www.familyandparenting.org
April 05, 2011
A LEADING families expert has given her reaction to today’s child poverty strategy announcement from the government.
Dr Katherine Rake, Chief Executive of the Family and Parenting Institute, said: “The Prime Minister David Cameron has declared he wants the UK to become Europe’s most family friendly society. This is a laudable ambition. But poverty is the enemy of childhood, of families and of successful family relationships.
“A child raised in poverty is generally far behind their middle class peers when they start school. But they are also more likely to see their parents separate – and to go on to form unstable family relationships themselves.”
Dr Rake added: “The current radical changes to the UK’s tax and benefits system threaten to disproportionately affect some of the most vulnerable groups of children and their families. Analysis shows low income families with larger numbers of children will be among the hardest hit. Families looking for new measures that counterbalance these cuts will be disappointed by today’s strategy.
“The target of ending child poverty by 2020 will remain beyond reach unless low income parents are granted access to more flexible working opportunities, and to adequate, affordable childcare.”
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