Why a network?
• All partner cities fight against child poverty
…and there is already a wealth of information in Europe about the extent of, causes of, and policy solutions to child poverty in most network partner cities. However, the information about policies and programmes working successfully to tackle child poverty at regional/local level in Europe’s cities is very limited.
As such, the aim of the network is not to generate more research, but rather to exchange practical experiences of the policy approaches that work most effectively to tackle child poverty at local/regional level by city authorities.
Indeed, there are knowledge gaps in all network partner cities about how child poverty can best be addressed at local/regional level. A core objective of the network will be to plug these gaps, focusing on shared goals and experiences.
• they are backed up by the European Union
...for which the fight against poverty and social exclusion is a central objective as well as by their Member States. The European Union and the European Member States are working together to halve child poverty through the Open Method of Coordination for Social Inclusion. The European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion (2010)
The Directorate Generate of Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission is responsible for the social inclusion agenda and has put in place, next to the European Social Fund, a new funding stream called PROGRESS, to support its work.
European Cities Against Child Poverty is supported by PROGRESS with a budget of almost 718,000 Euros from December 2007-09
Who is the network?
All the organisations participating in the network have been chosen either because there are providers of local services or because they are managing and/or delivering social inclusion programmes.
The network is composed of core partners, who have committed financially and who are leading on the working policy themes of the network.
…Facilitating access to employment and training for parents
led by the London partners: GLE, the lead partner of the Network as well as London Councils and the London Development Agency.
…Improving life chances for children and breaking cycles of deprivation
focus on education – led by Milano Metropoli
…Housing
the impact of homelessness and poor housing conditions on children – led by the Regional Social Welfare Resource Centre, Budapest
…Improving life chances for children and breaking cycles of deprivation
focus on health and social care – led by the City of Helsinki
…The holistic approach
How local and regional actors in different sectors can work together to tackle child poverty - led by the City of Amsterdam
Working together with the core partners, the associate partners bring in their practices and methodologies on the best ways to tackle child poverty at local level
• City of Sollentuna
• City of Solna
• City of Vasteras
• City of Uppsala
• City of Copenhagen
The network is also supported by the “European networks”, which are key expert networks working alongside the European Commission in the fight against social exclusion, such as:
• FEANTSA
• Eurochild
• European Antipoverty Network
• European Social Network
• Eurocities
How do we work?
The project promotes a practitioner-focused approach to the transnational exchange of experience and the joint development of common frameworks to address common challenges.
Partners have developed a ‘learning method’ to engage the wider community of policy makers and practitioners in each of the partner cities in this process. Key features of this method are as follows:
Questionnaires
The core partners complete questionnaires that analyse in detail how the policy themes are understood in their cities.
Case studies
The case studies take this process one step further, allowing partners to explore a portfolio of best practice solutions for best ways to tackle child poverty at the local level. At this stage, the transferability, sustainability and added value of the case
studies are also reviewed.
The manual against child poverty
Partners are working on a manual, which will present all of the case studies in an accessible online format and will allow policy makers and practitioners from across the EU to learn from the work of the Network. In particular, the case studies provide ideas about what policies and interventions have been successful in tackling child poverty and how such interventions can be implemented.
When? What?
The network meets regularly through policy workshops held in each core partner cities as well as through public events which are open to a wider audience.
Tackling worklessness
10th - 11th April 2008
London
Life chances and education
24-25 September 2008
Milan
Conference on child poverty
November 2008
Brussels
The impact of homelessness and poor housing conditions on children
February 2009
Budapest
Life chances and health and social care
April 2009
Helsinki
Integrated policies against child poverty
June 2009
Amsterdam
Final conference
November 2009
London
