On 20 and 21 April, the final conference of the third preparatory phase of the European Guarantee System for Vulnerable Children (Child Guarantee), a European Commission initiative aimed at promoting equal opportunities and ensuring access to essential services for children at risk of poverty or social exclusion, was held in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Organised by UNICEF's Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) in cooperation with the European Commission's Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, the event was also attended by Gianfranco Costanzo, Head of the Department for Family Policies of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

The conference marked the end of the pilot phase of the European Guarantee for Vulnerable Children, launched in 2020 by the European Commission and entrusted to ECARO, which involved the governments of Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Germany and Lithuania in carrying out in-depth research on existing policies to combat child poverty.

Information on the conference and the programme can be found on the Department for Family Policies website, in the dedicated news item.

Other materials and updates can be found on this website under the topic Social policies for children and adolescents, accessible under the "Topics" menu.