How a financial crisis turned into a crisis for children

This section presents arguments and data that show how the global financial shock and ensuing recession turned into a crisis for children. It reveals a strong correlation between the extent to which the recession ravaged national economies and the decline in child well-being since 2008. In countries where the Great Recession hit hardest, children are suffering the most and will bear the consequences the longest. Below, a conceptual framework traces the paths that increased the risks to children and weakened the ability of families and states to mitigate those risks. The variables triggering the risks are numerous and diverse in intensity and duration. Two factors prove particularly important for households with children: the position of parents in the labour market and the depleted capacity of states to protect families.

Related Subject(s): Children and Youth