Investing in Children Services

Improving Outcomes

Alfonso Lara Montero, Policy DirectorChildren & the Economic Crisis -European Perspectives, University of Southampton, 10 November 2014

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Investing in Children ServicesWorking towards an EC Recommendation

• Independent European network for local public social services

• 2007: Seminar analysing multidimensional nature of child poverty and programmes

• 2010: Children and Families report Breaking the cycle of deprivation

• 2011: Seminar Investing in Children: Early Years & Child Protection --up-to-date input from public services

• 2012: Position papers on the EC Recommendation and

assessment of SPC advisory reportesn-eu.org

Investing in ChildrenBreaking the cycle of disadvantage

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Labour market participation

Adequate living standards

ECEC

Education

Health

Housing

Social Services

Play, recreation, sport and

culture

Decision-making

A

C

C

E

S

SQUALITY? IMPLEMENTATION?

Investing in Children ServicesThe project

Objective

Enhance knowledge of children services & policies across 14 European countries to contribute to implementing the EU Recommendation Investing in Children

How• Questionnaire & Analysis

• Peer Reviews

• Country profiles

• Cross-country analysis

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Investing in Children ServicesPreliminary findings

Common to most countries analysed so far…

REFORM

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Preliminary findingsBulgaria

Vision for DI of children services; specific target:Closing the 137 institutions that existed in Dec 2009 by 2025

How?

• Working with families• Developing alternative services• Promoting foster care• New financing directed to services

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Preliminary findingsBulgaria

Annual Monitoring Reports

• Appeal for holistic approach: legislation to be “improved in other key areas related to child well-being such as health, education, justice, social welfare and family policy”

• Rapid multiplication of family and childcare services, but are they fit for purpose?

• Consolidation of existing services accompanied by more work in the field of prevention

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Preliminary findingsIreland

• Economic downturn & budgetary constraints

• Key changes: • Department for Children established• Referendum to strengthen children’s rights• National Agency for Children and Families established• National infrastructure of local Children’s Services Committees

(Local Authority areas) in development

• Reinforcement of services provision but clear monitoring and evaluation still to be achieved

• Establishment of a monitoring and evaluation infrastructure provided through the new Child and Family Agency

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Preliminary findingsSpain

Child poverty measured as income poverty within families

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Preliminary findingsSpain

• I Plan for Childhood & Adolescence developed in 2006-2009; Improvement in child benefits and services, but limited and disparate across regions

• Regions responsible for labour and social services policies • Most analyses emphasise crisis’ impact on labour market for

households with children• 2013: Territorial Council of Social Services approved “Social services

reference catalogue” with family support tools tailored by regions• Urgent actions:

Social inclusion of at-risk children combining academic support, support with meals and books, compensation programmesBetter coordination between GPs, schools & social services to identify children at risk

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Preliminary findingsA regional case: Catalonia

Social investment directed to guaranteeing essential services

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2010 budget

2013 prorogation

2014 budget

Education 5.222,4 4.139,4 4.147,4

Health 9.684,4 8.202,8 8.216,2

Social Welfare and Family 1.930,2 1.628,0 1.630,5

Minimum Income Schemes 99,5 100,0 173,0

Housing benefits for Families 58,7 58,1 65,6

Total social expenditure 16.995,3 14.128,3 14.232,7

Total Ministries and cross-cutting funds 25.486,3 20.254,7 20.295,5

% Social expenditure / total Ministries 67,8% 70,9% 71,1%

Preliminary findingsA regional case: Catalonia

Policies • Monitoring Committees• Children’s Boards (Regional and local)• Council for Children and

Young People

Services• Increase free school

meals• Increase emergency

social assistance• Fuel poverty• Rent support• Young people leaving

care• Professionalisation of

fostering esn-eu.org

Investing in Children ServicesPreliminary conclusions

• Economic crisis impact

• New ways of delivering services

• Reinforcing coordination policies• Incipient systematic and evidence-based

approaches

• Emerging greater focus on outcomes

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