Towards an equal start? Addressing childhood poverty and deprivation

Abstract

Prior to 1997, the number of children living in poverty in the UK had increased dramatically over the previous two decades. By the mid-1990s, child poverty in the UK was higher than much of the rest of the industrialised world. One of the factors contributing to the rise of child poverty was the rising level of household worklessness, single parenthood, and the polarisation of work among two-parent households. This rising incidence of child poverty is alarming as it has a profound impact on the self-esteem, expectations, and success in education and in the labour market of children. Child poverty also has an effect on early childbearing, low income, benefit dependency, and homelessness of these children when they age. This chapter discusses the policies towards child poverty and child deprivation. It assesses whether the government is on track in meeting its first child poverty target. It also assesses the impact of the government's early years policies on disadvantaged children.