How would you tackle child poverty and improve outcomes?

I worked in family hubs 20 years ago and I saw the work being done. They didn’t last long enough to see an improvement unfortunately

The super rich won't be funding other people's lifestyle choices, that's for sure.

Review the definition of poverty and tie it to actual material deprivation.

The current definition is based on percentile of household income so it’s mathematically impossible for there not to be children living in poverty unless you sterilise the lowest earners to stop them having children.

Equally making it illegal to pay anyone over minimum wage would eradicate poverty because there would no longer be a bottom 20%

Why is it benefit claimants think people who don’t claim never get evicted, always have money to pay their bills, are insulated from every financial problem? If anything we are far more at risk than they are, of eviction, bankruptcy, unemployment, repossession. They’ve lost touch with reality as they’re so used to everything being free, discounted or just provided for them.

Where is the money coming from? It’s no good having a wants list. Who can truly afford the huge tax increase this would need. We mostly need to provide for our own dc. It’s our responsibility. It’s not good enough to expect more and more from the state.

Tax the super rich

That there would be actual jobs and they would pay enough to fund a basic life. That if you work hard that there is career progression and incentives not to stay on benefits.
That you are better off working than not. Then we teach children in school that this is the point and that’s what they are there for, giving them something to work towards.
Stop making GCSEs harder all the time so it’s harder for those at the lower end to pass. Maths GCSE is nothing like what I was doing 35 years ago. It’s not making children smarter, it’s setting more up to fail.
Bring fun back into education especially primary. Give them more options when they are teenagers than a full timetable of GCSEs most of them don’t need.
Reduce rents and house pricing in line with what people are actually earning. I grew up in a 4 bed house paid for by one income. It’s worth a fortune now.

I think we need to stop asking schools to do everything and resource other services properly.

State supplied childcare.
Schemes which match farms with schools and nurseries so food is local and could also offer training/work.
Fund wrap round care in a way that allows better paid staff who can deliver cookery lessons, life skills, enrichment in an age appropriate way.

I agree that schools need much more resource and involvement.

I think going on about it being parents responsibility etc just shows a real level of ignorance tbh. Would the world be better if adults only had kids they wanted and could afford? Yes. Will that ever happen? No. Do people not have children in counties where there's no welfare? No. There's just more poverty. Making existing children poorer will not help. Feckless adults have always bred and always will, unless we're going to sterilise them

I think lack of secure housing is a massive issue so I would severely limit private rentals and massively increase social housing with lifelong secure tenancies but no right to buy. Re open sure start centres. Free after school and holiday activities for all children, arts based, sports based and musical.

What happened with Sure Start?

Do you mean the real and long lasting impact it had on health and education outcomes for children in the most disadvantaged areas and socio economic groups?

ifs.org.uk/publications/short-and-medium-term-effects-sure-start-childrens-outcomes

If maternity leave is 18 months it does not mean you have to stay home.

I also would like to see more practical subjects being taught in school, or maybe offered as clubs.

Cooking a hot meal, mending, some basic home maintenance, budgeting. It helps with running a household when they are older, and with spending money wisely and also, it helps pupils find their vocation, which in turn can again lead to a job.

I'd do that slowly. Slowly reduce and taper it off till it goes to 0

Agree.

If the relative poverty idea had been around when I was small, I’d have been classified as deprived but I was nothing of the sort! We didn’t have central heating, a tv or go on holiday but I had a great childhood.

Try living as a single parent on full time minimum wage with two bed houses running at around £1000 pcm and most landlords wont rent to people who require housing benefit to help top up.

Im a single parent, I work full time on more than minimum wage and I’d still qualify for housing benefit and likely wouuld still have to try to fibd a willing guarantor plus run the risk of potentially being evicted every six months at the whims of the landlord if I did fibd one who was willing to rent to me on my paltry more-than-minimum wage take home pay plus hb

Also, with 50/50 becoming the norm one parent will be excluded from any financial support even working FIL time as only one parent can claim child benefit and tThis is yhe ‘gateway’ for being eligible to apply for housing benefit despite the fact the child has two homes and a need for housing in both homes (blame the ridiculous family court trend of 50/50)

Where is all the money going to come from to pay for all of this? Let me guess - lets go after the middle income earners?

I would get rid of the assumption which has become hard-wired into British society and mind sets that it is the state’s responsibility to pay for the costs of bringing up children. It isn’t. It’s the parents’ responsibility.

Applause. It’s really tiring just how many
people see it as the job of the state (or rather “other taxpayers” ) to provide for them / their kids.

Would vote for you! Agree with all of this 🤩