In a move to address the persistent challenge of child poverty in Wales, the Welsh Government has unveiled its comprehensive Child Poverty Strategy for Wales 2024. This strategy, developed in response to extensive public consultations, sets out a roadmap for the next decade and beyond, aiming to eradicate child poverty and its most severe consequences across Wales. With a focus on integrating national policies and fostering collaboration at regional and local levels, the strategy is a demonstration to the government’s commitment to ensuring a more equitable future for all children and young people, irrespective of their background or circumstances.
The key points are outlined below:
Overview:
- The strategy reflects feedback from a consultation process and aligns with the Welsh Government’s long-term objectives for tackling child poverty.
- It focuses on integration across national policies and collaboration at regional and local levels.
- The strategy is not standalone; it interlinks with various Welsh legislative duties and influences policies across the government.
Long-term objectives:
- Reduce family costs and maximise incomes.
- Create pathways out of poverty.
- Support child and family wellbeing.
- Ensure dignity and respect.
- Promote effective cross-government collaboration.
Priorities for action:
- Entitlement: Ensuring financial support.
- Creating a Fair Work nation.
- Building communities with accessible services.
- Inclusion in services.
- Enabling collaboration at regional and local levels.
Specific commitments:
- Establishing a Welsh benefits system with a focus on compassion and accessibility.
- Championing the Real Living Wage and removing employment barriers for disadvantaged groups.
- Focusing on affordable childcare and transport solutions.
- Supporting community-based services and schools as community hubs.
- Taking a children’s rights approach in line with the UNCRC.
Child poverty definition and measurement:
- The strategy maintains the 2011 definition of child poverty.
- It focuses on relative income poverty, highlighting that as of 2020-2022, 28% of children in Wales live below the poverty threshold.
Intersectionality and impact:
- The strategy acknowledges the intersectionality of socio-economic disadvantage and protected characteristics.
- It underscores the extensive impacts of poverty on health, educational outcomes, and increased risks of abuse and neglect.
Collaboration and engagement:
- A strong emphasis is placed on collaboration across government sectors and with partners in the public and third sectors.
- The strategy incorporates public engagement, including feedback from children and young people with firsthand experiences of poverty.
Rural poverty:
- For the first time, the strategy acknowledges challenges specific to rural communities, such as distance from services, limited job opportunities, higher living costs, and social isolation.
Monitoring and reporting:
- Although the Welsh Government plans to monitor and report on the strategy’s impact, with a scheduled progress report in December 2025, there are no specifics of targets.
In summary, the strategy presents an approach to tackle child poverty in Wales that emphasises the importance of multi-faceted action and collaboration. You can read the report in its entirety by following this link. Top of Form
