How would you tackle child poverty and improve outcomes?

[Cindyyyy]

I would back:

• free basic school meals for all from 3 (extras can be paid for) of healthy, veg-based, minimally-processed meals
• investment into school-based pre-school, to be free for all from age 3
• increase school funding massively, pay rises for teachers and nursery staff, investment and subsidies into training
• increase number of SEN schools and in-school SEN provision, as well as PRUs
• subsidised holiday clubs for all parents working full time
• extend SureStart, increase reviews by health visitors. If a child isn’t meeting milestones, earlier intervention and increased checks
• expand apprenticeships

You?

To the person who said ‘no benefit cap’ are you for real?! We already have posters on here almost flaunting the fact they get more benefits than a full time wage (and in some cases, 40k+) and yet you don’t want to cap it? I think there would be riots!

Education, Health and Social Care actually working together.

If we had infinite money I'd change the school system totally.
Fund them similarly to private - same amounts I mean - for smaller class sizes, more SEN support, more green spaces, more options of study, more teachers who actually did the topic at degree, nicer food and more choice, better sports facilities and a slightly longer school day so that parent's don't have to leave work early. This could incorporate homework and clubs, just like they do at private schools. Suddenly every kid would have done some homework, possibly have a hobby and mum's don't earn less because of the secret child tax of having to leave early to be with the kids making them overlooked for promotion no longer applies.

Change CMS so it covers 50% of the costs of raising a child, including childcare and then rigorously enforce the paying for it, with prison time if necessary. So may kids in poverty live in a single parent household and the other one being forced to actually contribute should do wonders to reduce that.

No you are the one who is disillusioned, there doesn’t need to be that many of them for it to make a massive difference. I’m not talking about hard working drs and layers they are not super rich. There is a much bigger picture where they are getting richer and richer as normal wages are worth less and less.

I would also enforce the CMS taking of passports and cars/other assets for men who haven't paid for their children in 6 months or more.
Make them pay for their kids over the state and make it not be an easy option to just go self-employed to hide earnings both from the tax man and their own kids.

No idea. But I dint agree with a nanny state. People must take responsibility. And quite often people in real need dont get help because there are too many scroungers.

Those are made up goady posts. Maximum UC for a couple with children is c.£1800 pm.

Anyone getting more is receiving non-means tested benefits, probably disability benefits too.

A lot of the men are on benefits!

Why does this never occur to people? If mum is on benefits it’s quite likely the (often even more useless) dad is as well

Offer money to those on benefits that have one child or more to get implanted long term contraception or sterilisation (yes, even the men).
Make absent parents pay for their children. If they claim they cant afford it then they can either go to prison or clean the streets in exchange for the gov paying for their children.

I think the only way to do this, barring vouchers which I accept can be problematic, is to take money from parents and put it into services for children. So, for instance, scrapping child benefit for school age children and putting the money towards free / subsidised uniform, extending free school meals, holiday and after-school clubs with food provided etc

But that’s the point, we have the equivalent of the entire population of Scotland - ever last man, woman and child - on disability benefits. As I said I often have to listen to people’s financial circumstances at work, and it’s only a minority that only claim UC and don’t get PIP or DLA or several helpings of both.

You get 26k for working full time in Tesco… Would you manage 30 kids all day for an extra 4k?

I will never own a house either as I will never be able to afford one. There are many people in the same situation.

I think your grip on reality is extremely weak.

The changes you suggest will massively benefit children of course but they won’t tackle to route of the poverty. Certainly not for this generation.

For real change though we need to stop being so judgemental and actually listen to people living through it about what can be done to break the cycles. We need to provide more support for families, we need to ensure children leave school being able to budget and prepare simple meals - and we need to help parents to do be able to do those things.

we need to get to the root cause and make changes that reflect the needs of the communities.

I would devolve power away from Westminster have a decentralised government like in Denmark where the municipalities deliver day-to-day public services. If you have decision-making, budgets, and delivery responsibility at a regional level they can be targeted, anti‑poverty solutions. This speeds up responses and enables services that match the needs of the region. How many times do you read on here that someone in the South East doesn't have a clue about problems in a region of the North and visa versa because some issues vary hugely e.g. schools and housing.

If they have nothing to their name they would have nothing to take. If all 2/3 of men who don't pay maintenance were on benefits, we would know about it. They aren't, mostly its MC men going self employed and the mum can't work due to childcare issues.

Tbf I understand that no child deserves to be born into poverty. Like a child especially young kids can't be expected to "lift themselves up". They need food, housing and a loving family whilst they go to school.

I think there's a big refocus on education is needed. Too often in UK society it's seen as fine as not being academic or good at school and failing maths and English is seen as okay.

That's a starting wage for a newly-qualified teacher.
It does not stay at that level, obviously.

I agree to get children out of poverty you have to get the things directly to the children.

So yes free breakfast club, free school lunch and then after school with dinner / youth groups with food.

You could mix youth group with teaching them how to cook basic cheap food.

That way every child has access to three meals a day Monday-Friday. Youth group could still run Saturday and Sunday.

It could also be a discreet way to get clothes to children who are clearly in a need. Which are given via funding / donations. Someone comes in with holey shoes or a coat two sizes too small and quick check out the back/message to the place and something is sorted.

But this the has to be open to every single child even if their parent is a millionaire because you need to stigma.

During holidays you still run youth club and have basic food parcels no cash delivered opt in/out.

I know Amazon where delivering on behalf of someone as saw it popping up on the local facebook page various people where getting boxes delivered weekly with cereal/bagels/beans/uht milk/soups and all sorts of other long ish life foods.

Though this all costs money, but then again I’m sure people would rather taxes rise to provide this for all children than rise so Debbie with 6 kids and 5 baby daddies gets an extra couple hounded personally each month so smoke and drink up the wall.

Definitely paying benefits in non-transferable vouchers that can’t be used for drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or vapes.

School lessons to include practical life skills such as financial management, cooking, applying for jobs.

An increase in vocational qualifications and functional skills at GCSE age.

This, a thousand times.

Well you would say that with your eleven ( or has it gone higher ) BTL properties wouldn't you ? The poster was saying that more council properties should be built to keep greedy people like you away.

Spot on.

Men refusing to work and support their families and multiple DCs by different women.