Putting service providers at the heart of the Anti-poverty Strategy
EASPD's Position Paper on the future EU Anti-Poverty Strategy is out!
In response to the public consultation of the European Commission, we presented our key recommendations to ensure that the Anti-Poverty Strategy really helps reducing poverty and social exclusion, especially for people with disabilities and their families across Europe.
The message at the heart of our position paper is that service providers play a key role in supporting people with disabilities throughout their lives and in helping to break the cycle of poverty.
Quality support provides the foundation for inclusion at every stage of life, from early childhood to old age. It begins with prevention and early intervention, ensuring that families are not left alone when there is a risk in their child’s development. As people grow, community-based services help them reach the life they want with the highest possible level of autonomy. This allows them to fully take part in education, employment, and the social and cultural life of their communities.
By ensuring that such services are affordable, accessible, and of high quality, governments can prevent poverty before it starts, and promote equal opportunities for all.
Four main focus areas
Our paper focuses on the four following areas, calling the European Commission to take action and:
- Guarantee access to high-quality, accessible, and affordable social services, as a key pillar of the Anti-Poverty Strategy.
- Invest in prevention and early intervention services to better support people with disabilities and their informal carers.
- Access to essential support systems, such as social care, health, education, and adequate housing as a precondition to social inclusion.
- Develop a European Strategy on Welfare Technology.
EASPD and our members stand ready to support the European Commission in both the design and implementation of the Strategy. Together, we can make it truly transformative and ensure it brings meaningful change for everyone experiencing poverty in Europe.