Growing up in lockdown: Europe’s children in the age of COVID-19 2020 Eurochild Report #PuttingChildrenFirst Eurochild advocates for children’s rights and well-being to be at the heart of policy making. We are a network of organisations working with and for children throughout Europe, striving for a society that respects the rights of children. We influence policies, build internal capacities, facilitate mutual learning and exchange practice and research. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is the foundation of all our work. Eurochild AISBL Rue de Trèves 9, 1000 Brussels, Belgium. Tel. +32 (0)2 511 70 83 [email protected] - www.eurochild.org November 2020. Digital release only. For more information, contact: Réka Tunyogi Head of Advocacy, Eurochild [email protected] 3 |  Summary of Contents findings ...........6 Policy recommendations .........14 Country Belgium .....................................................18 Ireland ........................................................93 profiles ........ 17 Bulgaria .....................................................22 Italy ..............................................................99 Croatia .......................................................27 Latvia ......................................................103 Cyprus .......................................................32 Malta .......................................................108 Czechia .....................................................35 Netherlands .........................................114 Denmark ...................................................41 Poland .....................................................122 England .....................................................50 Portugal .................................................127 Estonia.......................................................57 Romania .................................................134 Finland .......................................................64 Serbia ......................................................139 France ........................................................72 Slovakia ..................................................144 Statistics Germany ...................................................78 Slovenia .................................................149 explained ....159 Greece .......................................................81 Spain .......................................................153 Hungary ....................................................87 4 | 2020 Eurochild Report on the European Semester Introduction In February 2020 the COVID-19 virus started to spread in Europe. Since then our economies, societies, and daily lives have been turned upside down. This report reflects on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on children. It compiles information gathered from 25 countries across Europe, and provides recommendations for improving public policies in the short and long-term to support better outcomes for children and families. The assessment is accompanied by reflections on the 2020 European Semester. This report is based on information gathered until August/September 2020, and was released in November 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing problems of social inequality, with job losses pushing many families further into poverty and school closures creating a wider educational divide, impacting children’s life chances, and their physical and mental health. It has exposed the lack of national policies to tackle poverty, particularly child poverty, and drawn attention to the need for a multi- dimensional approach. As a result, Eurochild and its members are calling for recovery plans that take children’s needs into account, for national plans to reduce poverty, and for targeted support from the EU, including through implementation of an EU Child Guarantee. 5 |  Acknowledgements This report is based on assessments Central Union for Child Welfare - Romania (Romania); Network of provided by 42 Eurochild members Finland (Finland); CNAPE - National Organisations for Children of Serbia in 25 countries. These are: Child Federation of Association for Child - MODS, Mental Disability Rights Rights Coalition Flanders, Maud Protection France, Nexem France Initiative-Serbia - MDRI (Serbia); Stiernet (Belgium); National Network (France); Arbeitsgemeinschaft Coalition for Children Slovakia of Children Bulgaria - NNCB, For für Kinder- und Jugendhilfe - AGJ (Slovakia); Slovenian NGO Network Our Children Foundation Bulgaria (Germany); The Smile of the Child, ZIPOM (Slovenia); Plataforma de - FOCFB, Hope and Homes for Roots Research Centre Greece Organizaciones de Infancia, FICE Children Bulgaria - HHCB, - CEDAR (Greece); Family, Child, Youth Spain (Spain). Foundation; Social Activities and Association, Hintalovon Foundation Practice Institute - SAPI, SOS Hungary (Hungary); Children’s We are very grateful to: all Eurochild Children Villages Bulgaria (Bulgaria); Rights Alliance Ireland, EPIC members who contributed through FICE Croatia, Coordination of Empowering People In Care Ireland the 2020 questionnaires and Associations for Children (Croatia); (Ireland); Fondazione L’Albero della follow-up feedback; the Policy and Pancyprian Coordinating Committee Vita (Italy); Latvian Child Welfare Advocacy Team of Eurochild, in for the Protection and Welfare of Network (Latvia); Malta Foundation particular Réka Tunyogi for overall Children (Cyprus); Alliance for the for the Wellbeing of Society – MFWS, coordination and supervision, Rights of the Child, DCI Czechia, Foundation for Social Welfare Zuzana Konradova and Enrico Big Dipper North (Czechia); Services - FSWS (Malta); Dutch Tormen for practical coordination, Joint Council for Child Issues - NGO Coalition on Children’s Rights drafting and proofreading; Anastesia Børnesagens Fællesråd, Geert (the Netherlands); Polish Foster Mondesir and Iulita Osichenko for Jorgensen (Denmark); Children's Care Coalition - PFCC (Poland); their drafting; Sara Hammerton Rights Alliance for England – CRAE Fundação Nossa Senhora do Bom for editing and proofreading; and (England); Estonian Union for Child Sucesso, Sérgio Araújo (Portugal); Emmanuelle de Castillon from Page Welfare – Lastekaitse Liit (Estonia); Hope and Homes for Children - HHC in Extremis for design. 6 | 2020 Eurochild Report on the European Semester 1. Summary of findings 1.1. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children in Europe The COVID-19 pandemic has during the lockdown led inevitably school provides. For children already between regions. Latvia said imposed a huge strain on Europe’s to increased anxiety and mental living in poverty it meant increased schools were just not prepared for social and economic fabric, often health problems, a concern raised hunger if they missed out on free distance learning, while in Romania exposing inherent weaknesses, with in the reports for Bulgaria, Denmark, school meals. Parents of school-age a shocking 32% of children had no far-reaching effects, including on England, Estonia, Finland, France, children had to home-school their access to online learning. Slovenia children’s well-being. Romania, Slovenia and Portugal. The children, often while also working and Spain reported similar problems. report describes how children with from home. The job losses that followed the no history of behavioural problems, The work of civil society onset of the pandemic put more are having trouble sleeping and are Home schooling highlighted the organisations (CSOs) supporting families at risk of poverty, as many becoming increasingly aggressive. educational divide and the digital children in vulnerable situations of the country reports underlined, The Latvia report noted that during divide. Many parents struggle to became more difficult. As the including Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, lockdown health services for children support their children’s learning, England report points out, lockdown Italy and Slovenia. Food poverty were not available, even in the most particularly those with a low level impeded the ability of professionals in particular became more acute, serious situations. of education themselves. Most to reach children in the most a problem starkly illustrated in the education was delivered online while vulnerable situations, with issues Italy report which describes the Sadly, those pressures led to an schools were closed, but many low going undetected. At the same time situation in a district of Palermo with increase in domestic violence, as income families are not equipped CSOs often faced reduced funding, an increasing number of robberies many country reports mentioned, with computers, and often parents while the need for their services at local supermarkets by people including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, do not have the necessary technical increased. Cyprus, the Czechia, whose children were seriously at risk Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, skills. Teachers also had to adapt Denmark, Latvia, France, Italy and of starving. Portugal and Slovenia. to delivering lessons on line, and Spain were among the countries to their own technical skills and the mention problems of this nature. The combination of financial stress, School closures caused additional support they received varied greatly. uncertainty over the future, and stress for children who missed the In Estonia there was big difference families being confined to the home social contact and structure that in the supply of support services Summary of findings | 7 1.2. The impact of