Program

August 9, 2018

10:00-10:30

Opening speeches
The Patron of the Forum - Maris Kucinskis, The Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia.
Inara Murniece, the Speaker of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia.
Musical performance.

10:30-13:00 Session 1: European values in the context of the demographic crisis

1) Demographical situation in Europe: Ilmars Mezs, The Head of The International Organization for Migration Latvia Office
2) Possible EU policy for beneficial demographic trends.
Multi-Annual Financial Framework for EU and its priorities post-2020: Zdzislaw Krasnodebski, Vice-President of European Parliament.
3) The impact of macroeconomic factors on family size: Fabrizio Zilibotti, Tuntex Professor of Economics of Yale University
4) Are low birth rates in Europe solely an economical problem? How to strengthen the family with children as the core value guaranteeing the future of the western community? László Márki, Honorary President of European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC).

14:00-17:30

Session 2: The discussion panel of the industry ministries

Most effective instruments of family support policy

1) Latvia - Kaspars Gerhards, Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development;
2) Hungary - Katalin Novak, Minister of State for Family and Youth Affairs;
3) Poland - Elżbieta Bojanowska, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy;
4) Slovenia - Andrej Del Fabro, generalni director of Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities;
5) Czech Republic - Jitka Hošťálková, senior expert of Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs;
6) Finland - Viveca Arrhenius, Ministerial Counsellor for Ministry of Family Affairs and Social Services;
7) Estonia - Pirju Turk, Head of Family Policy, Department of Children and Families, Ministry of Social Affairs;
8) Norway - Lene Buer Blomqvist, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Children and Equality;
9) Sweden - Niclas Jacobson – Director General, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.
10) Lithuania - Rasa Žemaite - Strategic planning, monitoring and communication of Ministry of Social Security and Labour

18:30 – 23:00. Evening Reception

Open-air festivity at Kalnciema Quarter.

August 10, 2018

10:00-13:00

Working groups:

Work on recommendation platform for most effective family support policy for European countries consisting of:
Health care guarantees for children and parents; education and responsibility increase of parents, strengthening of family values:
Moderators: Liz Gosme, Director of COFACE Families Europe, Linda Matere
-   Contribution of obstetrics and gynecology to the healthy demography – Vija Veisa, President of Association of gynecologists and obstetricians in Latvia;
-   Healthy family psycho-emotional development - N.Bezborodov - the head of Children's Psychiatric Clinic;
-   The role of the family in the child's health – L.Dambina, The Head of the Board of The Children's Hospital Foundation;
-   How to strengthen the value of the child and the family at a national level? - Prof. Z.Krasnodębski, Vice_President of EP;
-   Social campaigns and the involvement of the non-governmental sector in strengthening family values – Otto Ozols, publicist.

Balance of parental engagement & Daycare services:
Moderators: Eija Koivuranta, Nita Jirgensone
-   Brief insight into the proposal for a Directive on Work-Life Balance for Parents and Carers – Ministry of Welfare of Latvia;
-   Contribution of social partners to promote WORK-LIFE BALANCE (presentations of Employers’ Confederation and Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia;
-   Family friendly working conditions – Eija Koivuranta, Väestöliitto, the Family ederation of Finland; 

-   On the way to the desired childcare model in Latvia – N.Jirgensone, Advisor of “Centre for Demographic Affairs”;
-   Municipality-supported nanny movement in Latvia – Ķekava;
-   System to develop skills of children – Elīna Egle, FasTracKids;
-   Norwegian approach to kindergartens – L.Buer-Blomqvist, Norway.
-   Kindergarten model in Finland – Lassi, Koppa, Vaestoliitto.

Financial benefits; housing support; children and future pension size:
Moderators: Axelle Devaux, Edmunds Valantis
-   Recommendations of the European Commission for investing in children - evidence-based approach for policy-making– Axelle Devaux, Deputy Head and Senior Analyst of RAND EUROPE Brussels Office;
-   Financial benefits for families in France – Z.Lescinska, Etablissement public territorial “Paris Terres d’Envol”;
-   On the way to the desired family benefit system in Latvia – Imants Paradnieks, Chairman of “Centre for Demographic Affairs”, Member of Parliament of the Republic of Latvia;
-   Spain pension system supporting motherhood – Raul Sanchez Flores, Secretary General of The European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC);
-   Pension initiatives to link pensions to child tax payments in Latvia – Jana Muizniece, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Welfare of Latvia;
-   Housing guarantee program for families with children ALTUM – Edmunds Valantis, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Economics of Latvia;
-   Family housing subsidy in Hungary – Katalin Kardosne Gyurko, President of national Association of Large Families in Hungary;
-   „3+ loyalty cards” – Association of Large Families „Three Plus” in Poland;

-   Joanna Krupska, the president of Union of Big Families "Three Plus"
-   “Honorary Family Card” in Latvia and its perspectives,
-   Project of European Large Family Card - Raul Sanchez Flores, Secretary General of ELFAC.

Family friendly municipality - off-site work group:
Moderator: Raivis Bremsmits
-   Positive competition opportunities for municipalities – Raivis Bremsmits, Director of Regional Policy Department, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MEPRD), Latvia;
-   Website for the combined information on family support services in all municipalities www.vietagimenei.lv – Ilze Varpina, Senior Expert of Regional Policy Department of MEPRD, Latvia;

-   National competition “Family friendly municipality” in Latvia - Jevgenija Butnicka, Deputy Director of Regional Policy Department,
family friendly municipality movement in Italy – Luciano Malfer, Mayor of Trentino, Italy, the general manager of the Family Agency of Trentino;
-   ELFAC initiative on Family friendly municipality network in Europe – Regina Maroncelli, the President of ELFAC;
Remigration support for families returning to Latvia – Kristīne Smilga, regional remigration coordinator.

14:00-15:00. Closing session

Co-decisions of the forum members.
Speech of Kaspars Gerhards, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development.
Musical performance.