Nordic co-operation on children growing up in families with persistently low income

Goal 

The objective is for the Nordic region to become the best place in the world for children to grow up, a place where all children and young people can participate in society and develop their abilities and skills on equal terms. The goal of the Nordic welfare societies is to guarantee that all children are provided with a nurturing and secure upbringing, conducive to a healthy and fulfilling life. It is of utmost importance to ensure the sustainability of Nordic communities by preventing the intergenerational transmission of poverty and striving to create equal opportunities for all children and young people.

The Right to Life, Survival and Development  

In accordance with the UN Convention of the Rights on the Child, every child has a right to survival and development in all aspects of their lives, including physical, emotional, psychosocial, cognitive, social and cultural development. Articles 26 and 27 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child are important when considering the link between child rights and poverty. Children have a right to support from the government to improve their lives.

To combat any negative effects for children in families struggling to make ends meet, the Nordic countries have implemented targeted and coordinated measures for children, youth, and families where the interaction between social, health and economic burdens is high. The objective is to prevent the negative consequences of growing up in low-income families and that these are being passed on from generation to generation, and to create equal opportunities for all children and young people. The aim is to guarantee that all children receive a favourable upbringing and conducive circumstances for leading a healthy and fulfilling life, as well as for developing their abilities and skills.

In the Nordic countries, the measures for children, young people and families include targeted inclusive measures for a range of initiatives, including targeted inclusive measures for vulnerable groups, broad universal social security programmes, and support for families.

Mission and scope

The Nordic Welfare Centre will lead a Nordic co-operation project to increase knowledge about interventions for children growing up in families with persistently low income in the Nordic Region. The aim is to gather and collate the experiences and knowledge of the Nordic societies in this field in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The co-operation will result in the publication of a report describing promising measures and policies for increased social mobility and participation of children and young people growing up in families with persistently low income. In this project, we will focus on effective measures that support the family situation and the children’s opportunities.

Moreover, the report will focus on what we know about the experiences of children and youth growing up in families with persistently low income. The objective is to ensure that their voices are heard and to increase understanding of the necessity to guarantee children’s opportunities for development, belonging, and participation in society.

The project is supported by a Nordic Steering Group and a network of Nordic researchers is invited to contribute to the Nordic cooperation. The network of researchers and the steering group will contribute to the Nordic Welfare Centre’s efforts to select sources that describe children’s and young people’s own experiences and perceptions of growing up in a family with a persistently low income. The Nordic Welfare Centre is also involving Nordregio in the work to develop maps and indicators on child poverty and social exclusion risk in the Nordic region.