household income and supporting child development;

21.

 calls on Member States, with the support of the European Commission, to ensure universal child benefit systems that provide adequate, stable and predictable income support, are compatible with other income-support schemes and reflect real living costs;

22.

 emphasises the importance of combining universal child benefits with targeted supplementary support for children in vulnerable situations, including those in single-parent households, children with disabilities, children in large families, Roma children, children from ethnic minorities, particularly Roma with a migrant or refugee background, children experiencing housing insecurity and children in care, while addressing structural discrimination and intersectional barriers that limit equal access to benefits and services, in order to ensure that all children can effectively exercise their rights and benefit from equal opportunities;

23.

 highlights the strong link between child poverty and parents’ labour-market participation, particularly for women and single parents; stresses the importance of quality employment, work-life balance policies, accessible early childhood education and care, and non-formal education as preventive tools against child poverty;

24.

 calls on the Member States to ensure that all social protection benefits, beyond those specific to children and families, take proper account of the presence of children in households and to strengthen these benefits’ protective impact on families with children;

IV.   THE EUROPEAN CHILD GUARANTEE AND THE MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE

25.

 underlines that child benefits alone cannot eradicate child poverty and must be embedded in a holistic policy framework that ensures effective access to essential services in line with the European Child Guarantee;

26.

 stresses the need for stronger coordination between income support and service provision, so that child benefits act as enablers of access to services rather than substitutes for public provision;

27.

 reaffirms the key role of equal and affordable access to quality early childhood education and care in promoting social inclusion, reducing inequalities and tackling educational poverty from the earliest age; highlights the importance of the first 1 000 days of life for healthy child wellbeing and development, while stressing that continued access to high-quality early childhood education and care throughout early childhood is essential for cognitive development, well-being, educational outcomes and the future active participation of children in society; underlines that early childhood represents a critical stage for development and that public policies should ensure an appropriate combination of income support, accessible early childhood education and care services and family support measures from pregnancy onwards, in order to prevent inequalities and break intergenerational cycles of poverty and exclusion;

28.

 draws attention to the growing vulnerability of adolescents, and calls for integrated local approaches combining education, mental health, youth services, sport and career guidance;

29.

 stresses that preventing early school drop-out is one of the most effective tools for improving the life prospects of children and young people, and stresses that prolonged disengagement from the education system significantly increases the risk of social exclusion, long-term unemployment and high-risk behaviours; encourages local and regional authorities to develop tailored responses to local situations, based on cooperation between educational institutions, social services, employment services and youth organisations;

30.

 reiterates the central role of the European Child Guarantee and calls for its strengthened implementation through improved multilevel governance, territorial monitoring and closer cooperation between EU institutions, Member States, and local and regional authorities;

31.

 calls on Member States to ensure the systematic involvement of local and regional authorities in all stages of Child Guarantee National Action Plans, in line with the principles of subsidiarity and multilevel governance, and to promote child participation, especially through councils or similar participatory bodies;

32.

 encourages the continuation of the implementation of integrated local Child Guarantee Action Plans, fostering cross-sectoral cooperation between social, health, education, housing and employment services, in partnership with civil society and third sector organisations, and, where appropriate, with other relevant stakeholders, while ensuring that public authorities retain primary responsibility for the provision and coordination of services;

V.   ACCESSIBILITY, MONITORING AND FUNDING

33.

 draws attention to persistent barriers to accessing child benefits and services, including administrative complexity, lack of information, language barriers and stigma, which particularly affect the most vulnerable families;

34.

 calls for the promotion of stable mechanisms that enable children and adolescents to participate in designing, implementing and evaluating welfare policies and child benefits, in line with their age, level of maturity and varied backgrounds;

35.

 stresses the need for robust and comparable monitoring frameworks to assess the effectiveness and uptake of child benefit systems and the Child Guarantee, involving local and regional authorities and using indicators that go beyond income poverty to capture material deprivation, access to services and child wellbeing outcomes;

36.

 stresses the need to strengthen multilevel governance and local intervention, equipping local and regional authorities with stable resources, sufficient technical capabilities and the scope to make local adjustments so as to ensure effective access to benefits and services;

37.

 encourages the use of existing EU platforms for local and regional authorities, including the Urban Agenda for the EU, URBACT and the Rural Pact, to support exchange of good practices and partnerships on Child Guarantee implementation;

38.

 is committed to innovation and impact assessment;

VI.   EU CHILD GUARANTEE COORDINATOR AND CHILD MARKER

39.

 calls on the European Commission, in close cooperation with the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions, to strengthen the governance of the European Child Guarantee by assigning a dedicated coordination mandate at political level to a Commissioner or Executive Vice-President, with clear responsibility for overseeing its implementation and ensuring cross-sectoral coordination across relevant policy areas. Calls furthermore for the establishment of, a dedicated interinstitutional coordination mechanism bringing together the Commission, the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the Council Presidency, with the aim of ensuring strong political leadership, improving coordination across levels of governance, and supporting the consistent implementation and scaling up of effective place-based solutions for children across the Union;

40.

 calls on the European Commission to introduce a ‘child marker’ in EU and national budgets in order to improve transparency, tracking and monitoring of expenditure related to children and strengthen accountability for public commitments to child wellbeing; emphasises that such a mechanism should build on the comprehensive monitoring work carried out by the Social Protection Committee and its Indicators’ Sub-Group in the context of updating the European Child Guarantee framework, ensure coherence with the Social Convergence Framework under the European Semester, and reinforce the territorial dimension of reporting, so that monitoring and accountability mechanisms effectively reach regional and local levels, where services for children are delivered and where public investment has the greatest impact;

41.

 points out that social resilience and security should be seen as mutually reinforcing priorities and that children are often those most affected by economic, health, climate-related and geopolitical crises;

42.

 draws attention to the demographic challenges facing many European regions and underlines that Europe’s long-term social and economic sustainability is closely linked to the wellbeing, rights and living conditions of children and families; stresses that young people’s confidence in the future and their ability to make life choices, including family formation, depend on access to quality public services, affordable housing, quality employment and inclusive social environments; emphasises that strengthening child wellbeing and family support policies constitutes a key element of the social investment approach, contributing to social cohesion, equal opportunities and sustainable territorial development;

43.

 calls for child wellbeing and social investment to become integral components of Europe’s preparedness and resilience agenda, supported by reliable, disaggregated data and targeted capacity-building for local and regional authorities;

44.

 stresses that well-designed and predictable child benefit systems can contribute to social and economic stability in times of crisis, and encourages the Member States to take this stabilising role into account when assessing and adapting their family support systems in line with their budgetary capacities;

45.

 calls on the European Commission to ensure that the forthcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy places children at its core by establishing the European Child Guarantee as one of its central pillars, setting clear and measurable targets for the reduction of child poverty, and ensuring coordinated action across relevant policy areas. Further calls for a dedicated allocation of European Social Fund Plus resources to combat child poverty and social exclusion, thereby anchoring the Child Guarantee as a strategic priority within the next Multiannual Financial Framework and strengthening multilevel governance through the full involvement of local and regional authorities in the design, implementation and monitoring of related measures;

46.

 calls on the European Commission to embed a comprehensive child-rights approach within the European Semester by systematically assessing the implementation of the European Child Guarantee – including national action plans, the adequacy of funding and targeted outcomes – and by integrating these elements, in line with the Social Convergence Framework, into the Country-Specific Recommendations addressed to Member States. Further calls for the five-year review foreseen in Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004 (1) establishing the European Child Guarantee to be carried out in 2026 by the Social Protection Committee, with a view to providing a comprehensive assessment of Member States’ progress, territorial disparities and implementation gaps, and to ensuring structured follow-up, transparency and accountability within the Semester’s monitoring and reporting framework.

Brussels, 5 March 2026.

The President

of the European Committee of the Regions

Kata TÜTTŐ

(1)  Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004 of 14 June 2021 establishing a European Child Guarantee (OJ L 223, 22.6.2021, p. 14).

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/2604/oj

ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)

Top