A paper compared three European Union countries that had experienced substantial (but very different) reforms of their systems to support families with children: Austria, Spain and the United Kingdom. Child poverty rates had fallen in all three between 1998 and 2003: but the reductions were particularly significant in the United Kingdom (from 32 to 20 percent) and Austria (12 to 9 percent).
Source: Horacio Levy, Christine Lietz and Holly Sutherland, Alternative Tax-Benefit Strategies to Support Children in the European Union: Recent reforms in Austria, Spain and the UK, EUROMOD Working Paper EM10/05, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Paper | ISER press release
Date: 2005-Dec
The government published (alongside the Pre-Budget Report 2005) a report which examined the progress since 1997 in improving outcomes for children and young people. It considered action to build on this progress, and reach those who had not benefited equally from improvements thus far. 53 million would be spent (over two years) in improving services and support for families and children, including piloting new parent support advisors in over 600 primary and secondary schools.
Source: Support for Parents: The best start for children, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558) and Department for Education and Skills
Links: Report | HMT press release
Date: 2005-Dec
A report said that 1 in 10 children in Britain were experiencing severe poverty - going without material necessities such as a winter coat, and with little hope of doing well at school.
Source: Monica Magadi and Sue Middleton, Britain s Poorest Children Revisited: Evidence from the BHPS (1994-2002), Save the Children (020 7703 5400)
Links: Report | Summary | Save the Children press release
Date: 2005-Dec
The government began consultation on the eligibility criteria for, and timing of, an additional Child Trust Fund payment for all children at age 7.
Source: Child Trust Fund: Consultation on age 7 top-up payments, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558)
Links: Consultation document
Date: 2005-Dec
A report said that the government should establish a permanent independent income standards body, recommending a minimum income for every family that would allow children an equal start in life.
Source: Donald Hirsch, Financial Support for Children: Defining responsibilities and adequacy, National Family and Parenting Institute (020 7424 3460)
Links: Report | NFPI press release
Date: 2005-Dec
A report examined the development and expansion of Sure Start Scotland services since 2001.
Source: Sarah Cunningham-Burley, Amanda Carty, Claudia Martin and Anne Birch, Sure Start Scotland Mapping Exercise 2004, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Dec
A report examined the consistency and reliability of the activity history data collected in the Families and Children Study. Overall, the survey provided a "reasonably complete and consistent" account of the activity history spells, of a similar quality to that provided by the British Household Panel Survey.
Source: Mike Brewer and Gillian Paull, The Consistency and Reliability of the Activity History Data in the Families and Children Study (FACS), Working Paper 25, CDS/Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2005-Dec
A report said that child poverty could not be eradicated without significantly raising the safety net of the welfare state, supporting more people into employment, ensuring that work paid, and making further improvements to the administration of tax credits.
Source: Pre-budget Review Submission: The right to a decent childhood, Child Poverty Action Group (020 7837 7979)
Links: Report | CPAG press release
Date: 2005-Nov
Research found that the average cost of a residential school trip was 140. The third of pupils who did not go on school trips cited cost as one of the main barriers. Disability was cited as another barrier.
Source: DVL Smith Limited, Research into Residential Opportunities Available for Young People through Schools, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Children Now report
Date: 2005-Nov
A survey reportedly found that, on average, parents spent 165,668 on raising a child from birth to the age of 21 the equivalent of 7,889 a year.
Source: 'Cost of a Child' survey by Liverpool Victoria, reported in The Guardian, 25 November 2005
Links: Guardian report | CPAG press release
Date: 2005-Nov
A report said that child trust funds should be reformed so that poor children were not left behind. It advocated giving an 850 top-up to children from the least well-off families, but only 150 to those from the most affluent families.
Source: Dominic Maxwell and Sonia Sodha, Top Tips for Top-ups: Next steps for the child trust fund, Institute for Public Policy Research (020 7470 6100)
Links: Report | Children Now report
Date: 2005-Nov
Five reports contained the early findings of an independent evaluation of Sure Start. Children of teenage mothers and of unemployed or lone parents did worse in Sure Start areas than those in similarly deprived communities elsewhere. The government said that the programme showed positive results for most children and families.
Source: National Evaluation of Sure Start, Early Impacts of Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) on Children and Families, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260) | National Evaluation of Sure Start, Variation in SSLP Effectiveness: Early preliminary findings, Department for Education and Skills | National Evaluation of Sure Start, Implementing Sure Start Local Programmes: An integrated overview of the first four years, Department for Education and Skills | National Evaluation of Sure Start, The Quality of Early Learning, Play and Childcare services in SSLPs, Department for Education and Skills | National Evaluation of Sure Start, Maternity Services in SSLPs, Department for Education and Skills | Press release 30 November 2005, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: Report 1 | Report 2 | Report 3 | Report 4 | Report 5 | DfES press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Nov
An article examined parent participation in local Sure Start partnerships, within the broader context of public involvement in policy-making processes.
Source: Ulla Gustafsson and Stephen Driver, 'Parents, power and public participation: Sure Start, an experiment in New Labour governance', Social Policy and Administration, Volume 39 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Oct
A report said that children had to share a bedroom with their parents in almost three-quarters of overcrowded families in social housing.
Source: Full House?, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Shelter press release | ALG press release | Community Care report | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Oct
A think-tank report said that high rates of child poverty in the United Kingdom were a result of the tax and benefit policies pursued by the Labour governments since 1997.
Source: Rebecca O'Neill, Fiscal Policy and the Family: How the family fares in France, Germany and the UK, Civitas (020 7401 5470)
Links: Report (pdf) | Civitas press release | CPAG press release
Date: 2005-Sep
A United Nations report said that the government would have to levy taxes on the better-off in Labour's third term if it were to meet its goal of halving child poverty by 2010.
Source: Charlotte Denny (ed.), Human Development Report 2005, United Nations (+4 122 917 2600)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report (pdf links) | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Sep
A survey found a widening gap in the levels of decay in children's teeth in the poorest and richest parts of Britain.
Source: N. Pitts, J. Boyles, Z. Nugent, N. Thomas and C. Pine, 'The dental caries experience of 5-year-old children in England and Wales (2003/2004) and in Scotland (2002/2003)', Community Dental Health, Volume 22
Links: Full text | Abstract | Observer report
Date: 2005-Sep
A report highlighted concern about the costs faced by parents when sending their children to school - such as money to pay for uniforms, activities, school trips, and classroom materials,
Source: The Cost of a Free Education, End Child Poverty (020 7843 1913) and others
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Sep
An article said that there was a strong relationship, at ward level, between measures of deprivation and referrals to local authority child care teams. It said that more use needed to be made of quantitative methods in social work research in order to identify and understand more fully the influence of structural factors on issues relating to family and child care.
Source: Karen Winter and Paul Connolly, 'A small-scale study of the relationship between measures of deprivation and child-care referrals', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 35 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Sep
Three linked reports evaluated the Local Network Fund (designed to improve the targeting of government spending on children and young people living in the most deprived areas). The first focused on issues raised by the process of applying for grants; the second looked at the impact of grants awarded; and the third examined the overall effectiveness of the fund as a mechanism for delivering grants, given the goals of the fund.
Source: National Evaluation of the Local Network Fund, Evaluating the Application Process for the Local Network Fund for Children and Young People: Getting the money, Research Report 683, Department for Education and Skills | National Evaluation of the Local Network Fund, Evaluating the Impacts of the Local Network Fund for Children and Young People: Using the money, Research Report 684, Department for Education and Skills | National Evaluation of the Local Network Fund, Conclusions and Policy Proposals on the Local Network Fund for Children and Young People: Was the money used well?, Research Report 685, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report 683 (pdf) | Brief 683 (pdf) | Report 684 (pdf) | Brief 684 (pdf) | Report 685 (pdf) | Brief 685 (pdf)
Date: 2005-Sep
A working paper presented the findings from a feasibility study designed to investigate the potential to relate changes in family income, employment, and material deprivation during childhood to later life outcomes.
Source: Ian Plewis and Denise Hawkes, Feasibility Study into the Effects of Low Income, Material Deprivation and Parental Employment on Outcomes for Children both in Adulthood and as Children, Working Paper 20, CDS/Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Working paper (pdf)
Date: 2005-Aug
A research project found that the new child trust fund (giving qualifying children a tax-free cash award on their 18th birthday) had broad support from political parties, think tanks, and pressure groups. But existing 18-year-olds wanted to see greater restrictions on how the money was eventually spent,
Source: Andrew Gamble, Assets and Human Capital: The role of restricted capital grants, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: ESRC press release
Date: 2005-Aug
An article said that 1 in 5 of all babies in the Millennium Cohort Study were living in poverty, and that benefits levels were inadequate to protect mothers from poverty in pregnancy and after childbirth.
Source: Emese Mayhew and Jonathan Bradshaw, 'Mothers, babies and the risks of poverty', Poverty, Issue 121 Summer 2005, Child Poverty Action Group (020 7837 7979)
Links: Article (pdf) | CPAG press release
Date: 2005-Jul
A new book evaluated the development of a local Sure Start programme, and drew conclusions about best practice.
Source: Jo Weinberger, Caroline Pickstone and Peter Hannon, Learning from Sure Start: Working with young children and their families, Open University Press (01280 823388)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Jul
Researchers sought to establish comparative trends within areas covered by local Sure Start programmes in England, between 2000-01 and 2002-03. There were increases in most aspects of social service activity with families in Sure Start areas (referrals, registrations, section 47 enquiries, and numbers of looked after children); and increasing numbers of primary-aged children were being identified as having special educational needs. There was some evidence of a comparative improvement in child immunization rates. The rate of unemployment had also dropped more in Sure Start areas than in England as a whole.
Source: National Evaluation of Sure Start, Changes in the Characteristics of Sure Start Local Programme Areas in Rounds 1 to 4 Between 2000/2001 and 2002/2003, Report SFR008, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jul
A study sought to provide further evidence on the extent to which increasing parental incomes (for example, through continued increases in both in-work and out-of-work benefits) was likely to improve outcomes for children, compared to other policy options. There was some evidence that parental income did matter for a child?s education choices.
Source: Laura Blow, Alissa Goodman, Ian Walker and Frank Windmeijer, Parental Backgrounds and Child Outcomes: How much does money matter and what else matters?, Research Report 660, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jul
A discussion paper examined why, despite progress in improving children?s life chances, large numbers of children and young people were still missing out on opportunities. It summarized the literature on the translation of aspirations into realistic goals, and the extent to which aspirations transcended parental expectations.
Source: Charlotte Ritchie, Eirini Flouri and Ann Buchanan, Aspirations and Expectations, National Family and Parenting Institute (020 7424 3460)
Links: Discussion paper (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jul
Researchers explored the experiences and longer-term impact of work on low-income families with children, following an initial transition from benefits into work. Tax credits were viewed very positively and had helped to make work sustainable: but, in some cases, problems with reporting changes, miscalculations, and awareness had affected their impact.
Source: Jenny Graham, Rosalind Tennant, Matt Huxley and William O?Connor, The Role of Work in Low Income Families with Children: A longitudinal qualitative study, Research Report 245, CDS/Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | DWP press release
Date: 2005-Jun
Two research reports explored the characteristics and circumstances of families and children in 2003, based on analysis of the Families and Children Study (FACS). Around 1 in 5 children lived in a household where no one worked. Around a quarter of children lived in a lone-parent family. Lone-parent families were nearly four times more likely than couple families to live in social housing or privately rented accommodation.
Source: Maxine Willitts, Tracy Anderson, Clare Tait and Grace Williams, Children in Britain: Findings from the 2003 families and children study (FACS), Research Report 249, CDS/Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040) | Matt Barnes, Nick Lyon, Stephen Morris, Vicki Robinson and Yee Wan Yau, Family life in Britain: Findings from the 2003 families and children study (FACS), Research Report 250, CDS/Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report 249 (pdf) | Summary 249 (pdf) | Report 250 (pdf) | Summary 250 (pdf) | DWP press release
Date: 2005-Jun
A new book identified those groups of children who were most at risk of poverty, and looked at how to tackle the particular issues most affecting them. It called for a shift in government policy to address the needs of the most vulnerable children.
Source: Gabrielle Preston (ed.), At Greatest Risk: The children most likely to be poor, Child Poverty Action Group (020 7837 7979)
Links: Conclusion (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jun
An article explored the reasons why vulnerable women refused to take part in early intervention programmes. A number of themes were identified - including perceptions about vulnerability, misperceptions about the service, misgivings about the service, and lack of trust. It was concluded that women who refused to take part in early interventions were a diverse group, and that service providers needed to take this diversity into account if they were to improve uptake of services.
Source: Jane Barlow, Sue Kirkpatrick, Sarah Stewart-Brown and Hilton Davis, 'Hard-to-reach or out-of-reach? Reasons why women refuse to take part in early interventions', Children & Society, Volume 19 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Jun
A paper considered whether the social capital produced by greater parental involvement could counteract some of the harmful effects of less financial capital in socio-economically disadvantaged homes. Father interest in education had the strongest impact, especially at age 11.
Source: Darcy Hango, Parental Investment in Childhood and Later Adult Well-Being: Can more involved parents offset the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage?, CASEpaper 98, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/London School of Economics (020 7955 6679)
Links: Paper (pdf) | Abstract
Date: 2005-Jun
The Office for National Statistics published an report on family spending. Average spending by children aged 7-15 spent around ?13 per week. The report included the first-ever estimates of all housing costs for households: the average household spent ?116 per week on housing-related costs in 2003-04 - including ?39 on mortgages; ?23 on housing alterations and improvements; ?20 on council tax, water charges and other local taxes and service charges; and ?13 on rent net of rebates and benefits.
Source: Catherine Gibbins (ed.), Family Spending: A report on the 2003-04 Expenditure and Food Survey, Office for National Statistics, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Report (pdf) | ONS press release (1) (pdf) | ONS press release (2) (pdf) | ONS press release (3) (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jun
Researchers examined evidence on how welfare reforms since 1998 had affected the material well-being of children in low-income families. Low-income families with children were catching up with more affluent families, in their expenditures and their possession of durable goods. Moreover, expenditures on child-related items were increasing faster than expenditures on other items.
Source: Jane Waldfogel, Paul Gregg and Elizabeth Washbrook, Expenditure Patterns Post-Welfare Reform in the UK: Are low-income families starting to catch up?, CASEpaper 99, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/London School of Economics (020 7955 6679)
Links: Paper (pdf) | Abstract
Date: 2005-Jun
A study examined the relationship between Sure Start local programmes and social services in four local authorities in the north east of England. There was little evidence of an immediate impact of the establishment of a Sure Start programme on the number of referrals to social services. (Sure Start is a programme designed to improve the health and well-being of families and children before and from birth.)
Source: John Carpenter, Michaela Griffin and Sharon Brown, The Impact of Sure Start on Social Services, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
The annual report was published for 2004 on activities under the Children's Fund programme - a national preventative initiative designed to help children in England overcome poverty and disadvantage.
Source: The National Evaluation of the Children's Fund: Annual Report 2004, Research Report RW31, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
An article examined the research and policy base underpinning the development of the Children's Fund Prevention Programme (a government intervention targeted at children aged 5-13 likely to be experiencing social exclusion).
Source: Paul Mason, Kate Morris and Penny Smith, 'A complex solution to a complicated problem? Early messages from the national evaluation of the Children's Fund Prevention Programme', Children & Society, Volume 19 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Apr
An article reviewed case study data on Sure Start local programmes, collected as part of a national evaluation between 2002 and 2004.
Source: Jane Tunstill, Debbie Allnock, Sofie Akhurst and Claudia Garbers, 'Sure Start local programmes: implications of case study data from the national evaluation of Sure Start', Children & Society, Volume 19 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Apr
A survey found that parental awareness of the child trust fund had risen sharply. But there was also a 'startling lack of clarity' over who would be receiving the vouchers, with 17 per cent of parents with children who were not eligible believing that they were.
Source: Press release 23 March 2005, Association of Investment trust Companies (020 7282 5555)
Links: AITC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
The government announced (in the 2005 Budget) that it would consult on further payments into child trust fund accounts at secondary school age.
Source: Investing for our Future: Fairness and opportunity for Britain s hard-working families, HC 372, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 16 March 2005, columns 257-269, TSO | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 17 March 2005, columns 419-492, TSO
Links: Report (pdf) | Report (pdf links) | Hansard (Budget speech) | Hansard (Budget debate) | Briefing note (pdf) | HMT press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
A research report said that children from the poorest families were five times more likely to be killed as a result of unintentional injuries than those from the most affluent.
Source: Elizabeth Towner, Therese Dowswell, Gail Errington, Matthew Burkes, John Towner, Injuries in Children Aged 0-14 Years and Inequalities, Health Development Agency (020 7430 0850)
Links: Report (pdf) | HDA press release
Date: 2005-Mar
A campaign report said that, over the previous 10 years, housing wealth per child in the wealthiest areas had increased by 20 times more than in the worst-off areas. There was 'alarming evidence' of suicidal depression and self-harming among children living in bad housing. The housing gap was having a severe effect on social mobility. The report called on the government to treble spending on social housing as a proportion of national income, and to create a government department dedicated to housing and communities.
Source: Generation Squalor: Shelter's national investigation into the housing crisis, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Report (pdf) | Shelter press release | Young People Now report | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
A think-tank report said that increasing social mobility was dependent on further radical reductions in child poverty. Any government wishing to stay on target for eradicating child poverty by 2020 would need to spend at least an extra 2 billion per year by 2007-08.
Source: Simone Delorenzi, Jodie Reed and Peter Robinson (eds.), Maintaining Momentum: Promoting social mobility and life chances from early years to adulthood, Institute for Public Policy Research, available from Central Books (0845 458 9911)
Links: IPPR press release
Date: 2005-Mar
An interim report by a think-tank commission highlighted public scepticism over child poverty, but said that popular support could be built for an anti-poverty programme so long as the public could be convinced that their money was being spent well. It outlined the case for equalizing life chances across society.
Source: Commission on Life Chances and Child Poverty, Life Chances: What do the public really think about poverty?, Fabian Society (020 7227 4900)
Links: Summary | Introduction | Conclusion | CPAG press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
A paper provided a synthesis of the qualitative evidence regarding children s accounts of living in disadvantage. For some children and young people, family relationships, friendships, and neighbourhood social networks could help to reduce the impact of disadvantage on their lives. However, these factors could also be conflictual and result in stress. As a means of protecting young people against the negative effects of disadvantage on health and wellbeing, therefore, informal sources of support alone were likely to prove inadequate.
Source: Pam Attree, Childhood Disadvantage and Health Inequalities: A systematic review of the qualitative evidence, Institute for Health Research/Lancaster University (01524 594103)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Mar
An article reviewed the literature on mapping needs, with particular reference to children in need. It surveyed possible approaches to mapping needs and highlighted the challenges involved.
Source: Michael Preston-Shoot, 'Mapping the needs of children in need', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 35 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Mar
A report explored the links between women's and children's poverty. It included the results of two workshops which brought together members of organizations combating poverty with women who had experience of the daily struggles of living in, and bringing children up in, difficult circumstances.
Source: Women s and Children s Poverty: Making the links, Women's Budget Group (020 7253 2598)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Mar
The government announced (in the Budget) a rise in the child element in child tax credit of 13 per cent over 3 years to 2007-08, at least in line with earnings.
Source: Investing for our Future: Fairness and opportunity for Britain s hard-working families, HC 372, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 16 March 2005, columns 257-269, TSO | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 17 March 2005, columns 419-492, TSO
Links: Report (pdf) | Report (pdf links) | Hansard (Budget speech) | Hansard (Budget debate) | HMT press release | CPAG press release | OPF press release | Community Care report | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
A United Nations report said that the number of children in the United Kingdom living in poverty had fallen in the previous 10 years. In the UK, 15.4 per cent of children were found to be living in poverty - defined as households with income below 50 per cent of the national median. The report said that the government should reach its target of cutting child poverty by a quarter by 2005: but reducing it by half by 2010 would be more difficult.
Source: Child Poverty in Rich Countries, 2005, Innocenti Report Card 6, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (tel: +39 055 20 330)
Links: Report (pdf) | UNICEF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
A Child Benefit Bill was given a third reading. Under it, child benefit would be paid to the families of young people aged 16-19 in unwaged work-based learning and those aged 19 completing a course of education or training.
Source: Child Benefit Bill, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 3 February 2005, columns 1041-1066, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | HOC Library research paper (pdf)
Date: 2005-Feb
An article said that, based on evidence from Northern Ireland, the government's insistence on work as the primary route out of poverty would not lead to a radical reduction in levels of child poverty.
Source: Goretti Horgan, 'Child poverty in Northern Ireland: the limits of welfare-to-work policies', Social Policy and Administration, Volume 39 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Feb
The Welsh Assembly government announced a wide-ranging strategy to cut child poverty by half by 2010 and eliminate it by 2020. The strategy set out how the Assembly government would play its part in ensuring that the United Kingdom government targets on child poverty were met.
Source: A Fair Future for Children, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | WAG press release | ECP Cymru press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-Feb
The Court of Appeal said that a rule which meant that separated fathers could claim no social security benefits for their child, even if they shared almost equal care, was 'grotesque'.
Source: Hockenjos v Secretary of State for Social Security (No 2), Court of Appeal 21 December 2004
Links: Text of judgement | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Feb
A charter proposed ten policies to take a million children out of poverty by 2010. It included specific measures to raise incomes for families in and out of work; increase employment for those able and wanting to work; make work pay; increase support for the most vulnerable children; and improve public services for poor children.
Source: Ten Policies to Take One Million Children out of Poverty by 2010, End Child Poverty (020 7843 1913)
Links: Charter (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jan
A report presented findings from case studies carried out as part of the national evaluation of Sure Start local programmes. The data revealed a high level of satisfaction and enthusiasm on the part of parents who lived in local programme areas and who had come into contact, on either a shorter or longer-term basis, with the programmes. A linked report presented an in-depth picture of the individual services being delivered by the first 260 local programmes.
Source: National Evaluation of Sure Start, Implementing Sure Start Local Programmes: An in-depth study, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260) | National Evaluation of Sure Start, Implementing Sure Start Local Programmes: An in-depth Study (Part two: A close up on services), Department for Education and Skills
Links: Report (pdf) | Part 2 Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jan
Poverty campaigners published a manifesto which set out ten challenges to politicians to address poverty. It called for a poverty impact assessment to be made for every new government policy.
Source: Ten Steps to a Society Free of Child Poverty, Child Poverty Action Group (020 7837 7979)
Links: Manifesto (pdf) | CPAG press release
Date: 2005-Jan
A Child Benefit Bill was given a second reading. Under it, child benefit would be paid to the families of young people aged 16-19 in unwaged work-based learning and those aged 19 completing a course of education or training.
Source: Child Benefit Bill, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 12 January 2005, columns 316-371, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | HOC Library research paper (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jan
A think-tank pamphlet examined the impact on families of the tax and benefit system. It documented the cost to the taxpayer of lone parenthood, and the way in which existing policies penalized intact families and 'subsidized' lone parenthood. It argued that this system was unfair to intact families which were often struggling to make ends meet. By encouraging lone parenthood, it was also corroding the social fabric.
Source: Jill Kirby, The Price of Parenthood, Centre for Policy Studies (020 7222 4488)
Links: Pamphlet (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jan
Child trust funds came into operation on 11 January 2005. The new funds benefited every child born after 31 August 31 2002 by awarding them a government cash endowment at birth.
Source: Press release 11 January 2005, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558)
Links: HMT press release
Date: 2005-Jan
Researchers evaluated early evidence from 'mini' Sure Start programmes - 43 local programmes designed for small communities in scattered rural areas and pockets of deprivation in urban and rural areas, each with a target population of approximately 150 children under 4.
Source: Sara Glennie, Gill Treseder, Janet Williams and Mike Williams, Mini Sure Start Local Programmes: An Overview of their Early Implementation, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jan
Researchers evaluated pilots designed to explore potential opportunities and constraints for reshaping mainstream services to meet the needs of the Sure Start client groups more effectively. Most projects were found to have achieved their aims and initiated at least some degree of mainstream change by the end of their funding period. In most cases, these projects were expected to have a long-term positive impact in improving service delivery as well as generating benefits for client groups.
Source: Geoff White, Jenny Swift and Anita Bennett, Sure Start Mainstreaming Pilots: What can we learn?, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jan
A report looked at some of the most difficult issues that continued to face the children with whom the Barnardo s charity worked - including sexual exploitation, poverty, crime, disability, drugs and alcohol, and mental health problems - and compared the situation with that a hundred years previously when the charity was founded.
Source: Then and Now, Barnardo s (01268 520224)
Links: Report (pdf) | Barnardo's press release (1) | Barnardo's press release (2) | Children Now report
Date: 2005-Jan