After years of advocacy, the European Child Guarantee has been adopted by all candidate countries – that includes Ukraine, the Western Balkans, and Georgia. This is a major victory for service providers, who have long championed the rights of young children with disabilities and their families.

The Child Guarantee is a powerful EU initiative designed to break the cycle of poverty and exclusion by ensuring free, equal access to essential services. It focuses on the most vulnerable children, covering critical areas such as early childhood education, healthcare, nutrition, housing, and inclusive education.

National coordinators have been appointed in each candidate country, joining their counterparts in the 27 EU Member States. They met for the first time on 24 September, marking a significant step toward European integration and better protection for vulnerable children.

The implementation of the Child Guarantee opens the door to the development of strong national systems to support early childhood intervention and inclusive education.  

At EASPD, we stand ready to follow the implementation of the EU Child Guarantee in candidate countries, so that every child and family can access the opportunities they deserve.

If you want to learn more, read EASPD’s factsheets presenting each of the 27 National Action Plans to implement the Child Guarantee, with a focus on children with disabilities, and our report from 2023 on the integration of early childhood intervention within these plans.