Child poverty

Thanks to Fallingstar, Luckygirl and others whose direct work experience mean they understand the level of physical and emotional neglect many children live with. I’ve known children getting themselves to school early so they’d be put into clean school uniform with their filthy one washed and ready for the next day. Theyd be given the chance to shower, wash their hair. They’d get toast and a drink before school.

One of my children primary school teacher in area of high deprivation sat a weeping five year old on her knee. Miss I’ve missed breakfast club, I’m starving had nowt since school dinner yesterday, here she said meat this banana. No miss no, then you’ll be hungry.

I could go on, (and on ) but these are our children. Bring back SureStart, free breakfast clubs . We have parents in our communities who fifty years ago been in institutions, now they’re becoming parents. Some can manage but they often lack a supportive grannie, this is where properly funded social support is essentiakn

I just read back my post, I didn’t mean to dismiss youg single parents as feckless, more a despairing ‘what a waste of young lives’. A lot to do with having someone, a baby, to love who loves them back.

M0nica

keepcalmandcavachon

MissAdventure

I reckon its sll down to batch cooking, myself...

What with false nails? Whilst watching a massive TV? Sorry no time, too busy getting tattoos

For a very small proportion of families that is true. For the vast majority it is not.

Oops! My clumsy attempt at taking the mick out of those that think these things are a cause of child poverty

Until very recently, I was a befriender with a local charity. A volunteer would befriend a child who might benefit from regular one-to-one contact with a committed adult, often outside the home.
All the children I befriended over the years came from financially challenged homes. In some cases, I had the utmost respect for the way the mothers managed.
But the chaos and downright dirt in some households was truly depressing.
There's poverty and poverty. Some things can't be fixed.

And it's never the children's fault.

Rashford's free school meals project was fiercely opposed by the Government.

Yes there are food banks and most have relatively healthy food available, that then requires gas/electric to cook it, utensils/pots and even a cooker in some cases. Plus, if you’re on a pay meter for fuel it could be hot water, a hot meal or heating if you’re down to your last few quid. Never mind nails and you need a mobile to look for work, contact the job centre, schools and so forth.
I’d like to see far fewer single parents, most of whom are mothers with little family support, particularly from the fathers. We have good, accessible contraception in this country, again, this cycle of perpetuates across generation and I really don’t understand it. Or have any idea of how to halt or at least reduce the numbers.

knspol

Fallingstar

As an erstwhile teacher I can assure you there are kids in this country who have no access to three meals a day, some making do with the meal they have at school and when they are not at school am not sure how they survive. In schools throughout the UK there are teachers who will provide some kids with a round of toast when they arrive and the chance to shower and change their clothes. These kids are often dull eyed and dirty, some are carers for a disabled parent, others are simply neglected or their parent/parents can’t make ends meet.
They have no agency and are robbed of the chance of a half decent education due to missing school or being too malnourished/tired to take part.
It breaks my heart.

I have 2 relatives who are teachers and they both say similar things, some children have horrendous lives and it often seems that a kindly teacher or dinner lady is their only help. Very sad.
Cannot believe comments made by Nanny 27 who questions whether there are any children in this country not getting decent meals.

Yes, my niece is a teacher - in a relatively affluent area - but she still keeps a stash of things like cereal bars/protein bars in her desk because she knows there are children who will come in hungry, and a hungry child can't concentrate or work properly.

keepcalmandcavachon

MissAdventure

I reckon its sll down to batch cooking, myself...

What with false nails? Whilst watching a massive TV? Sorry no time, too busy getting tattoos

For a very small proportion of families that is true. For the vast majority it is not.

In Scotland 100k children have been in poverty for the duration of the government. Evety time a poverty issue is raised it's another 100k children. Goodness knows what the benefit system has been doing as the number is static. Of course will include those who are in work but earn low wages.

Fallingstar

As an erstwhile teacher I can assure you there are kids in this country who have no access to three meals a day, some making do with the meal they have at school and when they are not at school am not sure how they survive. In schools throughout the UK there are teachers who will provide some kids with a round of toast when they arrive and the chance to shower and change their clothes. These kids are often dull eyed and dirty, some are carers for a disabled parent, others are simply neglected or their parent/parents can’t make ends meet.
They have no agency and are robbed of the chance of a half decent education due to missing school or being too malnourished/tired to take part.
It breaks my heart.

I have 2 relatives who are teachers and they both say similar things, some children have horrendous lives and it often seems that a kindly teacher or dinner lady is their only help. Very sad.
Cannot believe comments made by Nanny 27 who questions whether there are any children in this country not getting decent meals.

MissAdventure

I reckon its sll down to batch cooking, myself...

What with false nails? Whilst watching a massive TV? Sorry no time, too busy getting tattoos

Maremia

Anyone remember the fuss that footballer Marcus Rashford had to make, so that kids could get free school meals?

Free school meals had existed for decades. MR's intervention was to promote free school meals during school closures in the pandemic.

daughterofbonniebelle

I find it extraordinary that foodbanks have become an acceptable part of modern society; that families have to go to foodbanks to feed their children. They have become the new normal. This is the first thing in my view that Keir Starmer - or his successor - has to address. Child poverty must end.

You can never stop all child poverty because some of the poverty is caused by the decisions parents make. There are bad parents, bad parenting and mismanagement of money.

When you remove all children from one level of poverty, we simply move the goalposts. There will always be 10% of children with access to less resources than the other 90%, even when all children in a country are fully fed, dressed and live in warm houses.

midgey

Nanny27 I think the fact that there are food banks would point to the fact there are children in this country who don’t have access to decent food.

Surely the presence of food banks illustrates that in UK children DO have access to decent food, free. Plus free meals at breakfast club and school dinner.

It's not lack of food that's producing a generation of obese , socially struggling, insecure children and young adults who can't cope with school or other people.

This is the result of a toxic mental diet from screen media eroding reality and replacing it with unsustainable fantasy.

Wyllow3

The very rich don't care and many don't try to help. What is wrong with them 😡

Never understood.

The top 2% pay 50% of all the taxes, they probably think they are doing their fair share.

Is it me you are referring to as blind Petra?
I take exception to your use if such a rude cliche. I have give over half my life working with families whose children live with poverty. I've seen benefits misused and foodbanks abused (by some, not all). I've worked to help some families who genuinely struggle to make ends meet and others who use benefits unwisely to the detriment of their children.
Please do not refer to me as blind.

Part of it is a choice, you know if you choose not to work or only work part time and have a large family that you are going to be short of cash. The child element of universal credit and regular child benefit is just short of £100pw per child. What's very unjust is get a benefit package of £60k and it's real with removal of the 2 child cap you keep your family allowance but earn £60k you lose it.

I reckon its sll down to batch cooking, myself...

cc

I think that what we term "child poverty" in this country is often not nearly so poor as in other countries where families have literally nothing at all, no money or food aid. At least in the UK families have benefits, even if they are not what most of us would term generous.

not what most of us would term generous
The average yearly wage is in the region of £39.039. A family with 3 children and both parents working need to earn a yearly wage of £71,000 to match the benefits of a family with 3 children and both parents unemployed. Generous enough it seems.

I think that what we term "child poverty" in this country is often not nearly so poor as in other countries where families have literally nothing at all, no money or food aid. At least in the UK families have benefits, even if they are not what most of us would term generous.

I find it extraordinary that foodbanks have become an acceptable part of modern society; that families have to go to foodbanks to feed their children. They have become the new normal. This is the first thing in my view that Keir Starmer - or his successor - has to address. Child poverty must end.

We are able to direct parents to the community centre where there is a washing machine for their use.

watermeadow

There should be no child poverty in Britain. Of course there is, but I remember when every classroom had a few children who were dirty and smelly, with uncombed hair and feet in plimsoles or wellies.
There can’t be many now who have no mobile phone or no TV at home and they are all clean.

They certainly are not all clean! In our son’s primary school some years ago, they had a washing machine and dryer as some parents had no facilities. In many areas, that hasn’t changed.

Anyone remember the fuss that footballer Marcus Rashford had to make, so that kids could get free school meals?