Yorkshire charity warns children living in poverty struggling to stay in school
It's claimed one in three lack essentials
A new report by the Children’s Commissioner has revealed that children across England are living in conditions described as “almost Dickensian,” with many missing out on basic necessities, living in substandard housing, and struggling to access education.
The report, Growing Up in a Low Income Family, echoes the daily reality seen by Yorkshire Children’s Charity, which says the region is among the worst affected, with one in three children living in poverty — and the highest rates of childhood disability in low-income households in the UK.
Charlotte Farrington is the CEO: “Poverty is robbing children of education and opportunity. We see it every day, and we’re committed to tackling it head-on.”
"We've had teachers call up, they've had a child that has walked to school with no shoes on their feet at all but they just wanted to come into school. We've had two sisters, who were sharing a pair of shoes and taking it in turns to come into school."
"We've had cases where children have been rehoused 40 minutes away from school and they are walking to school in shoes that unsuitable, parents can't afford bus passes and by the time they get to school teachers have seen feet bleeding."
"We're talking about families who are trying to make a decision between trying to buy a tin of baked beans or boiling the kettle. You know these are kids that are having a bath once a week because families can't afford to put the heating on."
Through its Winter Support Campaign, the charity distributes warm coats, shoes, bedding, and other essentials to help children arrive at school warm, dry, and ready to learn. Last year alone, it delivered over 10,000 items.
A Government spokesperson said:
“We are determined to bring down child poverty. We’ve just announced a new £1 billion package to reform crisis support, including funding to ensure the poorest children do not go hungry outside of term time.
“This comes alongside the expansion to free breakfast clubs, investing £39 billion in social and affordable housing, increasing the national minimum wage and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.
“We will publish an ambitious child poverty strategy later this year to ensure we deliver fully-funded measures that tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty across the country.”