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Core aim 1: every child should have a flying start in life and the best possible basis for their future growth and development.
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(UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Articles 1, 3, 6, 29, 36)
The first article of the UNCRC states that everyone under the age of 18 has all the rights as defined by the convention. From the moment a child is born he or she should receive the full benefits of access to the protection, provision, and participation enshrined in the Convention to ensure a flying start in life.
A good start in life increases the chances of better outcomes during childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Child poverty during the early years of a child’s life is particularly harmful to a child’s future development. It is a more powerful predictor of later poor achievement than a child’s experience of poverty at any subsequent stage of development.
Role of local government and partners
Local authorities have a duty to promote community well being. To achieve this duty it will be necessary to work in partnership to reduce child poverty.
Local authorities have an important role in providing a range of services targeted at children and their families during the ‘Early Years’. Education, community provision and public health services are all vital in ensuring a child is able to enjoy a good quality of life and is not adversely affected by the effects of poverty. Maximising effective delivery through collaboration through the Children and Young Peoples Plans and Health Social Care and Well Being (HSCWB) Strategies will be imperative to supporting improvement. This briefing provides an overview of some of the challenges faced by local authorities and supportive suggestions for improved policy making and delivery, in line with the Welsh Assembly Government’s Child Poverty Implementation plan.
Within this core aim, these actions include increasing affordable quality childcare, improving financial inclusion amongst vulnerable parents, helping to improve the take up of tax credits, improving parenting skills and skills for work.
Policy and initiative links