Growing up in lockdown: Europe’s children in the age of COVID-19

This new report from Eurochild reflects on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on children's rights across Europe. It provides recommendations for improving public policies in the short and long-term to support better outcomes for children and families. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has had multiple dramatic consequences on the conditions and rights of children across Europe, a new report by Eurochild shows. From mental health issues and domestic violence to education and digital divides, children in Europe have been paying a high price. Yet, a comprehensive response and concrete measures can help address these challenges effectively, as the country-by-country recommendations of the report show. By putting children at the heart of its recovery, Europe can build back better and stronger.

The report is based on assessments provided by 42 Eurochild members
in 25 countries across Europe.CRAE is Eurochild's England member and compiled the England profile based on information gathered until August/September 2020. The assessment is accompanied by reflections on the 2020 European Semester. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing problems of
social inequality, with job losses pushing many families further into
poverty and school closures creating a wider educational divide,
impacting children’s life chances, and their physical and mental
health. It has exposed the lack of national policies to tackle poverty,
particularly child poverty, and drawn attention to the need for a multidimensional
approach.

As a result, Eurochild and its members are calling for recovery plans that take children’s needs into account, for national plans to reduce poverty, and for targeted support from the EU, including through implementation of an EU Child Guarantee.

Read the report

Read the Eurochild press release

Find out more from Eurochild