Marion Macleod Senior Policy and Parliamentary Officer

Poverty in childhood - should we be more concerned about this than about poverty affecting other groups?

Child Poverty in Europe - some key facts 19% of children in Europe live in poverty, compared to 16% of the rest of the population Child poverty does not decline in line with economic prosperity - the UK, Italy and Hungary have absolute child poverty rates of 29%, 36% and 90% respectively, compared to Sweden (5%), Belgium (7%) and France (10%)

Certain groups of children in Europe are more likely to be poor - migrant families, lone parent families, large families, families where parents have low labour market skills Poverty frequently co-occurs with other factors that affect child well-being adversely Publicly funded childcare has been shown to reduce child poverty in several European countries

Child Poverty in Scotland - some key facts More than half of all poor children in Scotland live in a household where at least one adult is working A pre-school child is more likely to live in a poor family than a school-age child (23% and 19% respectively) Poverty is highly correlated with other adverse circumstances Outcomes for poor children are significantly worse than average in terms of education, health, employment and general well-being

Persistently poor children are more likely, by the age of 4, to be overweight, have had accidents, have poorer language development, and have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties Poor children are more likely to live with a mother with poor mental health, and this affects their behaviour and emotional well- being

Why child poverty should be the highest priority Child poverty and the adverse circumstances that often co-exist with it can result in difficulties that sustained through adult life and are often replicated when these children become parents themselves Early childhood is the time when it is easiest and cheapest to make positive and sustainable change

What steps should we be taking? Adequate income for family well-being Reduce inequalities Support parents to bring up their children well Get It Right For Every Child Provide good quality early education and childcare

Employment - a key route out of poverty? Work must pay Disincentives must be minimised Early education and child care can be instrumental, not just in allowing parents to work, but in helping them to support their childs development and learning

Working for Inclusion Project in four European countries, with studies of others, gathering information on current position and interventions that work Comparison of funding, structures and workforce Valuing diversity Community and national approaches

Countries with low levels of child poverty and high levels of child well-being have Highest levels of early childhood care and education provision High quality, well-paid workforce High universal entitlement Good access to support services Strong parental leave policies Integrated services

The right time is now Little evidence that we are more likely to do it in more prosperous times Cumulative impact of child poverty over time, thus increased demand for more intrusive, high-cost services We know what we need to do

Investing in reducing child poverty is our insurance for the future

Marion Macleod Senior Policy and Parliamentary Officer

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