The European Commission Recommendation ‘Investing in Children – Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage’ was adopted in February 2013 as part of the Social Investment Package. The Recommendation includes horizontal principles based on the rights and best interests of the child and promotes child-centred, quality and comprehensive policies to tackle child poverty and promote child well-being.
It calls for a children’s rights approach and integrated strategies based on three pillars: access to adequate resources, access to affordable quality services and children’s right to participate.
It links to the implementation of Europe 2020 and the EU financial mechanisms to ensure progress and monitoring. Member States are encouraged to adopt national targets for reducing child poverty and social exclusion.