Realising Children’s Rights through Integrated Social Protection Policies in Europe and Central Asia
Supporting Governments to reduce multi-dimensional child poverty
Integrated social protection systems can reduce multi-dimensional poverty, (both monetary poverty and other vulnerabilities), empowering families and individuals and contributing to achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 1, End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
The ‘Integrated Social Protection Systems: Review of Different Approaches in UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Region’ (ECAR) studies 17 ECAR countries’ social protection systems and focuses on three country case studies in Armenia, Moldova and North Macedonia representing diverse approaches on coordination and integration of social protection services and programmes for children and families.
Integrated Social Protection Systems in Europe and Central Asia
UNICEF Armenia is supporting the ongoing reform of Integrated Social Services, which contributes to achieving equitable outcomes and an adequate standard of living for children and their families.
UNICEF Moldova is striving to increase the outreach, identification and provision of assistance to vulnerable families with children by initiating the modelling of a single registry for social assistance, education, and health services.
UNICEF in North Macedonia is committed to supporting the creation of more efficient social protection programs and system that alleviate poverty and promote inclusion for all children, by ensuring integration with child protection, early learning and education, and health services.
When social protection programs do not reach the families and children who need them, children experience serious, prolonged deprivations of their rights. The consequences are often irreversible, and have multiple, compounding effects for both the child and society as a whole. Children who do not reach their full potential are not able to contribute fully to social, political and economic growth, and children who experience poverty are more likely to be poor when they are older, perpetuating the ‘cycle of poverty’.