UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre Innocenti Social Monitor 2009 Child Well-Being at a Crossroads: Evolving challenges in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States Innocenti Social Monitor Innocenti Social Monitor 2009 Child Well-Being at a Crossroads: Evolving challenges in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States The UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre The UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre in Florence, Italy, was established in 1988 to strengthen the research capability of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and to support its advocacy for children worldwide. The Centre (formally known as the International Child Development Centre) helps to identify and research current and future areas of UNICEF’s work. Its prime objectives are to improve international understanding of issues relating to children’s rights and to help facilitate the full implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Centre collaborates with its host institution in Florence, the Istituto degli Innocenti, in selected areas of work. Core funding for the Centre is provided by the Government of Italy, while financial support for specific projects is also provided by other governments, international institutions and private sources, including UNICEF National Committees. Innocenti Social Monitor The Innocenti Social Monitor series presents research on children’s social and economic well-being in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, with the aim of contributing to the international debate on the direction of public policies in the countries of the region. This publication has been realized thanks to a collaboration between the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre and the UNICEF Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Innocenti Social Monitor series is associated with the annually updated TransMONEE database, downloadable at <www.transmonee.org>. UNICEF IRC publications are contributions to a global debate on child rights issues and include a wide range of opinions. For that reason, the Centre may produce publications that do not necessarily reflect UNICEF policies or approaches on some topics. The views expressed are those of the authors and contributors and are published by the Centre in order to stimulate further dialogue on child rights. Requests for permission to reproduce or translate UNICEF IRC publica- tions should be addressed to: Communication and Partnership Unit, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, <[email protected]>. To download this report and any corrigenda issued subsequent to print- ing, or to access the most up-to-date publications files, please go to the publications pages on our website, at <www.unicef-irc.org/publications/>. If you would like to keep abreast of publications and other products, please join us at <www.unicef-irc.org/web_community.html>. Correspondence should be addressed to: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre Piazza SS. Annunziata, 12 50122 Florence, Italy Tel: (39) 055 20 330 Fax: (39) 055 2033 220 [email protected] www.unicef-irc.org © 2009 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ISBN: 978-88-89129-90-6 Layout: Bernard & Co, Siena, Italy Printed by: Tipolito Duemila Group srl, Florence, Italy CONTENTS Foreword ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................................................ vii Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................................................................................... ix Overview .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 1 Child well-being in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States ................................................................................ 11 2 Economic growth, inequality and demographic transformation: the changing context ............................................................................................................................................................. 41 3 Formulating and funding state policies for families and children: the unfinished reform agenda ................................................................................................................................... 65 4 Challenges in identifying, monitoring and supporting the vulnerable ................. 87 5 The evolving monitoring challenges: data and research gaps ...................................... 111 Notes .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 123 References ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 131 Glossary ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 137 iii FOREWORD After almost two decades of transition, the CEE/CIS This report uses available data to capture and monitor region continues to be a region in a state of change. the situation of children in the period of growth, but Following a long period of steady economic growth also to look at changes in the context in which chil- and gradual improvements in average living stan- dren are growing up. The character of economic dards, the global crisis is threatening to reverse some growth, widening inequalities, striking demographic of these achievements and plunge the region into trends, as well as public expenditure levels and struc- another period of uncertainty for the well-being of tures, all influence policy choices which affect chil- families and children. dren. While acknowledging the considerable benefits which this period brought to children in the region, the The Innocenti Social Monitor 2009 builds on the tra- report also highlights persistent inequalities in the dis- dition of previous MONEE reports. It uses available tribution of the benefits of growth and argues that chil- data to identify critical economic and social trends and dren did not benefit as much as the rest of the popula- assess the impact of policies on children in the period tion during this period. This was partly due to the fail- of growth immediately preceding the current crisis. ure of policy to reach out to those groups of the child UNICEF has been active since the beginning of tran- population most at risk and to provide adequate poli- sition in monitoring the effects of policies on children cy support and resources to reduce inequalities and the in the region. Indeed in the early 1990s the Innocenti risk of social exclusion. MONEE project was unique in its strategic vision of This Innocenti Social Monitor also provides a timely working with local statisticians and researchers to reminder of the need to continue monitoring the capture the process of political, economic and social effects of policy decisions and external shocks on the change to monitor the effects of policy decisions on situation of children in the region. The crisis comes at children and their families, at a time when policy suc- a time when key social policy reforms, which could cess or failure was largely measured by its effect on have positive effects on child outcomes, are incom- economic indicators. Through its database and plete in many countries. Monitoring needs to be research the MONEE project helped to alert policy strengthened in order to highlight the importance of makers and the international community not only to child-sensitive policies at a time when policy attention the immediate but also the longer term impact on chil- may be diverted from social sector reforms, or when dren of reform strategies in different parts of the the priority given to the latter is lowered. As in the region, and more broadly to the significant social costs early 1990s there is a risk that not enough attention is of economic transition. Moreover, it became instru- paid to the effects of economic turmoil on the lives mental in giving visibility to children at risk and in and development of children. In these tumultuous particularly vulnerable situations. times the need for monitoring is greater than ever in v order to draw policy makers’ attention once more to will help support and guide policy debate and deci- the situation of children in a period when the econom- sions in the current period of crisis and will encourage ic gains of the past decade are threatened, along with policy makers to be more child-centred, to give the past and current efforts by governments to ensure greater consideration to identifying and supporting the progressive realization of children’s rights to an those children most in need, to promote social inclu- adequate standard of living, social inclusion and sion and to give each child the opportunity