Caritas Europa: No child
should be left behind
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| Universal Children's Day, Caritas Europa highlights child poverty.- ANSA |
"No child should be left behind". That is the call
being made by Caritas Europa on Universal Children’s Day, which is marked on 20
November.
By Lydia O'Kane
In 2018, 23.5 per cent of the population is poor or at risk
of poverty in the European Union; that is around 118 million people, but
perhaps even more startling is the fact that 27% of children are going without
in Europe today.
On this Universal Children’s Day, Caritas Europa is making a
clarion call to European leaders telling them that, “no child should be left
behind”.
Education and lack of opportunities
According to Caritas Europa’s Policy and Advocacy
Officer, Peter Verhaeghe, poverty affects a child in many different
ways. ”On the one hand we see that children of parents or families with for
example, low income or at risk of poverty have less opportunities, well in the
first place, access to education or decent education…There is also research
which shows that the parents’ education level has an impact on the risk of
poverty of their children, he says.”
In 2008 the economic and financial crisis swept across
Europe leaving poverty and unemployment in its wake. Austerity measures put in
place at the time also made it difficult for nations to look after their
citizens adequately.
The family and Europe
Caritas Europa says, “the EU must show its added value in
the fight against child and family poverty by investing in children” and is
urging the “European Parliament and the Council to ensure continuity in the
funding of child and family-related initiatives by quickly agreeing on the next
Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).” Peter Verhaeghe comments that Caritas
is calling on the EU “to ratify the European Social Charter” which is the
social constitution of Europe. He says, that if that was done, it would also be
a “step forward to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.”
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