End Child Poverty Month

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End Child Poverty Month took place from International Day of Poverty on 17 October to Universal Children's Day on 20 November 2006. The month brought to the fore the issue of Child Poverty in the UK, highlighting the causes and consequences and suggesting solutions.

3.4 million children are currently living in poverty in the UK, that's more than 1 in 4 and a shocking statistic considering the wealth of our nation. Child poverty is especially prolific in one-parent families with 48% of children of lone parent families living in poverty. Children living in one-parent families are more than twice as likely to be poor, as children with two resident parents.

The Government aims to halve child poverty by 2010 and end it by 2020. In the last five years 700,000 children have been lifted out of poverty, a considerable achievement. But it is not enough. Earlier this year the government failed to reach its target of reducing child poverty by a quarter between 1998/9 and 2004/5. It is clear that current policies and resources will not enable the government to reach its aim of halving child poverty by 2010 and eradicating it by 2020. More needs to be done.

Child poverty in the UK remains higher than in all but 3 of the 24 EU countries. Children growing up in poverty can go without basics like adequate food and warm clothing. The experience of such persistent poverty has long-term consequences. For many it shapes the character of their day-to-day life and future prospects. Poverty blights children's lives and unless we break the cycle children growing up in poor families will become tomorrow's poor parents.

Ending child poverty in our lifetime is one of the major challenges of this nation. It is too important a goal to miss. We are therefore launched End Child Poverty Month on 17 October and our message to the Government is to commit the £4 billion needed to end the child poverty lottery.

One Parent Families report from Fringe Meetings at Party Conferences

20 November 2006 – telling the Treasury to End Child Poverty!

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