A new Eurofound report published on Thursday 31 July highlighted “encouraging progress in reducing child poverty and boosting early childhood education and care (ECEC) participation across Europe”, according to a press release.
But “the sustained well-being of children hinges on urgent improvements to the working conditions and training of the professionals delivering these essential services”.
The report highlights a positive trajectory in the reduction of child poverty over the last decade. In 2024, 24.1% of children in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE), a significant drop of more than 3 percentage points since 2015, bringing the EU closer to its targets.
“However, child poverty is still higher than the poverty rate for the general population, which stood at 20.9% in 2024”.
Encouraging developments have also been observed in terms of increased participation in EAJE. Almost four out of ten children under the age of three (39.2%) received formal childcare in 2024.
On the other hand, the report notes “a concerning decline in children’s mental health, with unmet healthcare needs in 2024 still being higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2017, and a drop in educational performance”.
Lack of work-life balance, burnout in the health sector, low pay and poor career prospects in the childcare and education sectors directly affect the quality and accessibility of services for children.
Link to the document: https://aeur.eu/f/i2w (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)