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Renew Group | Make one exception : Fund the Child Guarantee

Wednesday, 30 September 2026
01:15 - 04:30 GMT+2
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60, rue Wiertz
1047 BRUSSEL 60, rue Wiertz 1047 BRUSSEL

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Renew Group | Make one exception : Fund the Child Guarantee

Make one exception With around 20 million children in the EU still at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the European Child Guarantee remains one of Europe’s most...      Renew 


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Make one exception

Fund the Child Guarantee

📅 Date:
30/09/2026
🕐 Time:
13:15 - 16:30
📍 Location:
SPINELLI 5E2SPINELLI 5E2

About the Event


With around 20 million children in the EU still at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the European Child Guarantee remains one of Europe’s most important tools for breaking the cycle of poverty from an early age. Since its creation, it has improved children’s access to essential services, including education, childcare, healthcare, healthy nutrition, and adequate housing.
The event brings together policymakers, the European Commission, economists, civil society, and practitioners to explore how the next EU budget can continue to deliver meaningful investment in children. The discussion addresses the moral imperative to tackle child poverty and the economic case for investing in the next generation, highlighting that targeted investment in children can deliver lasting social and economic returns while reducing long-term public expenditure.


Hosted by


Fabienne KELLER

Fabienne KELLER

MEP   France 

European Parliament Quaestor

  Renew  Renew Europe Group  |   RE  Renaissance 
Fabienne KELLER

Committees

BUDGBudgets
LIBECivil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs

Delegations

DMASDMAS Delegation
DMEDDelegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean
Hristo PETROV

Hristo PETROV

MEP   Bulgaria 

Member of the European Parliament

  Renew  Renew Europe Group  |   PP-DB  We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria 
Hristo PETROV

Committees

V-CHAIR CULTCulture & Education
EMPLEmployment & Social Affairs

Delegations

D-MKDelegation to the EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee
D-JPDelegation for relations with Japan
Roxana MÎNZATU

Roxana MÎNZATU

Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness

European Commission

Roxana MÎNZATU
She serves as the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness at the European Commission. In her role, she oversees EU funding strategies and policy frameworks dedicated to welfare, playing a central part in implementing the European Child Guarantee to tackle child poverty.
Irena JOVEVA

Irena JOVEVA

MEP   Slovenia 

Renew Vice-President

Member of the European Parliament

  Renew  Renew Europe Group  |   GS  Gibanje Svoboda 
Irena JOVEVA

Committees

LIBECivil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs
EMPLEmployment & Social Affairs
SANTPublic Health (Subcommittee)

Delegations

DPALDPAL Delegation
D-RSDelegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation & Association Parliamentary Committee
DSEEDelegation for relations with Bosnia & Herzegovina & Kosovo
DACPDelegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
DAFRDAFR Delegation
Veronika CIFROVÁ OSTRIHOŇOVÁ

Veronika CIFROVÁ OSTRIHOŇOVÁ

MEP   Slovakia 

Member of the European Parliament

  Renew  Renew Europe Group  |   PS  Progresívne Slovensko 
Veronika CIFROVÁ OSTRIHOŇOVÁ

Committees

SANTPublic Health (Subcommittee)
LIBECivil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs
IMCOInternal Market & Consumer Protection
FEMMWomen’s Rights & Gender Equality

Delegations

D-UKDelegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly
D-CADelegation for relations with Canada
Alva FINN

Alva FINN

Executive Director

European Liberal Forum

Alva FINN
She is the Executive Director of the European Liberal Forum. Drawing on her extensive experience in European policy and civil society coordination, she moderates the main discussions of the event, facilitating dialogue among policymakers and experts on how the next EU budget can structurally combat child poverty.
Anne-Catherine GUIO

Anne-Catherine GUIO

Economist
Senior Researcher

LISER - Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research

Anne-Catherine GUIO
She is an Economist and Senior Researcher at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER). Specialising in poverty and social exclusion indicators, she brings critical academic insights into the economic benefits of investing in children and evaluating the long-term effectiveness of the European Child Guarantee.
Olivier THÉVENON

Olivier THÉVENON

Head of Child Well-Being Unit

OECD Centre on Well Being, Inclusion
Sustainability and Equal Opportunity

Olivier THÉVENON
He acts as the Head of the Child Well-Being Unit at the OECD Centre on Well-Being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity. His research provides comparative data and economic analyses on family policies, demonstrating how strategic investments in child welfare yield substantial societal returns and reduce long-term public expenditure.
Dominic RICHARDSON

Dominic RICHARDSON

Managing Director

Learning for Well-being Institute

Dominic RICHARDSON
He is the Managing Director of the Learning for Well-being Institute. With a strong background in social and family policy, he focuses on holistic approaches to child development, bringing practical expertise on how targeted public funding can improve educational outcomes and overall well-being across Europe.
Ivanka SHALAPATOVA

Ivanka SHALAPATOVA

Social Policy and Child Protection Expert

Ivanka SHALAPATOVA
She is a prominent Social Policy and Child Protection Expert, having notably served as Bulgaria's Minister of Labour and Social Policy. She draws upon decades of experience in early childhood development to highlight the on-the-ground impact of EU investments and structural reforms on vulnerable populations.
Ally DUNHILL

Ally DUNHILL

Director of Policy
Advocacy and Communications

Eurochild

Ally DUNHILL
She serves as the Director of Policy, Advocacy and Communications at Eurochild. With extensive experience in children's rights, she coordinates civil society efforts to influence EU policies, ensuring that European funding mechanisms like the Child Guarantee effectively reach and support families at risk of poverty.
Enrico TORMEN

Enrico TORMEN

Advocacy Adviser

Save the Children

Enrico TORMEN
He is an Advocacy Adviser for Save the Children at the EU level. He focuses on influencing European budgetary decisions and policy frameworks, advocating for sustained investments and the practical implementation of the Child Guarantee to improve the daily lives of disadvantaged youth across Member States.

Programme


13:15
Welcome remarks
Moderator: Alva Finn | Executive Director | European Liberal Forum 
Opening remarks: MEP Hristo Petrov & MEP Fabienne Keller
13:30
Video message: The Future of EU Funding for Children
Roxana Mînzatu | Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills Quality, Jobs and Preparedness 
13:45
Panel 1: The Economic Case: Why Investing in Children Pays Off?
Moderator: MEP Irena Joveva
Speakers:
Anne-Catherine Guio | Economist | Senior Researcher at LISER | Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research 
Olivier Thévenon | Head of Child Well-Being Unit | OECD Centre on Well Being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity 
Dominic Richardson | Managing Director of the Learning for Well-being Institute 
14:10
Panel 2: Delivery on the ground: What Europe gets for its investment?
Moderator: MEP Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová
Speakers:
Ivanka Shalapatova | Social Policy and Child Protection Expert 
Ally Dunhill | Director of Policy | Advocacy and Communications | Eurochild 
Enrico Tormen | Advocacy Adviser | Save the Children 
14:35
Political Roundtable – “Make one Exception” for children: the options for the next European budget
Moderator: Alva Finn | Executive Director | European Liberal Forum) 
Short interventions from MEPs and CoR Members
14:55
Concluding remarks
Concluding remarks: MEP Fabienne Keller & MEP Hristo Petrov
15:00
Group picture
15:15
Networking

Important – This event is by invitation, and only registered participants will be admitted. Due to capacity constraints, all attendees must register, including those already holding a European Parliament access badge. Registration is mandatory for admission.

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