Support for the implementation of the European Child Guarantee in Greece

The Commission aims to support the Greek Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family as well as the national Center for Social Solidarity (EKKA), appointed as National Coordinator for the Child Guarantee, to implement the National Action Plan on the European Child Guarantee more effectively, with a view to establishing a sustainable system for monitoring the situation of children in need, governed by a robust mechanism with clear accountabilities, with a view to informing relevant policy and planning, including on particular topics, such as childhood obesity, where children in need seem to be mostly affected.

This project is funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument and implemented by UNICEF, in cooperation with the European Commission.

Context 

In 2019, almost 18 million children in the EU lived in households at risk of poverty or social exclusion, leading to an intergenerational cycle of disadvantage, with profound and long-term effects on children. To address the issue, the Council adopted in June 2021 a Recommendation establishing the European Child Guarantee aiming to combat child poverty and social exclusion by ensuring equal access of ‘children in need’ to a set of key services. Greece, which was among the four EU countries in 2020 recording the highest rate of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion, has now developed a Child Guarantee National Action Plan with specific measures to ensure that ‘children in need’ will have access to healthcare, education, childcare, decent housing and adequate nutrition. With the aim to achieving full and effective implementation of the plan, Greece requested technical support to address its main challenges, namely with regards to the monitoring, evaluation and governance of the plan and with promoting healthy nutrition for vulnerable children.

Support delivered   

The project will provide the Ministry and EKKA with direct support and international expertise to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for child-related policies and outcomes, including technical specifications for the creation of a registry for children in need. It will also provide capacity building to key stakeholders involved in the monitoring of the implementation of the Child Guarantee National Action Plan. Additionally, the project will support – with inter alia facilitation of stakeholder dialogue and consultation, as well as child participation  - the adoption of a consolidated governance operating model for the implementation of the plan, with a clear set of duties, referral pathways and statutory collaboration protocols for all stakeholders involved. Finally, the project will generate evidence on the prevalence and eating habits of children living in poverty and social exclusion in order to propose an actionable policy framework to address causes and consequences of the obesogenic environment, particularly for vulnerable children.

Expected results 

The technical support is expected to help the Greek authorities implement the National Action Plan on the European Child Guarantee in a more efficient, data-driven, way and to take targeted action on fighting obesity and promote healthy nutrition among groups of children in need. The project will thus indirectly contribute to the efficient allocation of European funds, responding to the requirement to mobilize at least 5% of ESF+ resources to tackle child poverty.

In the longer term, the project is expected to ensure that all children at risk of poverty and social exclusion are adequately identified and that they all have access to healthcare, education, decent housing and adequate nutrition.

Useful link

Technical Support Instrument | UNICEF Europe and Central Asia