The Global Economic Crisis And Impacts On Children And Caregivers

Author : Jana Hainsworth
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (137 download)

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Download or read book How the Economic and Financial Crisis is Affecting Children and Young People in Europe written by Jana Hainsworth and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two years after the crisis broke out its impact on the daily lives of millions of families, children and young people is clearly perceptible. Although the impact of the crisis is by no means uniform across the EU, evidence suggests that children and families are being disproportionally affected. According to Eurochild's members, the global economic and financial crisis has a severe impact on the daily lives of children and young people in Europe. Consequences are multiple and of different nature: Absolute poverty levels are on the rise, in consequence of rising unemployment across the EU or falling salaries; Unemployment hits marginalised groups hardest, including Roma and migrant workers. Children of migrant workers, who are forced to return home, face many challenges reintegrating into an unfamiliar education system, especially (as is usually the case) if left without any professional support; Salary cuts increase in-work poverty levels, public sector wages being particularly at stake, in Latvia and Romania they were cut by 25%; Young people lack job prospects, as it is particularly difficult for them to find an employment once they leave/finish their education/training. There is a risk that those leaving in impoverished, 'gang-affected' areas may turn to crime and informal economies as a means of survival; Numbers of children at risk or in the public care system is growing, due to the fact that parents' ability to provide for their children both materially and emotionally is undermined; Children's mental health is suffering, overall emotional well-being and capacity to learn being negatively affected by the crisis. A rise in drug and alcohol abuse among young people is evenly reported; Squeezed family budgets affect children's diet and health, reduced budgets forcing families to buy less nutritious food . Family tensions and discrimination are rising. Worries about job security and income are not only cited as main reasons for tension in family relationships, but also may lead to an increase in xenophobic and nationalistic discourses, which further marginalizes migrant or minority families and children, already often living in a precarious situation. While the European economies start to recover, the recession continues to claim victims as the public and private sector adjust to new financial and economic uncertainty, by cutting their spending. Reduced budgets on national level mean restrained income of local authorities, who are also looking to make savings where possible. As much of the direct funding for child and family services comes from local authorities, child and family services at local level are under further threat. In addition, governments are now also reneging on past commitments to children and families, when it comes to deletion of governmental structures devoted to child related issues. European governments struggling with public deficits seem to forget that supporting every child to realise their full potential is not only a moral obligation, but also an economic necessity. Efforts should be made to: Ensure a quality work/family life balance for parents, as having a job remains the best safeguard against poverty; Strengthen early intervention and prevention services for families, because it is crucial that families and parents are given the necessary support before problems escalate and children's well-being and mental health is at risk; Ensure access to high quality inclusive education for all, seen that education plays a crucial role in preventing and breaking the poverty cycle, including pre-school service provision; Invest and protect children's mental health and well-being, as an early exposure to risk factors (e.g. alcohol consumption) and poverty and inequality in youth (e.g. living in low-income households, growing up in a disadvantaged neighbourhood) can increase mental health problems and lead to poorer outcomes later in life; Protect and increase budgets targeting children and families, seen that social transfers have already proved to have an important impact on reducing child poverty (over 60% of reduced child poverty in Sweden or in Finland, 39% in the EU); Strengthen family- and community-based care for children in alternative care, bearing in mind that children who are unable to grow up with their biological parents are particularly vulnerable. It is crucial that services are strengthened to prevent children from unnecessarily being taken into public care. Furthermore, efforts on de-institutionalisation must be reinforced, including investment to improve the provision and quality of foster care services. Provision of all these services must be seen by governments as an investment and not as a financial cost. Investment in services for children is not just important because of the benefits for children in the longer-term and the savings to society by not having to deal with the consequences of failure, but also because investment in public services contributes to economic stimulation and growth. Investing wisely in children today could help mitigate the long-term negative impact of the crisis, from which the whole society would benefit. Children's well-being and eradication of child poverty must therefore be a priority of government policy in efforts to learn the lessons from the economic crisis.