Opinion

To the Point - Prioritising under-fives

So now we have it: the Government has abandoned the target of eradicating child poverty by 2020.

We already knew from research by the Institute of Fiscal Studies that it would be almost impossible to meet this target without unprecedented redistribution in the tax system or a huge rise in employment and earnings for the low paid. But in his Autumn Statement, Chancellor George Osborne effectively wrote off the targets contained in the 2010 Child Poverty Act by taking back Child Tax Credit increases worth £975m to low income families in 2012 and almost £1 billion a year thereafter. Some 100,000 children will fall below the poverty line as a result.

The Child Poverty Act was already on life support; the Chancellor has simply flicked off the switch. But where does that leave us?

In December, Alan Milburn, the chair of the Child Poverty and Social Mobility Commission gave a speech on child poverty. If anyone can revive the child poverty agenda, it is Milburn. He knows that in an age of austerity, child poverty can't be solved just by throwing money at it. But he is also deeply committed to advancing social mobility. He argued that income matters most when children are very young. Protecting children from poverty in their pre-school years gives them the best chance to flourish later in life, even if their families slip back into poverty when they are older. So we should commit to under-fives as a priority. That's about 35 per cent of all children who are poor.

Second, we should recognise that services matter for families as much as income, and sometimes more. If your poverty target is primarily about family income and progress is measured on little else, the Government has no incentive to invest in services for children.

There must also be steps towards a universal childcare system. The more affordable childcare we have, the more likely it is that parents will return to work. Good quality childcare and nursery education also promote child development and social mobility. What's more, universal childcare pays for itself in higher taxes paid back to the Government. It's a win-win-win.