Child poverty can have devastating effects that last long into adulthood. It deprives children of educational opportunities,
childcare, access to health care, adequate food and housing, family support and even protection from violence. Play, sports, recreational activities and cultural events are in short supply, too.
Breaking this cycle of disadvantage presents a serious challenge, as the European Commission already underscored in its 2013 Recommendation on investing in children. It is also very much a matter of enforcing human rights. Article 24 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees children the right to the protection and care necessary for their well-being. Moreover, the various rights protected by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child can only be fulfilled if child poverty is tackled at its core.