Child poverty is a significant problem in Wales. It affects one in three children and has a lasting impact on their lives as poverty is associated with many outcomes including lower educational attainment, poorer health and homelessness.
Despite the Welsh Government publishing successive child poverty strategies, very little progress has been made in reducing rates of child poverty in Wales. One of the key weaknesses has been that children are treated as a homogenous group, with one-size-fits-all actions. Instead, the needs and circumstances of different groups of children should be recognised.
This report, written in partnership with the Bevan Foundation, seeks to outline the experiences and root causes of child poverty in Wales, and considers policy options which can be used to address child poverty.