Brussels, 18/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - In an open letter to the heads of state and government, the president of COFACE (EU family organisations), Yves Roland-Gosselin, calls for measures to support families. Such measures, he says, should help families to overcome the effects of the crisis and be considered as investment. They would include: development of services to persons and social services, safeguarding of public services, ensuring financial sustainability of social protection systems, maintaining access for all to essential health care, supporting low incomes through minimum wage systems, establishing adequacy of family allowances with the real cost of raising a child, and preventing overindebtedness and financial exclusion. (G.B./transl.jl)