A new action plan is in the works to tackle child poverty in the North East, following a significant summit that gathered community leaders and stakeholders.
Newcastle: A big meeting happened recently to address child poverty in the North East. Mayor Kim McGuinness is leading the charge. She wants to make this her main focus while in office.
Last November, over 350 people from different groups came together to brainstorm solutions. They’re planning more meetings soon, with an action plan set to be presented in March.
Right now, more than 118,000 kids in the North East are living in poverty. In Newcastle, the rate is as high as 33%. While many believe the government needs to step up, the summit showed a strong local commitment to tackle this issue.
Some ideas on the table include boosting family incomes and making work a better option for escaping poverty. They’re also looking at ways to support kids from the start, like a new childcare grant system to help parents get back to work.
They want to make education more affordable too, with plans for free or low-cost school uniforms and better access to free school meals. Local businesses are encouraged to join an Employer Poverty Reduction Charter to help their employees.
Mayor McGuinness is optimistic, saying, “By 2025, we aim to see real progress on our child poverty action plan.” The summit’s turnout showed a lot of enthusiasm to tackle this pressing issue.
Recent reports show that child poverty rates are high across the North East, with only a slight decrease in Northumberland. Researchers link local poverty levels to government policies, highlighting the need for change.
