Interview - Helen Barnard

What is the impact of poverty on children?

Poverty affects children from the very start of their lives - it wastes people’s potential, damages their relationships and costs the UK £78bn a year. Our strategy is to solve poverty across all ages and parts of the UK.

A child born in a deprived neighbourhood will die on average nine years earlier than a child born in a wealthier area. By the time children are three there is already a gap in development between those from richer and poorer families. This increases as they get older; at 16, only 34 per cent of children eligible for free school meals get five good GCSEs, compared with 61 per cent of other children. This lower attainment is the biggest driver of poverty in adulthood.

What should the Government do?

Poverty has many causes – rising costs for housing, food and other essentials, a lack of secure and decently paid jobs, low skills and qualifications and breakdowns in relationships. The stress of trying to make ends meet on a low income is one factor that strains couples’ relationships and makes it harder for parents to give their children the warm, responsive attention which helps them develop.

JRF’s strategy sets out how to solve poverty through a partnership between governments, businesses and communities. It demonstrates how we can raise incomes and reduce living costs, improve education standards and raise skills and strengthen families and communities.

You’re calling for a radical overhaul of the childcare system.

The proposals include plans to revitalise and increase funding for children’s centres, shaping them into Family Hubs with a particular focus on supporting relationships and parenting. We also recommend major improvements in perinatal mental health services and increased provision of parenting support. We have worked closely with the Family and Childcare Trust to develop proposals for a radical overhaul of the UK’s childcare and early education systems. This involves funding childcare providers directly, with parental top-ups linked to income; greatly improving quality, matched by higher pay; and increasing access and inclusion for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

More affordable childcare makes a big difference to family budgets and parents’ ability to train and work. The benefits of high-quality childcare for development can still be seen when children are in secondary school.

There is no silver bullet – we need to take action on many fronts simultaneously. But high-quality, affordable childcare should be at the heart of any strategy to solve poverty.