End child poverty campaign

There are 3.8 million children in the UK living in poverty today. The gap between the richest and poorest is growing and social mobility is very low. The UK has one of the highest rates of child poverty in Europe despite being one of the wealthiest countries.

When children are born disadvantaged this directly impacts on their health, education and well being which limits their life chances and also damages society. Child poverty is not inevitable. It is sustained by benefits, below poverty line wages, educational inequalities, bad housing and deprived neighbourhoods.

In 1999 the government promised to reduce child poverty by a quarter by 2005, halve it by 2010 and end it by 2020. They have raised 600,000 children out of poverty, however they missed the 2005 target and last year the number of children in poverty increased by 100,000. Unless significant investment and policy change happens now the Government will fail dismally to reach the 2010 target.

** STOP PRESS**

One in three children in the UK still lives in poverty – one of the worst rates in the industrialised world. Too often financial deprivation blights families’ lives and blunts children’s expectations. The current Government made a promise to end child poverty and we are supporting the End Child Poverty Campaign in making sure they keep it. Their ‘Keep the Promise’ rally takes place in London this Saturday (4th October) and we encourage all our supporters and members to take part. Visit the endchildpoverty website for further details

BAAF's interest in this issue

BAAF is a member of the campaign to End Child Poverty and if you would like to find out more please visit www.endchildpoverty.org.uk where you can also join the Call on Gordon e-action on www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/Gordon