Study on the economic implementing framework of a possible EU Child guarantee scheme including its financial foundation

Phase 1 of the Feasibility Study has already provided a comprehensive overview of the situation in each Member State in relation to children (i.e. children living in precarious family situations, children residing in institutions, children with a migrant background (including refugee children) and children with disabilities). It has shown the extent to which children experiencing disadvantage in each country have access to the five key policy areas identified by the European Parliament and provided an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of existing EU and national (and where appropriate regional/local) policies. It is in the process of finalising concrete proposals to strengthen policies and programmes and their effective delivery in each policy area to benefit the key groups of disadvantaged children and testing these at four fact-finding workshops. In doing so, it is identifying which policies and programmes are most important/urgent to develop and so should be prioritised in implementing a Child Guarantee. It is also developing suggestions on concrete ways in which EU Funds might best assist in supporting the development of more effective policies.
This second phase will investigate and propose ways in which the findings of the first phase could be best extrapolated to the group of children at risk of poverty in the EU. It will prepare a detailed study exploring what could be the most cost-effective strategy for the competent authorities to realise in practice such a Child Guarantee for all children at risk of poverty in the EU. This study, which is complementary to the first phase, will provide a thorough economic and financial analysis of the design, feasibility, governance and implementation options of a possible future Child Guarantee Scheme in all EU Member States. It will make full use of the evidence gathered in the first phase.
In so doing, it will recognise, however, that restricted access to education, healthcare, decent housing, nutritious food and childcare is by no means confined to children at risk of poverty or social exclusion and that ensuring such access alone, irrespective of how it is achieved, will not remove all the children concerned from this risk. Nevertheless, targeting this group is a good start to implementing a Child Guarantee.