Legal News

Welsh Assembly (WA) Communities and Children’s Secretary, Carl Sargeant, has said a whole government approach to tackling inequality is essential to alleviating child poverty.

The WA Cabinet Secretary was addressing Children in Wales’s Child Poverty Conference and reaffirmed the Welsh government’s commitment to eradicating child poverty.

Mr Sargeant said the focus on employability, early years and empowerment had put “far greater emphasis” on those areas which support children to have the best start in life, adding that this approach had seen increasing investment in initiatives key to preventing and reducing poverty – delivering a more equal and prosperous Wales.

The Cabinet Secretary added that, while recognising that more needs to be done, the Welsh government was making progress towards achieving its child poverty objectives in a number of areas.

Carl Sargeant said:

“Employment in Wales is close to a record high and the number of children living in workless households is at an all time low.

“We have reduced the gap in educational attainment between pupils eligible for Free School Meals and those who are not, exceeding our target for pupils achieving the expected level at Foundation Phase.”

He added that early childhood experiences were important for a child’s long-term development and their achievements in later life, which is why a focus on early intervention and prevention was important, particularly in respect of Adverse Childhood Experiences.

“Tackling poverty is the responsibility of every Cabinet Secretary and every Minister.

“While we do not underestimate the scale of our challenge, we must also recognise the opportunities available,”

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