Investing in Children: Independent Experts Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage on Social Inclusion a Study of National Policies
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EU Network of Investing in children: Independent Experts Breaking the cycle of disadvantage on Social Inclusion A Study of National Policies Slovenia This publication has been prepared for the European Commission by © Cover illustration: European Union Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission may be held responsible for use of any information contained in this publication. The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and should not be considered as representative of the European Commission’s or Member States’ official position. Further information on the Network of independent experts is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1025&langId=en © European Union, 2014 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Investing in children: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage A Study of National Policies NADA STROPNIK INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH, LJUBLJANA COUNTRY REPORT - SLOVENIA Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion Country Report - Slovenia Table of Contents Add title 2 Summary ......................................................................................................... 7 1. Overall approach and governance .................................................................. 9 1.1. Policy framework, governance and monitoring ......................................... 9 1.2. Children's rights and involvement ......................................................... 10 1.3. Policies for children and families ........................................................... 10 1.4. Impact of policies introduced in response to the crisis on children ............. 11 2. Access to adequate resources ...................................................................... 12 2.1. Policies to support parents’ participation in the labour market .................. 12 2.1.1. The mothers' labour market participation ..................................... 12 2.1.2. Leave provisions ....................................................................... 13 2.1.3. Other labour market related provisions aimed at balancing work and parenting roles ................................................................... 14 2.1.4. Early childhood education and care ............................................. 16 2.2. Policies to provide adequate living standards .......................................... 17 2.2.1. Child poverty risk and material deprivation .................................. 17 2.2.2. Policies .................................................................................... 18 3. Access to affordable quality services ............................................................. 20 3.1. Early childhood education and care and further education ........................ 20 3.2. Health care ........................................................................................ 23 3.3. Housing ............................................................................................. 24 3.4. Alternative care .................................................................................. 25 4. Addressing child poverty and social exclusion in the European Semester ........... 26 5. Mobilising relevant EU financial instruments ................................................... 26 References....................................................................................................... 30 2013 5 Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion Country Report - Slovenia 2013 6 Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion Country Report - Slovenia Summary1 The overall approach to the social inclusion of children in Slovenia and governance are satisfactory. For decades, Slovenia has had a well-developed family policy, aimed at a horizontal redistribution of income in favour of families with children, enabling the reconciliation of professional and family obligations, and providing equal opportunities to both sexes. The regulation of the parental leave and the early childhood education and care (ECEC) enables parents to balance their work and parenting roles on an equal footing. Policies supporting parents’ participation in the labour market ensure that work 'pays' for parents. They also support the employability and participation of single parents and second earners in paid work, supporting their reintegration after parental leave. A working environment is generally supportive as well. The female employment rate is high in Slovenia, so there are usually two incomes per family. Women remain attached to the labour market also when there are small children in the family. They usually work full-time, which is enabled by various family policy- and labour market policy measures. During more than one year of parental leave the earnings are fully compensated. Consequently, families do not suffer a decrease in income after the birth of a child. In addition to that, direct and indirect public transfers compensate for a considerable part of child costs. Cash benefits for families with children range from cash social assistance to birth grant, parental allowance (for parents not entitled to the parental leave and benefit), child allowance, and a large family allowance. A number of benefits are related to education (free textbooks, subsidised transport to school, subsidised school meals, scholarships, etc.). There are elements of family policy in the tax policy and the housing policy, too. Some family policy measures are designed or adapted for families with disabled children (the allowance for nursing a child, partial payment for lost income, etc.). There are also policies focused on children at increased risk because of multiple disadvantages (like the Roma children). The austerity measures, implemented since June 2012, have not affected families already experiencing poverty and social exclusion or at a high risk of becoming poor or excluded. The most vulnerable children (families with children) have been exempt from cuts in entitlements (family benefits, ECEC subsidies and state educational grants). The bulk of negative impact has been born by individuals and families with a medium (but in absolute terms hardly sufficient) income. The austerity measures will be in force until the year that will follow the year in which the economic growth will exceed 2.5% of the GDP, which may be a decade-or-so. Consequently, this may have a long-term impact on families’ budgets and their material deprivation in particular. Family policy provisions have kept the risk of child poverty in Slovenia at one of the lowest levels in the European Union. The impact of the household work intensity on the risk of poverty is considerable. Child poverty was not an issue in Slovenia because, until 2011, the risk of poverty was lower for children than for the total population. Consequently, there is no mentioning of child poverty in the National Reform Programmes (NRP) 2012-2013 (GRS 2012) and 2013-2014 (GRS 2013). These documents include austerity measures that are not aimed at achieving the national 2020 poverty and social inclusion target but will rather have an opposite/unfavourable impact on social inclusion. 1 Readers should note that the drafting of this report was completed in September 2013 thus it does not include an analysis of data or policy developments that became available after this date. 2013 7 Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion Country Report - Slovenia The most recent data have shown that in 2011, for the first time, the at-risk-of- poverty rate for children in Slovenia (14.7%) (Eurostat) exceeded the one for the total population (13.6%) (Intihar 2012). An increase in the risk of poverty for children in 2010 and 2011 is indicating that the regulation of social benefits should be revised. In fact, two acts regulating social benefits were implemented in January 2012. The Social Assistance Benefits Act (2010) increased the minimum income, while the Exercise of Rights to Public Funds Act (2010), regulating the non-contributory social benefits, had made social benefits and subsidies more targeted and has resulted in a smaller number of family benefits recipients. The draft revisions of these two acts (Draft Act Amending the Exercise… 2013; Draft Act Amending the Social Assistance Benefits Act 2013) were under public debate until 19 August 2013, but will only have a limited positive impact. The ECEC is well regulated and organised in Slovenia. It is also widely available and affordable due to very high public subsidies. On the one hand, this enables the employment of mothers while, on the other hand, parent fees are not a heavy burden for family budgets. All children in Slovenia up to age 18, and up to age 26 if in regular schooling, are covered by compulsory (basic) and complementary health insurance. Basic and hospital-level health care capacities are geographically evenly distributed and accessible to everybody in Slovenia (MoLFSA, 2008: 74). Still, there are a small number of children who are not covered by health insurance. According to the 2011 Population Census, 81% of the Slovenian population was living in the housing owned by themselves or their household members (Dolenc et al. 2013: 44). This significantly alleviates the housing problem in Slovenia. Families with children have to wait for insufficient social housing and favourable housing loans are scarce. Due to a shortage of non-profit housing, means-tested rent subsidies are available also to those renting at market prices. Foster care has a long tradition in Slovenia. However, the number of foster families does not