Addressing child poverty in the European Union

Abstract

The number of children at risk of poverty and social exclusion in Europe surpasses 26 million. Children who live in poverty are more likely to continue experiencing poverty in adulthood. This is a result of having less resources to be able to have access to an adequate education, affording housing, having fewer opportunities to be involved in sports and other social activities. All these factors will make it harder for the child later on in life to be integrated well into society and to achieve a good-quality job. The definition of child poverty and social inclusion has evolved throughout the years and the monetary approach, which is very popular and widely acknowledged, is nowadays challenged by the multidimensional approach. This approach stresses the importance of other factors such as education, healthcare and housing. The approach of the Member States when tackling the issue of child poverty varies. This study will explore the approach of Denmark and Slovenia through a case study design. The two countries have had great results elevating children out of poverty and thus, the case studies aim to draw up the reason for their successful outcome. Research will be primarily focusing on the social policies in place in Denmark and Slovenia. From the research conducted, it was observed that Denmark and Slovenia’s focus greatly on family benefits that promote participation of both parents in the labour market. This is believed to be the main reason behind the success of lowering down child poverty and social exclusion rates in the two countries. The Government of Denmark and Slovenia promote the employment of both parents which in turn guarantees a better well-being for the child. Further research on the topic could on the other hand assess factors which have hindered countries such as Romania to implement family targeting policies and benefits to elevate children from poverty and social exclusion.