The Children's Voices Study

• Author: Van Hove, G.; Gradinaru, C.; Morabito, C.; De Schauwer E.; Mattelin, E.
• Pages: 8-10

Feasibility Study for a Child Guarantee (FSCG) Children’s Voices

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1. The Children’s Voices Study

1.1. The Feasibility Study for a Child Guarantee (FSCG)

Following the call in 2015 from the European Parliament to introduce a Child Guarantee

and the subsequent request to the European Commission (EC) in 2017 to implement a

Preparatory Action to explore its potential scope, the Commission launched a feasibility

study in 2018 that is aimed at examining and making proposals as to how a specific

programme could best be developed in order to fight poverty and social exclusion amongst

the EU’s most disadvantaged children (i.e. children living in precarious family si tuations,

children residing in institutions, children with a migrant background [ including refugee

children], and children with disabilities) and t o ensure their access to the five key social

rights identified by the European Pa rliament, (i.e. free healthcare, free education, free

early childhood education and care [ECEC], decent housing, and adequate nut rition).

This Feasibility Study for a Child Guarantee (FSCG) has been commissioned as a key part

of the Preparatory Action agreed between the EC and the European Parliament. The FSCG

is a combination of 28 Coun try Reports, five Policy Papers (one on each of the five PAs

identified by the Parliament) and four Target Group Discussion Papers (one on each of the

four Target Groups [TGs] identified by the Commission). This work is also being

complemented by specific case studies highlighting lessons from international funding

programmes, an online consultation with key stakeholders, and focus group consultations

with children.

At t he heart of the approach is a focus on producing outputs wh ich conclude with very

concrete, practical, evidence-based and carefully tested proposals for measures that might

be included in a Child Guarantee.

As a result, th e approach also includes focus groups’ consultations with children from the

four Target Groups, offering a reality check and identifying any gaps in the experts’

analyses. It also aims at advising how child participation can be taken into account in the

development and delivery of a future Child Guarantee initiative.

1.2. The objective of the consultation with children

The 2013 EU Recommendation on investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage

recognises the right of the child to participate as its third pillar. Child participation is also

explicitly enshrined as a fundamental right under the UN Convention on the Rights of the

Child.1 In the design of a Child Guarantee, it is essential that children themselves have the

opportunity t o voice thei r opinion and influence the final recommendations so they best

reflect the reality of children’s lives.2

In this respect, consultations were organised within the FSCG in the form of focus groups,

a tried-and-tested approach to enhancing participation, in particular with groups of children

in vulnerable situations. Consultations were carried out in four different countries, each

one focusing on children from one of the identified Target Groups: Italy for children living

in precarious family situations; Sweden for those with a migrant background (including

refugee children); Belgium for children with disabilities; and Romania for children residing

in an institution.

Consultations took place immediately before the thematic FSCG workshops, with the

intention of providing important poin ters to discuss durin g these workshops and to be

integrated into the intermediate report.

1 United Nations. (1990). Convention on the rights of the child.

2 Save the Children. (2016). Young voices want to be heard. Retrieved from https://resourcecentre.Savethe

children.net/spotlight/young-voices-want-be-heard