Revised practice guidance for Sure Start children's centres said that managers should do more to get marginalized families to use their services. There should be a greater emphasis on outreach and home visiting.
Source: Sure Start Children's Centres Practice Guidance, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Guidance | DfES press release | Children Now report
Date: 2006-Dec
Campaigners set out a series of measures which should be included in the 2007 comprehensive spending review in order to tackle child poverty.
Source: Francis McGlone with Paul Dornan, Comprehensive Spending Review 2007: What it Needs to Deliver on Child Poverty, Child Poverty Action Group (020 7837 7979)
Links: No link provided
Date: 2006-Dec
An audit report said that most Sure Start children s centres failed to identify the most disadvantaged families in their areas and offer them support. Only a minority actively targeted 'hard-to-reach' groups.
Source: Sure Start Children s Centres, HC 104 (Session 2006-07), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NAO press release | DfES press release | NCH press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Children Now report
Date: 2006-Dec
The government announced (in the Pre-Budget Report for 2006) the extension of child benefit to 8 weeks before the birth of the child.
Source: Pre-Budget Report 2006: Investing in Britain's potential - Building our long-term future, Cm 6984, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Summary | Hansard | HMT press release | CPAG press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Dec
A report examined outreach and home visiting services in Sure Start local programmes. The prime aim of outreach services in most SSLPs had been to gain the confidence of families, to assess with them what they would find most helpful, and to get them to participate regularly in the relevant Sure Start services.
Source: Mog Ball and Lisa Niven, Outreach and Home Visiting Services in Sure Start Local Programmes, Research Report NESS2006FR017, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2006-Nov
The women and children who stood to benefit most from the new 'Healthy Start' scheme risked missing out because of obstacles which prevented them getting the vouchers they needed, when they most needed them. (From 26 November 2006 milk tokens for pregnant women and their babies were replaced by vouchers that could be exchanged for fresh fruit and vegetables as well as milk and infant formula.)
Source: Welfare Foods and Healthy Start: CAB evidence on the provision of milk tokens, Citizens Advice (020 7833 2181)
Links: Report | Citizens Advice press release
Date: 2006-Nov
An article presented the findings of a study which investigated the experiences of parent researchers involved in a community survey within a Sure Start programme. Some of the strengths and difficulties of participatory research were discussed, and comment made on the extent to which lay involvement impacted on the conduct of the survey.
Source: Ann Rowe, 'The effect of involvement in participatory research on parent researchers in a Sure Start programme', Health and Social Care in the Community, Volume 14 Issue 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Nov
A report (by a think tank linked to the opposition Conservative Party) said that the government should aim to help poor children, or to find ways to encourage the wealthy to choose to help poor children: but the goal should not be misdefined so that only socialist policies could be used to reach them. The promotion of equality should not be an objective of the Conservative Party.
Source: Andrew Lilico, Measuring Child Poverty and Targeting its Elimination, Bow Group (020 7431 6400)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Nov
A report by an independent adviser to the Department for Work and Pensions said that although the government had made significant progress on tackling child poverty, further changes would be necessary if the goals of halving child poverty by 2010 and eradicating child poverty by 2020 were to be reached. It recommended that help for parents looking for work should be more focused on the needs of the whole family, and that access to childcare and flexible working arrangements should be improved.
Source: Lisa Harker, Delivering on Child Poverty: What would it take?, Cm 6951, Department for Work and Pensions, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release | Hansard | CPAG press release | Community Care report | Children Now report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Nov
A survey of 1,500 parents on low incomes discovered that parents found the costs associated with winter, such as increasing fuel bills and the need for winter clothing, put their already stretched budgets under immense financial pressure. A majority of the parents said that they went into debt to make ends meet. 1 in 5 said that financial pressures put their own relationships with their children under stress.
Source: Hard Times, Save the Children (020 7703 5400)
Links: Report | SCF press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Nov
A discussion paper examined the key issues of governance and management which had emerged during the first phase of the roll-out of children's centres and extended schools.
Source: The Governance and Management of Extended Schools and Sure Start Children's Centres, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Discussion paper | Letter
Date: 2006-Nov
A report examined the ways in which Sure Start local programmes had helped parents to feel that they had an increased sense of control over their lives. There was substantial evidence that SSLPs had empowered individual parents, so that they felt less isolated, more valued (especially as mothers), and more confident in their parenting activities.
Source: Fiona Williams and Harriet Churchill, Empowerment in Sure Start Local Programmes, Research Report NESS2006FR018, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2006-Nov
The government announced that child trust fund accounts could be rolled over on maturity into tax-free individual savings accounts (ISAs). ISAs themselves would be extended indefinitely, rather than being withdrawn from 2010.
Source: Speech by Ed Balls MP (Economic Secretary to the Treasury), 1 November 2006
Links: Text of speech | BSA press release | FT report
Date: 2006-Nov
An article examined the issue of engagement in antenatal parent education for women living in deprived areas, focusing on the findings of a local evaluation of a Sure Start parent education programme. The Sure Start service had been beneficial for those involved, and resulted in improved levels of engagement: but it only reached a small proportion of the eligible population. The article also discussed the issue of professional resistance from mainstream services.
Source: Charlotte Pearson and Miranda Thurston, 'Understanding mothers' engagement with antenatal parent education services: a critical analysis of a local Sure Start service', Children & Society, Volume 20 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Nov
A report summarized the results of a consultative event at which young people from deprived communities were invited to influence the government's strategy on eradicating child poverty.
Source: Child Poverty Matters: Views from young people living in deprived communities across the UK, The Campaign Company (020 8688 0650)
Links: TCC homepage
Date: 2006-Nov
A report examined progress on improving children?s welfare and life-chances in London. It set out a series of 15 indicators which would be monitored annually - covering family income, housing, educational outcomes, and health inequalities. There were high levels of income and employment deprivation in London, particularly affecting families with children, with initial improvements in the late 1990s but little indication of any consistent progress since 2000.
Source: London Child Poverty Commission, Monitoring Child Poverty in London, Greater London Authority (020 7983 4100)
Links: Report | Commission press release
Date: 2006-Oct
An article discussed the findings of a government-commissioned literature review which examined the impact of government policy (since 1997) on children and families at risk of social exclusion.
Source: Ann Buchanan, 'Children aged 0 13 at risk of social exclusion: impact of government policy in England and Wales', Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 28 Issue 10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Oct
An article said that child support reduced child poverty rates by over 60 per cent for those lone parents in employment who received it, and that it could achieve more if the regime were more effective.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw, 'Child support and child poverty', Benefits, Volume 14 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Oct
The Welsh Assembly government announced that its aim was to halve the number of children in poverty by 2010, as part of the overall aim of eliminating it by 2020.
Source: Eradicating Child Poverty in Wales: Measuring Success, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2006-Oct
A think-tank report said that schoolteachers, nursery nurses, and all other child professionals should learn about the effects of poverty as part of their professional development and training. Such training was necessary to improve partnership with parents, and to encourage more community ownership of Sure Start children s centres and schools.
Source: Tom Bentley et al., The Learning We Live By: Education policies for children, families and communities, Capacity (020 8977 0283)
Links: Report | Capacity press release
Date: 2006-Oct
The government announced a new requirement for Sure Start children's centres to evaluate the services that they provided, to ensure they were responsive to the needs of the most disadvantaged groups; and a new requirement for every centre to run a home visiting and outreach programme for parents of all new babies.
Source: Press release 5 October 2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: DfES press release | NCH press release | Daycare Trust press release | 4Children press release | Children Now report
Date: 2006-Oct
The government published the first annual statistical report on the Child Trust Fund. It said that over three-quarters of eligible parents had opened their child's account; over one-third of children had received an extra payment; and early evidence from providers suggested that there had been significant additional contributions into children's accounts.
Source: Child Trust Fund: Statistical Report 2006, HM Revenue & Customs (020 7438 6420)
Links: Report | HMT press release
Date: 2006-Sep
A report examined the extent and nature of saving for and by dependent children prior to the introduction of the Child Trust Fund, and also looked at parents views about and intentions regarding the Child Trust Fund, together with an early assessment of the Child Trust Fund market.
Source: Elaine Kempson, Adele Atkinson and Sharon Collard, Saving for Children: A baseline survey at the inception of the Child Trust Fund, Research Report 18, HM Revenue & Customs (020 7438 6420)
Links: Report | Appendices | Bristol University press release
Date: 2006-Sep
An article examined the findings from the reports of the National Evaluation of Sure Start, published in November 2005. It said that the research evaluation had been well conducted, but that the findings were inconclusive.
Source: Michael Rutter, 'Is Sure Start an effective preventive intervention?', Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Volume 11 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Sep
The fair trading watchdog said that parents were spending an extra ?45 million per year because of restrictions on school uniform suppliers.
Source: Supply of School Uniforms Review, Office of Fair Trading (0870 606 0321)
Links: Report | Summary | OFT press release | OPF press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Sep
A survey found that parents spent on average 14,000 (more than 1,300 a year) sending a child to state school - to cover items such as transport, lunches, shoes, school uniform, books, bags and rucksacks, and sports kit.
Source: Survey by Norwich Union, reported in The Guardian, 16 August 2006
Links: Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2006-Aug
A report said that paying child benefit at the same rate for all children would help to support larger families - which was vital if the government was to meet its targets to halve child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020.
Source: Fran Bennett with Paul Dornan, Child Benefit: Fit for the Future, Child Poverty Action Group (020 7837 7979)
Links: CPAG press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Aug
An article used administrative data to explore benefit dynamics for children in Britain's second largest city, Birmingham. Living in a low-income family in receipt of benefit could be seen to be a part, and sometimes a recurring part, of the experience of a large proportion of children. Policy needed to investigate and take account of the impact of insecure income as well as poverty when considering the welfare of children.
Source: Lucinda Platt, 'Social insecurity: children and benefit dynamics', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 35 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Aug
A study constructed a set of forecast populations for 2010 and 2020, and explored the impact of different policy options for eradicating child poverty.
Source: Philip Rees and John Parsons, Socio-Demographic Scenarios for Children to 2020, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Date: 2006-Jul
A report said that the government might miss its child poverty target unless it changed its approach. Since 1999 the number of children living in poverty had fallen by 700,000: but there needed to be a greater redistribution of wealth to benefit poorer families, combined with policies to help parents into work. Just using tax credits and benefits to alleviate child poverty would become impractically expensive, adding 28 billion to annual government expenditure between 2010 and 2020.
Source: Donald Hirsch, What Will It Take To End Child Poverty? Firing on all cylinders, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release | CPAG press release | BBC report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2006-Jul
A report examined changes in 260 Sure Start Local Programme areas between 2000-01 and 2003-04. There were fewer children aged 0-3 living in homes completely dependent on benefits in SSLP areas (down 3.8 per cent to 40.4 per cent) - this was a significantly greater drop than in England as a whole (where the figure fell by 1.2 per cent to 22 per cent). There was also a greater reduction in relation to children aged 0-17 living in households in receipt of income support.
Source: Jacqueline Barnes et al., Changes in the Characteristics of SSLP Areas between 2000/01 and 2003/04, Research Report NESS/2006/FR/016, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2006-Jul
The fair trading watchdog launched an inquiry into the school uniforms market, following parents' complaints about high prices and poor quality.
Source: Press release 5 July 2006, Office of Fair Trading (0870 606 0321)
Links: OFT press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jul
A report chronicled the views of families in poverty (around 300 in total, at 6 feedback events), and highlighted the difficult choices they faced in their daily lives and the solutions they recommended. Recommendations included improving access to high-quality, accessible, affordable childcare; improvements to the benefits and tax credit system; fair wages; and equal access for children to high-quality education.
Source: Laura Payne, Unequal Choices: Voices of experience exposing challenges and suggesting solutions to ending child poverty in the UK, End Child Poverty (020 7843 1913) and Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: Report | ECP press release
Date: 2006-Jul
A study forecast the prospects for child poverty in 2010-11 and 2020-21 under existing government policies, and illustrated the impact of various tax and benefit policy options.
Source: Mike Brewer, James Browne and Holly Sutherland, Micro-Simulating Child Poverty in 2010 and 2020, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Date: 2006-Jul
A report examined how the pattern of child poverty had changed since the Prime Minister s pledge to reduce child poverty in 1999. It summarized which groups had benefited most from the changes in demography, labour market, and policy that had influenced trends in child poverty.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw, How Has the Child Poverty Rate and Composition Changed?, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Date: 2006-Jul
A report examined the contribution that reducing teenage births might make to ending child poverty. It summarized the rates of teenage birth in different countries, and the regional differences in both childbirth and abortion within the United Kingdom. It reviewed the impact of a teenage birth on the mother and the child, and explored the factors that increased the likelihood of a teenage birth. It also considered the long- and short-term benefits of reducing the levels of teenage births.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw, Teenage Pregnancy, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Date: 2006-Jul
An article reported a study which found no overall differences in school attainment between users of Sure Start programmes and non-users. However, in one of the four local areas examined, users' outcomes were consistently worse.
Source: Justine Schneider, Alan Ramsay and Shelagh Lowerson, 'Sure Start graduates: predictors of attainment on starting school', Child: Care, Health and Development, Volume 32 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Jul
A report examined the extent to which large families experienced low living standards and poverty. Variations by family size in the employment probabilities, hours, and wage rates of fathers and mothers were probably more important than variations in needs in explaining why large families were worse off than small ones.
Source: Maria Iacovou and Richard Berthoud, The Economic Position of Large Families, Research Report 358, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report | Summary | ISER press release
Date: 2006-Jul
A report examined existing policy on tackling child poverty, and the underlying changes in poverty, earnings, and prices that had occurred since 1997 and were likely to affect the policy and poverty environment by 2020.
Source: Martin Evans and Jill Scarborough, Can Current Policy End Child Poverty in Britain by 2020?, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Date: 2006-Jul
A report summarized the technical aspects of the Family Resources Survey - including the background and history of the survey, the sample design, changes to questionnaire items since the previous year, survey procedures, and data delivery.
Source: Verna Drysdale, Alison Cooper and Chris Hillort, Family Resources Survey: Annual Technical Report - 2004/05, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report | Appendices (links)
Date: 2006-Jul
An article said that the United Kingdom's track record on child poverty and the implications of child poverty remained poor, and was inconsistent with the rhetoric of equality of opportunity promoted by New Labour. It made the case for the development of 'social justice community action plans' by national and sub-national public authorities. SJCAPs would encompass the promotion of equality and equity, the reduction of poverty, the reduction of non-economic inequalities, the eradication of discrimination in all its forms, and the enjoyment of all fundamental human rights and freedoms by all citizens.
Source: Eithne McLaughlin and Marina Monteith, 'Ten best practices, eight social rights: creating social justice for children and families standards and benchmarks for Social Justice Community Action Plans (SJCAPs)', Benefits, Volume 14 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Jul
A report examined the potential impact of child support in the strategy against child poverty. It assessed the failures in the existing child support system, and identified the difficulties in assessing the effect of child support on the families and individuals involved.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw, Child Support, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Date: 2006-Jul
A literature review examined how education could contribute to ending child poverty. It identified "powerful evidence" that education in childhood and youth improved chances in adulthood. Gains from adult learning were more mixed: but less-qualified adults could boost their incomes by participating in some kinds of programme. The returns from investment in education were especially high for vulnerable groups.
Source: Stephen Machin and Sandra McNally, Education and Child Poverty: A literature review, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jun
A report said that mental illness among parents and carers was an under-recognized but significant contributory factor to child poverty.
Source: Nick Gould, Mental Health and Child Poverty, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jun
A report examined the costs of child poverty to society, including psychological and monetary costs. It proposed a structure for describing the wider costs of child poverty; and gave some examples of the costs incurred, including, among others, housing homeless families with children, free school meals, and primary healthcare for children from deprived backgrounds.
Source: Donald Hirsch, The Cost Of Not Ending Child Poverty: How we can think about it, how it might be measured, and some evidence, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jun
A study used international comparisons to put policies against child poverty in the United Kingdom in perspective, both by exploring how other countries had tackled the problem and by pointing to some underlying characteristics of child poverty distinctive to the UK. In particular it focused on the effect of high levels of lone parent families (for which the United Kingdom was comparable with Sweden) and the effect of government redistribution on raising families above the poverty line.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw, A Review of the Comparative Evidence on Child Poverty, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jun
An article reported previously published research which found that although the Sure Start programme was benefiting some poor families, the most deprived families did worse in areas covered by the scheme.
Source: Jay Belsky, Edward Melhuish, Jacqueline Barnes, Alastair Leyland and Helena Romaniuk, 'Effects of Sure Start local programmes on children and families: early findings from a quasi-experimental, cross sectional study', British Medical Journal, 24 June 2006
Links: Article | Abstract | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jun
A report examined key messages from Children s Fund local evaluation reports. Local evaluators widely reported on the beneficial impacts of Children s Fund preventive projects on children and young people s lives, and said that many projects were effective at targeting hard to reach groups of children and young people. (The Children's Fund targets children and young people aged 5-13 considered to be at risk of social exclusion.)
Source: National Evaluation of the Children s Fund, Local Evaluation of Children s Services: Learning from the Children s Fund, Research Report 783, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2006-Jun
A think-tank report said that childcare for low-income families needed a further 2 billion per year in government spending to ensure the target of halving child poverty by 2010 was met. Tax credits for childcare should be made available to a further 4.7 million recipients of child tax credit, and not just those in employment receiving the working tax credit. The existing system did not give enough help to lone-parent families, those living in households where no parent worked, or children in large families.
Source: Kate Stanley, Kate Bellamy and Graeme Cooke, Equal Access? Affordable and appropriate childcare for every child, Institute for Public Policy Research, available from Central Books (0845 458 9911)
Links: Report | IPPR press release | CPAG press release | FT report
Date: 2006-Jun
The government announced the appointment of a new independent adviser on child poverty to the Department for Work and Pensions. Lisa Harker would work closely with the DWP reviewing the department s policies, and helping progress towards the target of eradicating child poverty by 2020.
Source: Press release 26 June 2006, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: DWP press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jun
A report examined the prevalence and characteristics of poor children in large families (four or more children). In 2004-05, 50 per cent of children in large families were poor, compared with only 23 per cent in one-child families. The United Kingdom child poverty rate for large families was among the highest of developed countries.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw, Naomi Finch, Emese Mayhew, Veli-Matti Ritakallio and Christine Skinner, Child Poverty in Large Families, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Report | JRF Findings
Date: 2006-Jun
A report examined the contribution that childcare might make to ending child poverty. Childcare provision had an indirect impact on child poverty through enabling parents to work. There might also be longer-term benefits in breaking the cycle of poverty and deprivation.
Source: Christine Skinner, How Can Childcare Help to End Child Poverty?, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jun
A study examined the contribution that welfare to work might make to ending child poverty. It focused in particular on the situation of lone parents. On existing policy positions, the government would miss the stated 70 per cent employment target for lone parents. However, lone parent employment rates would rise, partly because more lone parents would be older and have older children in the future, but also because of the future effect of government initiatives, including its childcare strategy.
Source: Paul Gregg, Susan Harkness and Lindsey Macmillan, Welfare to Work Policies and Child Poverty: A review of issues relating to the labour market and economy, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Date: 2006-Jun
A study examined whether a number of factors argued to have led to a rise in the incidence of childhood asthma might also explain the social gradient observed in it. Child?s diet, local deprivation, and maternal smoking were generally found to be the most important mediating factors.
Source: Carol Propper and John Rigg, Understanding Socio-economic Inequalities in Childhood Respiratory Health, CASEpaper 109, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/London School of Economics (020 7955 6679)
Date: 2006-May
A report examined the factors that helped children who grew up in low-income households to escape poverty in later life. Educational attainment was an extremely important factor from an early age. Parental interventions such as Sure Start could have an important long-term effect if they encouraged parents to become more involved in their children?s education.
Source: Jo Blanden, ?Bucking the Trend?: What enables those who are disadvantaged in childhood to succeed later in life?, Working Paper 31, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Working paper | DWP press release 1 | DWP press release 2
Date: 2006-May
The Prime Minister reportedly said that both the Sure Start scheme for children under 5, and policies for children in care, had failed socially excluded groups. He said that the government had "not yet found a way of bringing the shut-out into mainstream society".
Source: The Guardian, 16 May 2006
Links: Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2006-May
The opposition Conservative party said that it committed itself to matching the government's target of ending child poverty by 2020. But its spokesperson said that he did not believe that further increases in child benefits and tax credits were the way to reach the target.
Source: The Guardian, 11 April 2006
Links: Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Children Now report | CPAG press release
Date: 2006-Apr
The government announced that it had exceeded its target agreed in the 2002 spending review for Sure Start children's centres to provide services to at least 650,000 children under five and their families by 31 March 2006. On that day there were 836 Sure Start children's centres offering integrated services to around 657,000 children.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 18 April 2006, columns 2-3WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard
Date: 2006-Apr
An annual survey report examined the characteristics and circumstances of families and children in 2004. These included family characteristics such as parental health, education, work, family income, benefits and tax credits, savings, housing and material deprivation; and child characteristics such as health, schooling, activities and leisure, maintenance, and childcare. There had been a 5 percentage points increase in the number of mothers who said the desire to spend more time with their children was stopping them from working longer hours.
Source: Matt Barnes, Nick Lyon and Daniel Sweiry, Families With Children in Britain: Findings from the 2004 Families and Children Study (FACS), Research Report 340, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release (1) | DWP press release (2) | BBC report
Date: 2006-Apr
An evaluation report sought to identify which Children's Fund practices and approaches promoted good outcomes for children and young people, and supported their pathways to inclusion.
Source: National Evaluation of the Children s Fund, Developing Preventative Practices: The experiences of children, young people and their families in the Children s Fund, Research Report 735, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2006-Apr
An article examined the experience of Children's Fund partnerships in engaging children and young people in strategic processes.
Source: Neil Spicer and Ruth Evans, 'Developing children and young people's participation in strategic processes: the experience of the Children's Fund initiative', Social Policy and Society, Volume 5 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Apr
An article examined the major issues involved in defining and measuring child poverty; took stock of child poverty and changes in child poverty in the majority of developed countries; and formulated suggestions for setting credible targets for eliminating child poverty.
Source: Miles Corak, 'Principles and practicalities for measuring child poverty', International Social Security Review, Volume 59 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Apr
An evaluation report concluded that the Children's Fund was a diverse initiative that had built on local strengths to meet local needs, and which supported some innovative and beneficial services and practices aimed at the prevention of social exclusion of a historically neglected age-group. In doing so it had revealed the scale and complexity of the preventative work that was needed to address the risks and consequences of social exclusion. But the focus on service provision and delivery for specific groups or localities had led to limited attention to the conditions of children s development and features of their worlds that were themselves exclusionary: responses to the initiative needed to include action which dealt with what it was that excluded, as well as with building the resilience of children and families.
Source: National Evaluation of the Children s Fund, Working to Prevent the Social Exclusion of Children and Young People: Final Lessons from the National Evaluation of the Children's Fund, Research Report 734, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Brief | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Apr
A report examined the extent of child poverty in Northern Ireland. The prevalence of child poverty varied from a low of 8 per cent for severe child poverty, and 14 per cent using the United Kingdom government?s absolute poverty measure, to 38 per cent using the consensual measure of poverty.
Source: Eithne McLaughlin and Marina Monteith, Child and Family Poverty in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Apr
A report said that 'integrated centres' had succeeded in creating a valuable resource for their communities and, more importantly, for their children. (The centres provide early years education, childcare, community/parent training, and open access play to communities in disadvantaged areas.)
Source: Nia Seaton, Development and Implementation of Integrated Centres in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 6379)
Links: WAG press release
Date: 2006-Mar
The London Child Poverty Commission was established to increase understanding of the causes of London's high child poverty rates, and identify policies at national and local levels that would help reduce them. It would also identify ways to break the cycles of deprivation through the delivery of the capital's public services.
Source: Press release 20 February 2006, Association of London Government (020 7934 9999)
Links: ALG press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A survey found that over 40 per cent of parents with a household income below 30,000 had trouble providing for all the needs of young people in education after the age of 16.
Source: Press release 1 March 2006, Learning and Skills Council (0870 900 6800)
Links: LSC press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Mar
The government reported that take-up of tax credits was higher than for any previous system of financial support for families. 79 per cent of families entitled to child tax credit claimed it in the first year (2003-04), and the proportion of the money claimed was 87 per cent. Low-income families were most likely to take up their entitlement: for families with children earning less than 10,000, take-up was 93 per cent, while 91 per cent of working lone parents claimed.
Source: Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit: Take-up rates 2003-04, HM Revenue & Customs (020 7438 6420)
Links: Report | HMT press release | CPAG press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A report examined lone parents knowledge and understanding of how their benefit might be sanctioned for failing to take part in a mandatory work-focused interview. Generally, lone parents were aware of sanctions, had a reasonable understanding of the principle of sanctioning, and understood that they could receive a sanction for non-attendance.
Source: Lucy Joyce and Karen Whiting, Sanctions: Qualitative summary report on lone parent customers, Working Paper 27, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Working paper | DWP press release
Date: 2006-Mar
The government reaffirmed (in the 2006 Budget) its commitment to halving child poverty by 2010, promising that the child element of child tax credit payments would rise at least in line with earnings until the end of the parliament. Families with children born after August 2002 would benefit from further child trust fund payments - children would be given a second instalment when they are seven years old. Childcare vouchers, which covered 50 a week of childcare costs, would rise in value by 10 per cent to 55.
Source: Budget 2006: A strong and strengthening economy - Investing in Britain s future, Cm 968, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | HMT press release | CPAG press release | NDNA press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Mar
A report examined the range of income patterns across a whole year for a group of particular policy interest - working families with children, on low or average incomes. Families circumstances were found to change very rapidly, and basing tax credits on past incomes would involve 'rough justice'. On the other hand, this degree of income variation made administration of a system intended to adjust for it during the year very difficult.
Source: John Hills, Rachel Smithies and Abigail McKnight, Tracking Income: How working families incomes vary through the year, CASEreport 32, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/London School of Economics (020 7955 6679)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Mar
A think-tank report said that benefits and tax credits were being paid to 200,000 more lone parents than actually existed. Many people might be exploiting vagueness in the definition of a lone parent - co-habiting with a partner but describing themselves as single.
Source: Mike Brewer and Jonathan Shaw, How Many Lone Parents are Receiving Tax Credits?, Briefing Note 70, Institute for Fiscal Studies (web publication only)
Links: Briefing Note | IFS press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Mar
A report examined the services and projects for children and young people that had been funded in disadvantaged communities in Scotland through the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund. There had been a significant focus in BNSF on developing services for children and young people. Projects for children and young people accounted for an average of a third of the pathfinders budgets.
Source: Liz Shiel, Ian Clark and Francesca Richards, Children and Young People Services and Projects in the BNSF Programme, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
Researchers examined the distinctive challenges of bringing up children in disadvantaged areas, looking at the perspectives of both parents and children. Despite high levels of poverty, unemployment and drug misuse, both parents and young people usually identified positive aspects in their local areas, particularly associated with the presence of familiar and trusted family, friends and neighbours.
Source: Peter Seaman, Katrina Turner, Malcolm Hill, Anne Stafford and Moira Walker, Parenting and Children's Resilience in Disadvantaged Communities, National Children s Bureau (020 7843 6029) for Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: Findings | JRF press release | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Feb
A study found that the work-focused interview programme for lone parents was working well. It appeared to have met a key objective of maintaining progression between meetings and enabling personal advisers to build on any previous interviews. The vast majority of advisers had found this aspect of mandatory action plans useful, particularly during mandatory review meetings.
Source: Andrew Thomas and Gerwyn Jones, Work Focused Interviews and Lone Parent Initiatives: Further analysis of policies and pilots, Research Report 319, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined the provision of holidays for families in need.
Source: Judy Corlyon and Vincent La Placa, Holidays for Families in Need: Policies and practice in the UK, Family Holiday Association (020 7436 3304)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
A paper examined ways of measuring child poverty, focusing on the material deprivation element of the government's proposed measure, which combined relative low income and material deprivation.
Source: Maxine Willitts, Measuring Child Poverty Using Material Deprivation: Possible approaches, Working Paper 28, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined the level of resources spent by Sure Start local programmes from 1999-2000 to 2003-04, and the way in which those resources were spent. There were large differences in expenditure per child between different local programmes, even when they were fully operational. There was strong evidence of economies of scale: small programmes spent more per head overall, more on non-service costs, and more on each key service than did medium-sized and larger programmes.
Source: National Evaluation of Sure Start, Cost Effectiveness of Implementing SSLPs: An interim report, Research Report NESS2006FR015, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
Researchers examined the effects of work focused interviews for lone parents. The main barrier to work was found to be childcare, although in some cases interrupted education, health problems, disability, and caring responsibilities for relatives or children with illness or disability were also problematic.
Source: Genevieve Knight and Andrew Thomas, LPWFI and Review Meetings Administrative Data Analyses and Qualitative Evidence: Final report, Research Report 315, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined public expenditure on children, and the extent to which spending was directed towards the poorest children. It focused on key sectors of public spending for children, including early years services, education, and personal social services.
Source: Tom Sefton, A Child's Portion: An analysis of public expenditure on children in the UK, Save the Children (020 7703 5400)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jan
An article examined how three aspects of parental resources in early childhood – income, mother's mental well-being, and family status – enhanced or compromised children's cognitive and behavioural development. It also considered whether persistent poverty or persistent maternal depression were more deleterious for children's well-being than periodic episodes of poverty and depression.
Source: Kathleen Kiernan and Fiona Mensah, 'Poverty, maternal depression, family status and children's cognitive and behavioural development in early childhood: a longitudinal study', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 38 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Jan
An article examined the claims made for asset-based welfare in general, and for the 'child trust fund' in particular. It set out the results of an investigation into the views of young people into potential uses which individuals might make of the fund; and it said that social workers ought to take a particular interest in the development of asset-based welfare policies and the benefits which might flow from them.
Source: Lee Gregory and Mark Drakeford, 'Social work, asset-based welfare and the child trust fund', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 36 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Jan
A report examined how the rise of poverty among children in working families was undermining the drive to end child poverty as a whole, and what could be done about it.
Source: Peter Kenway, Addressing In-work Poverty, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Date: 2006-Jan
A report examined the role of childcare policies in ending child poverty by 2020. With further improvements, childcare policy could continue to play a key role not just in reducing poverty for existing children, but also in improving outcomes and preventing poverty for the next generation.
Source: Jane Waldfogel and Alison Garnham, Childcare and Child Poverty, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Date: 2006-Jan
A report examined the history of the 1999 pledge to cut child poverty by one-quarter by 2004 and eliminate it by 2020, and the progress to date.
Source: Elisa Minoff, The UK Commitment: Ending Child Poverty by 2020, Center for Law and Social Policy (www.clasp.org)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jan
Researchers examined the different governance and management structures of children's centres, and sought to identify those approaches and features that appeared to be successful. (Children s centres bring together locally available services, to provide core services targeted at the needs of children under 5 in deprived areas.)
Source: SQW Limited, Research to Inform the Management and Governance of Children's Centres, Research Report SSU2006FR019, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jan
A trade union report said that school meal prices had risen by 13 per cent since 2001 and 44 per cent since 1995.It warned that children from less affluent homes may not be able to afford school meals if prices continued to rise.
Source: School Meals, Unison (0845 355 0845)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jan
A think-tank paper said that the way the government was defining and measuring poverty was 'badly flawed', and that the Child Poverty Bill had more to do with redistributing incomes and increasing welfare payments than with tackling the underlying causes of child poverty.
Source: Peter Saunders, Poverty of Ambition: Why we need a new approach to tackling child poverty, Policy Exchange (020 7340 2650)
Links: Report | CPAG press release | End Child Poverty press release
Date: 2006-Jan
An article said that evidence did not support the hypothesis that low socio-economic status in young Scottish children was associated with lower habitual physical activity or higher engagement in sedentary behaviour.
Source: L. Kelly et al., 'Effect of socioeconomic status on objectively measured physical activity', Archives of Disease in Childhood, Volume 91 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Jan
A report examined what a focus on severe child poverty added to the understanding of child poverty, and what it might suggest in terms of future strategic approaches and policy solutions. It said that looking at severe poverty should focus policy-makers on a wider set of issues including: promoting take-up of financial support and services, evaluating the role of service providers, and addressing the divide between policy-makers and the experience of the most disadvantaged.
Source: Jason Strelitz, Ending Severe Child Poverty, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Date: 2006-Jan
Campaigners said that the children most at risk of criminality and anti-social behaviour were: the most disadvantaged – they came from the poorest families and communities; had the poorest educational experiences – leading to lack of training and employment opportunities; and were more likely to suffer from poor health, including mental health and substance misuse. But an opinion survey had found an 'unjustified and disturbing' intolerance of children, with 54 per cent of respondents thinking that children were beginning to behave like animals.
Source: Breaking the Cycle, Barnardo's (01268 520224)
Links: Report | Barnardo's press release | Telegraph report | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Jan
An article drew on interviews with children taken from a qualitative, longitudinal study of low-income working family life, to explore the accounts of those children whose mother's entry into the labour market was unsuccessful. It examined how children experienced their mother's employment, the impact of 'failed' work transitions on their well-being, and their perceptions of the value of work for them and their families.
Source: Tess Ridge, '"It didn't always work": low-income children's experiences of changes in mothers' working patterns in the UK', Social Policy and Society, Volume 8 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Jan