Are statistics showing a rise in employment an attempt to conceal that Wales has the highest child poverty in the UK?
Helping children in poverty out of school enhances their learning Source: Stocksnap via pixabay
Wales has the highest child poverty rates in the UK with over 200,000 children living in poverty, so why have these figures not improved in over 20 years despite employment being at an all-time high.
In June 2017 the former cabinet secretary for Communities and Children in the Welsh Government, Carl Sargeant, said, “Employment in Wales is close to a record high and the number of children living in workless households is at an all-time low.”
Despite claims last year that unemployment is at an all-time low in Wales, those who are experiencing life below the poverty line disagree.
Charities combatting child poverty
Children in Wales is an organisation that works with its members to fight for an equal quality of life for all children.
It describes its aim as improving the lives of all children living in Wales, but especially young children and those suffering the effects of poverty and deprivation.
The organisation says poverty has, “A devastating effect on a child’s life. It is associated with lower academic attainment and poorer health outcomes and employment prospects.”
In their 2018 report on child poverty, they asked the public whether child poverty issues had changed over the last year.
It said, “67% of respondents told us that the situation regarding poverty had worsened, 28% said there was no change, 6% thought things were probably worse and no-one reported that the situation has got better.”
Whilst employment was at a record high in Wales in 2017, child poverty rates in Wales are still the highest in the UK.
Salvation Army helping pregnant women to give children a fighting start
The Salvation Army helps pregnant women give their children a fighting start.
For deprived pregnant women there is a fear for their children who will be born into a life of poverty.
Nicola Walthorne, 58, resettlement manager for the Salvation Army, said, “as soon as we know they’re pregnant we start working for second stage accommodation or working with the council for them to get priority in their own tenancy.”
Whilst the council helps these women and children in need find somewhere to live, the UK government is threatening to further child poverty.
Child poverty is a problem that if the projection is correct is only going to get worse and so we absolutely need to focus more on it
In 2018, Huw Irranca-Davies, the minister for children in Wales, said, “As a government, we cannot and will not be silent as the UK government’s damaging tax and welfare reforms threaten to plunge 50,000 more Welsh children into poverty and increase levels of deprivation for our most vulnerable families.”
While helping women find accommodation is useful, this does not help address the problem of poverty once the child is born.
Helping child poverty in the home
Save the Children campaigns and tries to tackle child poverty in Wales through a series of fundraising and schemes.
The charity released reports in the last year saying in Wales, 200,000 children are in poverty with 90,000 living in severe poverty.
In a report from 2018 it was said, “In Wales, the poorest children are twice as likely to score below average for language development.”
One of the charities main projects to combat this has been the Family Connect programme.
This programme works by parents taking an 8 week course where they learn how to support their child’s education at home so that their child is able to reach their full potential.
Save the Children describe this programme to, “Empower parents to create a supportive home learning environment, so that children can achieve their full potential at school and in life. Over the course of eight weeks, parents learn how to support their children’s education at home by doing a series of fun and engaging activities.”
Tom Davies, children and family policy advisor for Wales, asked the public what they felt needed to be done to help reduce child poverty affecting a child’s education in 2017.
One of the ideas from the public was to stop the isolation and stigma children in poverty face who aren’t able to afford to participate in school activities or clubs.
With programmes like Family Connect being run by Save the Children this will hopefully help those who cannot afford after-school clubs to still be able to get their children engaged in learning and progressing in school.
The future
A projection of child poverty by IFS predicts child poverty to only worsen in Wales.
Steffan Evans, 27, Bevan Foundation policy and research officer said, “There is still a massive poverty problem in Wales and it is a problem that if the projection is correct is only going to get worse and so we absolutely need to focus more on.”
While employment levels being recorded at an all-time low are being praised as progression for combatting poverty for families in Wales, this cannot be seen as an improvement for child poverty with the figure of 200,000 children living in poverty not moving in 20 years.
