BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//ELFAC - ECPv6.15.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.elfac.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for ELFAC
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Europe/Paris
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0200
TZNAME:CEST
DTSTART:20260329T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0200
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:CET
DTSTART:20261025T010000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260824
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260827
DTSTAMP:20261108T103636
CREATED:20260610T091216Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260731T110141Z
UID:13973-1787529600-1787788799@www.elfac.org
SUMMARY:14th International Advocacy Workshop
DESCRIPTION:How do we better protect the most vulnerable?\n\n\n\n\n\nFour student research teams in four countries show where family-centred approaches make a measurable difference and where the gaps remain\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFrom fieldwork to the United Nations\, this is where research becomes advocacy\, and advocacy becomes change\n\n\nVENUE\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIPC – Facultés libres de philosophie et de psychologie\n70 Avenue Denfert-Rochereau\, 75014 Paris \n24-26 August 2026\n\n\n\nREGISTRATION\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAcross Europe\, social services are under pressure that grows with each passing year. Child protection agencies are stretched thin. Mental health services face waiting times measured in months\, not days. Care systems for the elderly and people with disabilities are strained to their structural limits. Social assistance programmes\, designed as safety nets\, are increasingly carrying the weight they were never built to hold. The European Commission\, Eurostat\, the OECD\, and the Council of Europe have all documented this trajectory in detail\, and national research bodies across the continent have confirmed it at the local level. The numbers are consistent. The trend is not reversing. \n\n\n\n\n\nWhen families are strong\, fewer people fall through the cracks.\nWhen they weaken\, social services pay the price. It is time to act on the evidence.\n\n\n\n\n\nYet behind these figures lies a structural reality that policy debates rarely name directly: the gradual weakening of the family as the primary unit of social solidarity. This is not a nostalgic observation. It is a practical one. When families are stable and supported\, they provide what no public institution can fully replicate — daily care\, emotional continuity\, long-term accompaniment through difficulty\, and the quiet but essential transfers of support between generations. When families struggle — through poverty\, breakdown\, isolation\, illness\, or simple lack of community — the state must step in. And no state system\, however competent or well-funded\, can substitute for those bonds in full. The data make this visible: rising rates of family breakdown\, growing numbers of children in alternative care\, increasing proportions of elderly people without close family networks\, and adults navigating hardship alone. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nInvesting seriously in families is not a conservative talking point or a values-laden preference.\nIt is an evidence-based response to social vulnerability — one that deserves to sit at the centre of European social policy.\n\n\n\n\n\nIt is a rare opportunity to see the full chain — from months of fieldwork in four countries\, to the advocacy rooms of international institutions\, to the concrete question of how policy can be shaped in favour of families and those who depend on them. Whether you come as a student\, a researcher\, an NGO professional\, or a policymaker\, your expertise and your perspective belong in this conversation. We invite you to engage fully — and to leave better equipped to turn knowledge into change. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIPC — Facultés Libres de Philosophie et de Psychologie — trains students in philosophy\, psychology\, and the social sciences with a strong emphasis on applied knowledge and ethical engagement with the world. This Erasmus+ programme organized with IFFD is a direct expression of that mission. It is designed to close the gap between research and impact — to give students real experience of how knowledge is gathered\, analysed\, and then transformed into advocacy that reaches policymakers. \nMore information and Applications Here
URL:https://www.elfac.org/event/14th-international-advocacy-workshop/
LOCATION:70 Avenue Denfert-Rochereau\, 75014 Paris\, 70 Avenue Denfert-Rochereau\, Paris\, 75014\, France
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.elfac.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ipc02.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Paris:20260909T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Paris:20260909T183000
DTSTAMP:20261108T103636
CREATED:20260731T105852Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T071508Z
UID:14724-1788973200-1788978600@www.elfac.org
SUMMARY:European Parliament: Panel on Housing Policies and Families in Europe
DESCRIPTION:PANEL ON HOUSING POLICIES AND FAMILIES IN EUROPE \nPutting families at the heart of Europe’s housing and urban future \nBrussels\, European Parliament\, Room Spinelli 1H1 \nFrom 5\,00 to 6\,30 pm – 09 September 2026 \nOrganized by the European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC)\, the European Network of Family-Friendly Municipalities\, the Coalition for the Future of Cities and the Intergroup on Demography of the European Parliament \n“Access to affordable housing is a serious concern for many across Europe. To tackle this issue\, we need joint efforts from different sides and a wide range of measures. We are taking action to help Member States address citizens’ and mayors’ needs and market failures. Making sure there is sufficient housing available requires long-term investments. In terms of competition policy\, our revision of State aid rules makes it easier for public authorities to invest in social and affordable housing.”. \nTeresa Ribera\, Executive Vice-President for Clean\, Just and Competitive Transition \n“Housing is not just a commodity. It is a fundamental right. We must mobilise every euro and do everything in our power to make sure that in Europe everyone can afford a decent place to call home”. \nDan Jørgensen\, Commissioner for Energy and Housing \nBackground  \nEurope’s cities are under pressure from a set of interlocking forces — the cost and availability of housing\, demographic change\, tourism flows\, mobility\, and the wider cost of living. Families with children are among those most affected. Rising rents and the shrinking supply of suitable\, affordable homes push young families out of city centres\, with knock-on effects for demography\, social cohesion and the long-term vitality of urban communities. Yet families are too often absent from the way urban and housing policy is framed\, designed and measured. \nA “family lens” — asking simply whether a city is a place where families with children are welcome\, supported and able to thrive — offers a unifying way to connect housing\, tourism\, mobility\, infrastructure and local economies. It reframes affordability not as a zero-sum dispute between sectors\, but as a shared question of whether European cities remain liveable for the people who sustain them. \nWhy now: the Affordable Housing Act moment \nThe European Commission’s Affordable Housing Act is a once-in- a-cycle opportunity to embed a family and demographic perspective into EU housing policy — before legislative positions solidify. A timely\, constructive conversation in the European Parliament\, convened by family organisations and urban voices rather than any single industry\, can help ensure that the family dimension is part of the debate from the outset. \nREGISTRATION HERE\n  \nDRAFT PROGRAM \n  \n16:45 – 17:00 Welcome and accreditation \n17:00 – 17:15    Opening: \n\nRaul Sanchez\, secretary general of ELFAC\, moderator\nVasile Dincu\, MEP Romania\, Co-Chair of the Intergroup on Demography (S&D) \nRomana Tomc\, MEP Slovenia\, Co-Chair of the Intergroup on Demography (PPE) \nPaolo Inselvini\, MEP Italy\, Co-Chair of the Intergroup on Demography (ECR)\nMargarita de la Pisa\, MEP Spain\, Member of the Intergroup on Demography(PIE)\n\n17:15 – 17:25    Families and housing in Europe: Difficulties and needs  \n\nRegina Maroncelli\, Vice-President of ELFAC and coordinator of the network familycities.eu\n\n17:25 – 17:35    The European Affordable Housing Plan and the families \n\n Grzegorz Gajewski\, Housing Task Force\, European Commission\n\n17:35 – 17:45   Local policies and housing  \n\nElina Treija\, Riga municipality (Latvia)\, Head of the Committee of Housing and Environment.\n\n17:45 – 17:55   Tourism\, housing and families \n\nSilvia Pastor\, Institutional Relations\, APARTUR Barcelona (Spain)\n\n17:55 – 18:05  Good practices on housing from companies  \n\nSilvia Cipelli\, Piacenza (Italy)\, European Network of Family-Friendly Companies\n\n18:05– 18:20   Interventions of Civil Society Organizations \n\nSorcha Edwards\, Secretary General of Housing Europe \nFederico Nahuel Lazzari\, Build Europe \nAttila Bohm\, Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer\,  COFACE – Families Europe\nTünde Fűrész\, Family Network Foundation (Hungary)\n\n18:20 – 18:30  Conclusions \n\nJosianne Cutajar\, Former MEP and Independent Chair of the Future of Cities Coalition\n\n 
URL:https://www.elfac.org/event/european-parliament-panel-on-housing-policies-and-families-in-europe/
LOCATION:European Parliament\, Bâtiment Paul Henri Spaak\, Rue Wiertz 60\, Brussels\, Brussels\, 1047\, Belgium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.elfac.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/housing-policies-and-families-09-september.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Paris:20260919T210000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Paris:20260919T210000
DTSTAMP:20261108T103636
CREATED:20260831T084954Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T185036Z
UID:14779-1789851600-1789851600@www.elfac.org
SUMMARY:XIII European Large Families Conference and ELFAC General Assembly: Erfurt (Germany)
DESCRIPTION:Venue:\nBest Western Hotel Erfurt-Apfelstädt\nRiedweg 1 in 99192 Erfurt Apfelstädt \nGeneral Assembly of ELFAC\n\nFriday 18 September from 17:00 to 19:30\n\nXIII ELFAC Congress: Education  – Growing up. Learning. Getting ahead.\nProgram schedule for the Family Congress\, September 19\, 2026\n\n\n\n9:00\nOpening remarks and greetings\n\n\n9:25\nAward presented by ELFAC “Large Family Awards”\n\n\n10:00\nLecture and live hack “Fun and Risk on the Net” by Erwin Markowsky (8com) for adults and interested children and teenagers\n\n\n11:10 – 11:30\npause\n\n\n11:30 – 12:15\nLecture by Prof. G. Thüsing (University of Bonn\, German Ethics Council)\, followed by a Q&A session\n\n\n12:30 – 13:30\nLunch and group photo\n\n\n13:30 – 14:15\nMatthias Jung “Parenting with Dignity” (!!!HYBRID!!!)\n\n\n14:15 – 14:30\nCoffee break\n\n\n14:30 – 16:00\nA look at education in Europe with (ELFAC)\n\n\n16:00\nClosing remarks and farewell\n\n\n\nMore information: https://www.kinderreichefamilien.de/eventreader/familienkongress2026.html
URL:https://www.elfac.org/event/xiii-european-large-families-conference-and-elfac-general-assembly-erfurt-germany/
LOCATION:Best Western Hotel Erfurt-Apfelstädt\, Riedweg 1\, Erfurt Apfelstädt\, Thuringia\, 99192
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.elfac.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/13th-congress-elfac-germany.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Paris:20260923T120000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Paris:20260923T140000
DTSTAMP:20261108T103636
CREATED:20260921T113904Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T113926Z
UID:14974-1790164800-1790172000@www.elfac.org
SUMMARY:The Foundation for the Future II conference
DESCRIPTION:The Finnish Association for the Advancement of Families with Children will organize the Foundation for the Future II conference on Wednesday\, September 23\, 2026 in Helsinki. This year’s theme is Education in Transition – How Do We Support Families with Children? \nThe conference brings together decision-makers\, experts\, organizations and other promoters of the well-being of families with children to discuss what children need in a changing society and how parenting and families can be supported in the Finland of the future. Society\, working life\, technology and the everyday lives of families are changing rapidly. At the same time\, questions about the safe growth of children\, the coping skills of parents and the support families need are becoming increasingly topical. \nEducation in transition\nThe keynote speaker at the conference is child psychiatrist Jari Sinkkonen \, who will examine children’s growth and what children need in a changing society. \nThe program will also feature other Finnish and European speakers\, highlight the everyday perspectives of families with children\, and hold a panel discussion on the future of child and family policy. The conference is a continuation of last year’s conference\, which published the Care Manifesto . \nA more detailed program can be found here \nTowards the Foundation for the Future 2026 Declaration\nThe aim of the conference is to build a common vision on how Finnish society can strengthen parenthood\, support the well-being of families with children\, and ensure a safe growing environment for every child in changing times. \nThe event will present the Foundation for the Future 2026 Declaration \, which brings together key messages and recommendations to support future child and family policy. \nSign up\nTime: Wednesday 23 September 2026\, 12:00–14:00\nCoffee service: from 11:30\nLocation: Citizens’ Information\, Pikkuparlamentti\, Arkadiankatu 3 00100\, Helsinki \nRegistration for the event is now open. \nRegistrations and inquiries: Roberta Fabritius\, info@lape.fi \nThe event is organized by the Finnish Association of Families with Children together with FEFAF and the Finnish Homemakers Association .
URL:https://www.elfac.org/event/the-foundation-for-the-future-ii-conference/
LOCATION:Kansalaisinfo Pikkuparlamentii\, Arkadiankatu 3\, Helsinki\, 00101\, Finland
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.elfac.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/paneelikeskustelu-final.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Paris:20261010T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Paris:20261011T140000
DTSTAMP:20261108T103636
CREATED:20260921T105717Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260922T113303Z
UID:14954-1791626400-1791727200@www.elfac.org
SUMMARY:Spain: XV National Congress of Large Families
DESCRIPTION:Badajoz\, October 10 and 11\, 2026 \nIf you are interested in family and are also part of a large family\, don’t miss the 15th National Congress of Large Families\, organized by the Spanish Federation of Large Families in Badajoz\, in collaboration with Fefanex (Extremaduran Federation of Large Families)\, under the slogan “Large Family\, the Best Place to Grow.” \nIt will be a gathering of large families from all over Spain to share the challenges and difficulties faced by households with more children\, while sharing the vital experience and richness of having a big family at home. \nThe Congress has the support of the Ministry of Social Rights\, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda\, Badajoz City Council\, and the Government of Extremadura\, as well as the sponsorship of Ubica and Caja Almendralejo. \nDiscover the program we are preparing so you can enjoy a wonderful weekend with your family\, featuring leisure and family tourism activities for everyone! \nPROGRAM: \nSATURDAY\, OCTOBER 10 \n10:00 AM Arrival at the fair and family registration \n11:00 AM Opening of the Congress\, inaugural ceremony \n11:30 AM Large Family Awards presentation \n11:45 AM Coffee break \n12:15 PM Lecture: “The Family\, the 21st-Century Revolution.” Raúl Sánchez\, Secretary General of the European Large Families Confederation (Elfac). \n1:00 PM Lecture: “Attitude Starts in the Family\, the First School.” Luis Gutiérrez-Rojas\, psychiatrist and father of 7 children. \n2:00 PM Lunch \n4:00 PM Lecture: “The Secret of Families Who Enjoy Life.” Pep Borrell\, speaker and father of 5 children. \n5:00 PM Raffle and end of the Congress \n5:10 PM Children’s pickup \n5:15 PM Guided family tour of Elvas (Portugal)\, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Departure directly from IFEBA. \nACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CHILDREN \nWhile parents attend the lectures in the IFEBA Auditorium\, the children will enjoy a full program of games and activities. The younger ones will participate right at the Congress venue\, while teenagers will leave the fairgrounds to take part in an active tourism activity before lunch. \nWe are currently preparing the activity program for all age groups. You can find a preview below. \nSUNDAY\, OCTOBER 11 A day of leisure and tourism for the family on Sunday. In the morning\, a tour of the Alcazaba of Badajoz\, followed by a visit to the Callejeando Food Fest at the Ricardo Carapeto Municipal Auditorium to enjoy music and lunch at your own leisure. \nPRICE \n€50 / family \nIt includes: \nEntry to the Congress and the complete event program: lectures\, gifts… Childcare service and children’s activities for kids aged 3 to 18. Lunch for all family members attending the Congress. Guided tour of Elvas (Portugal)\, tour of the Alcazaba\, and the Callejeando Food Fest (free entry and discounts on children’s activities). \nAccomodation is NOT INCLUDED. \nCheck hotels and apartments with special rates negotiated by FEFN and Fefanex. Saturday dinner and lunch at the Callejeando Food Fest. Transportation to Badajoz. \nNON-MEMBER PRICE: €75 \nMORE INFORMATION (IN SPANISH) HERE
URL:https://www.elfac.org/event/xv-congreso-nacional-de-familias-numerosas/
LOCATION:Feria de Badajoz (IFEBA)\, Avda. de Elvas s/n\, Badajoz\, 06006\, Spain
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.elfac.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-3.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Paris:20261112T093000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Paris:20261113T140000
DTSTAMP:20261108T103636
CREATED:20260916T095659Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261106T125220Z
UID:14938-1794475800-1794578400@www.elfac.org
SUMMARY:Alcobendas (Spain): 6th Convention of the European Network of Family-Friendly Municipalities
DESCRIPTION:Attractive territories: the family-friendly way \nLocal territories are facing the challenge of attractiveness\, and while there are parts of Europe losing population\, business and future\, there are areas that have to deal with shortage of housing\, jobs and services.   \nThe focus on the wellbeing of families with children and youth can help municipalities to remain attractive and competitive: the alliance of private and public sectors\, between administrations and companies can generate opportunities of development if they will be able to intercept and meet the needs of the community. \n  \nDates:  Thursday and Friday 12-13 November 2026 \nOrganized by:  ELFAC\, European Network of Family-Friendly Municipalities\, Future of Cities Coalition\, MasFamilia Foundation (EFR)\, Municipality of Alcobendas \nDedicated to: \n\nMunicipalities\nCompanies \nFamily associations\nExperts \nPolicymakers\n\nVenue:  \nCentro de Arte Alcobendas \nAddress: C. de Mariano Sebastian Izuel\, 9\, 28100 Alcobendas\, Madrid \nHow to arrive in public transport:  \nFrom Terminal 4 of Madrid Airport: Bus 827 (10 minutes) or Bus 828 (14 minutes) –  stop at Marquesa Viuda De Aldama – 2 minutes walking to the Art Center. \nMetro: Line 10\, station Marqués de la Valdavia (9 minutes walking from the metro station to the Art Center). \nAccommodation:  \n\nHotel Amura: offer for participants\nEurostars Gran Madrid:: 10% discount promo code ELFAC06\nEurostars Madrid Congress: 10% discount promo code ELFAC06\nHampton by Hilton Alcobendas\nUVE  Alcobendas Hotel\nHotel Miraflores\nHostal Los Angeles\nHostal Frontón\n\n\nREGISTER NOW HERE!\n  \nAGENDA \nThursday 12 November \n09:30 – 10:00  Welcoming – coffee                     \n10.00 – 10:15  Opening  \nModerator: Raul Sanchez\, secretary general of ELFAC \n\nRocío García Alcántara\, mayor of Alcobendas\nLuis Martínez-Sicluna Sepúlveda\, Secretario General de la FEMP (Federación Española de Municipios y Provincias)\nRafael Fuertes\, General-Director of Fundación Masfamilia\nJosé María Villalón\, president of the Spanish Federation of Large Families\nRegina Maroncelli\, vice president of ELFAC\, coordinator of familycities.eu\n\n10.15 – 10:20  Message of the European Comission to the participants in the convention: \n\nDubravka Suica\, Commissioner for the Mediterranean\, in charge of demography\, European Commission (video)\n\n10:20 – 10:35 Keynote expert speech: The role and  impact of municipalities in work life balance  \n\nBelén Fernández\, Leader of ‘Cities that promote work-life balance’\, Fundación Masfamilia\n\n10:35 – 10:45 Delivery of diplomas for new members and those who have renewed their membership \n10:45 – 11:15 Coffee break \n11.15 – 13:30 Best practices from municipalities and companies: How to make attractive territories for families \n\nGood practices supporting families in our city\, Concha Villalón\, City Councilor for Families and Social Welfare\, Alcobendas (Spain)\nThe Family Observatory\, Mª del Carmen Portugal\, City Councilor for Families\, Orihuela (Spain).\nBuilding communities with people at the heart\, Paolo Romito\, director of the Provincial Association for Children\, Trento (Italy)\nThe Miranda Family Lab\, José Miguel Ramos Ferreira\, Mayor of Miranda do Corvo (Portugal)\nCreating a Family-Friendly Environment in Lithuanian Municipalities\, Deimantė Rusteikaitė\, National Family Council (Lithuania)\nGood practices supporting families in Cluj-Napoca\, Oláh Grecoiu Emese\, vice mayor of Cluj-Napoca (Romania)\nDeveloping Leadership Skills for community transformation\, Miguel Moreno\, Multinational Strategic Solutions (United States)\nAlghero Family\, the brand for family-friendly tourism\, Ornella Piras\, City Councilor for Tourism\, Alghero (Sardinia\, Italy)\nProposals from families for municipalities\, María Menendez\, president of Madrid Large Families Association (Spain)\nThe social impact of good practices for families in a local company\, Plastik SPA\, Bergamo (Italy)\n\n13:30 – 14:45 Lunch \n14:45- 15:00 Keynote: Practical solutions to attractiveness. \n\nLuciano Malfer\, Research and Family Development Manager\, Fondazione Bruno Kessler\, Trento (Italy)\n\n15:00 – 15.45 Panel 1: Family Plan and strategies \n\nModerator: Irina Granzulea\, member of the executive committee of familycities.eu\, Romania\nRegina Maroncelli\, coordinator of the European Network of Family-Friendly Municipalities\, Italy\nMaria do Rosário Carneiro.\, Scientific Commitee of OAFR\, the Observatory for Family Responsible Municipalities\, Portugal \nAlessandro Alciato\, Head of Family Polic of the Municipality of Alghero\, Italy\nAnna Przerwa\, ZDR 3Plus\, Large Families Association of Poland \n\n15:45 – 16.30  Panel 2: Housing\, urbanism\, tourism  \n\nModerator: Virginia Pérez Nieto\, Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships in FlexLiving\, Spain\nAndrea Vota\, Senior Public Policy Manager\, Airbnb\nJossianne Cutajar\, Chair of the Future of Cities Coalition\nDiana Grzimolovska\, Association of Large Families of Ireland ALFI\n\n16:30 – 17:15 Panel 3: Tools to enhance the alliance between municipalities and companies. \n\nModerator: Mercedes Hernandez\, Fundación Másfamilia\nSilvia Cipelli\, European Network of Family-Friendly Companies\, Piacenza (Italy)\nAdolfo Royo\, Deputy Director General for Employment\, Trade\, and Consumer Affairs of the Alcobendas City Council\nTwo companies\n\n17:15 – 17:30 Conclusions and closing. \nFriday 13 November  \n09:30 – 13:00 Guided visit to the Municipality of Alcobendas and its good practices \n\nFree municipal SPA for participants
URL:https://www.elfac.org/event/alcobendas-spain-6th-convention-of-the-european-network-of-family-friendly-municipalities/
LOCATION:Alcobendas\, Alcobendas\, Madrid\, Spain
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.elfac.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/6-network-convention.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR