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Action call to meet child poverty goal

Five years after its pledge to end child poverty in the UK, the Government has been praised for 'demonstrable improvements' with a warning that more policy efforts and greater redistribution of wealth are needed if it is to reach its objective by 2020. Paul Dornan, editor of a report published last week by the Child Poverty Action Group, said, 'The progress the Government has made is encouraging.

Paul Dornan, editor of a report published last week by the Child Poverty Action Group, said, 'The progress the Government has made is encouraging.

Income poverty has been falling, as has material deprivation. Yet we still endure unacceptably high levels of child poverty.'

In the report, Ending child poverty: The first five years, Tess Ridge of the University of Bath said that while Sure Start has a clear child focus, other initiatives 'have tended to be directed towards children as adults of the future, rather than as children with their own issues and concerns'.

Ms Ridge said, 'Future government policies need to respond to the pressing issues and concerns of children who are poor now.'

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