COFACE has secured an operating grant from the European Commission under a three-year partnership agreement (2008-2010), financed under the European PROGRESS Programme. The work issue for which COFACE has been selected is the fight against poverty and social exclusion.
Five working groups will be drawing up reports, draft recommendations and position papers for submission to the Administrative Council and/or the General Assembly for adoption. The recommendations and policy positions as adopted will be official COFACE positions. The five working groups will address five broad areas of key relevance to families in Europe:
1. Family and Social policies.
2. Inclusive policies for disabled and other dependent persons and their families (COFACE-Handicap)
3. Consumer protection, services and public health policies.
4. Education and New Information Technologies policies.
5. Exchange of information and experiences: mutual learning & capacity building.
Group Chairs
1. Anne-Mie DRIESKENS (GEZINSBOND, BE)
2. Anne-Marie COMITO (UFHA, IT)
3. Nicolas REVENU (UNAF, FR)
4. Anne ALITOLPPA-NIITAMO (VÄESTÖLIITTO, FI)
5. Marién DELGADO (UNCEAR, ES)
Working Groups
The meeting dates will be fixed by the Group Chairs in agreement with the Director. The WGs meet twice a year either in Brussels or in a member State. The main tasks of the working groups will be to:
1. Take stock of the situation of the relevant issue of work (members’ own positions, additional existing documents/reports from EU, research, other NGOs,…) in a synthesis report. 2. Analyse the findings from a family point of view. 3.Produce recommendations/conclusions for the attention of the EU and member states (after adoption by the AC or GA).
Each working group will gather around 20 participants. Participation of people exposed to social exclusion and poverty will be sought. COFACE’s work will also be focusing on the prevention of social exclusion and poverty. Coordination, information gathering, preparation and organisation of meetings, information generation and dissemination, preparation of documents, publications, website,… are the main tasks of the Secretariat policy staff (Director, Policy Officers), working in close collaboration with the members. Administration is carried out by the Administrative Assistant and the Accountant.
Outcomes will be disseminated largely through the website, newsletters, specific documents addressed to policy makers in the EU institutions, media… National member organisations will be encouraged to disseminate through their own publications, websites and networks, the main findings and recommendations stemming from COFACE’s work at EU level. Particular attention will be paid to the involvement of the member organisations from the new EU member States. COFACE already has members in Cyprus, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovenia. Special efforts will also be made towards the other new member States. One of the working groups (number 5) is specially aimed at exchanging experience and information between member organisations, so as to help members to learn from each other (mutual learning and capacity building).
Programme
Working Group 1: FAMILY AND SOCIAL POLICIES
- Role of social protection in the fight against poverty and social exclusion.
- Reconciling family and work, with a view to the prevention of social exclusion.
- Single-parent families, child poverty, working poor (with a specific approach to rural and migrant families).
- Reaction on “Active inclusion” Communication.
- 2008-2011 National Strategies SP/SI.
- Preparation of 2010 (European Year of the Fight Against Poverty).
Working Group 2: INCLUSIVE POLICIES FOR DISABLED AND OTHER DEPENDENT PERSONS AND THEIR FAMILIES (COFACE-HANDICAP)
- Family carers and the upgrading of informal care as prevention of poverty and social exclusion (Dissemination of European Family Carers’ Charter).
- Parent training and relation with brothers/sisters of disabled children (rights and duties).
- School integration and supporting means for education systems and families.
Working Group 3: CONSUMER PROTECTION, SERVICES AND PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES
- Overindebtedness of families and encouragement to overspend.
- Alcohol & Nutrition issues and poverty/social exclusion.
- Access to health care - Inequalities.
- SGI (Services of General Interest) / SSGI (Social Services of General Interest).
- Sustainable development and social exclusion.
Working Group 4: EDUCATION AND NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES POLICIES
- Migrants.
- New Information Technologies.
- Education of children who are not living with their family or do not have a family.
-The role of parents in school success/failure, drop-outs.
- Parent training (parenting, formal/informal education).
- School-family relations.
Working Group 5: EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCES: MUTUAL LEARNING AND CAPACITY BUILDING.
- Identification and better knowledge of COFACE members: aims, specificities, fields of work,…
- Specific actions in the field of prevention of poverty and social exclusion.
- Dissemination of experiences and best practices. Works methods: campaigns, web pages, seminars,…
- Lobbying, Communication, Networking,...
Progress programme
