Invitation to an online event “Tackling disadvantage in early childhood: key findings and challenges”

First Years First Priority campaign team invites you to join their an online event “Tackling disadvantage in early childhood: key findings and challenges” on 10 November 2021 from 13:00-15:00 CET. 

First Years First Priority is a Europe-wide campaign set up to advocate for prioritization of early childhood development in public policies, with a particular focus on families and children who are at greater risk of discrimination and exclusion.  The campaign aims to ensure that all young children aged 0 to 6 have equal opportunities to safe, healthy and optimal development.

In July 2021, the team of First Years, First Priority campaign published a series of Country Profiles and a Cross-Country Analysis highlighting the need for better data and greater investment in public policies on early childhood. The 9 Country Profiles include data collected by national partners in Bulgaria, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, and Spain. Each Profile provides a snapshot of the state of early childhood development within the country, across six key areas – child poverty, maternal and child health and nutrition, child’s safety and security, early childhood education and care, parenting and family support, and cross-sector coordination. The abovementioned online event aims will present the main findings from the country-level and cross-country analyses. The event will highlight the need to address poverty and social exclusion in early childhood, and discuss the role of the European Child Guarantee in ensuring that all children, especially the most vulnerable, have access to quality services and to nurturing care from the start.   

The format will consist of short presentations, responses/reactions from EU and national perspectives, and opportunities for questions and discussion. The audience will be national and EU policy-makers, experts on early childhood and national/EU civil society organisations.

Speakers include:

• Her Excellency Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Eurochild
• Aljosa Rudas, International Step by Step Association (ISSA)
• Adrien Taquet – Minister of State for Children and Families, France (Invited, To Be Confirmed) 
• Katarina Ivanković Knežević, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission  
• Marta Tarragona Fenoa, DG Justice and Consumers, European Commission

Findings on early childhood at the country level will be presented by: 

• Plataforma de Infancia, Spain 
• Family, Child Youth Association, Hungary  
• Ensemble pour l’Education de la Petite Enfance, France  
• Children’s Rights Alliance, Ireland  

You can register for the event until 9 November 2021 here.