Lisa Harker, who was previously chair of the Daycre Trust, was asked to review the Department of Work and Pensions' role in reducing child poverty.
The review report, Delivering on Child Poverty: what would it take?, calls for more family- focused employment opportunities and draws attention to the poverty of low-income working families.
Ms Harker said, 'There needs to be an orientation in welfare-to-work policies towards helping families and taking into account the particular needs of parents. The presumption should be that they need help finding childcare. Another priority is to reach potential second earners and get them into work.'
Around 40 per cent of children in poverty live with two parents where at least one works.
A Public Service Agreement between the DWP and the DfES is aiming to increase formal childcare take-up for lower-income working families, currently at 26 per cent, to 50 per cent.
JobCentre Plus is an under-used tool in this respect, said Ms Harker. 'I think there should be a link to JobCentre Plus in every children's centre.
It also needs to be more systematic about data gathering and monitoring of childcare demand and use.'
However, Margaret Lochrie, director of the children's services campaigning group Capacity, said, 'JobCentre Plus is not going to help if you don't have the skills. More needs to be done to help parents who are unemployed in order to get them better trained and then in better, long-term jobs.'
She added, 'Children's centres are a good place to reach them and offering free access to training and access to childcare will help them out of the poverty trap.'
Kate Green, chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group, said, 'This is an important report that recognises the diversity of poor families and that the poverty of parents in work as well as those out of work must be addressed.
'Proposals for a new deal for parents that would help people find and keep high-quality jobs, instead of just work entry, are the right approach. But greater engagement with employers is needed to ensure flexible, secure work is available to parents.'
The report can be seen at www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/ dwp/2006/harker.