Excerpts

A new Eurofound report reveals encouraging progress in reducing child poverty and boosting early childhood education and care (ECEC) participation across Europe. However, the report strongly emphasises that the sustained well-being of children hinges on urgent improvements to the working conditions and training of the professionals delivering these essential services.

The analysis in the Working for children matters report highlights a positive trajectory in child poverty reduction over the past decade. In 2024, 24.1% of children in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE), a notable decrease of over 3 percentage points since 2015, moving towards EU targets. However, child poverty is still higher than the poverty rate for the general population, which stood at 20.9% in 2024.

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The root of these issues often lies in the precarious working conditions and insufficient training opportunities faced by healthcare, education, and ECEC professionals. These problems—including poor work-life balance and burnout in healthcare, and low pay with limited career progression in childcare and education—directly affect the quality and accessibility of services for Europe's children.

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