Law to force child poverty action

The proposed measure was laid before the Welsh assembly on Monday

Public bodies in Wales dealing with children will be required by law to take action to reduce child poverty, under assembly government plans.

The measure would create new support teams across Wales for children and families with problems such as domestic violence and substance misuse.

It would also allow ministers to insist local councils provide free "targeted childcare" in certain areas.

Conservatives said "effective action" was needed rather than "rhetoric".

Both the assembly and UK governments have the shared goal of halving child poverty by 2010, compared to 1997 figures, and ending it by 2020.

It will require a commitment from organisations across Wales to ensure that all children and young people get a chance to fully participate in community life Brian Gibbons, Social Justice Minister

Households are defined as being in poverty when their income is 60% below the average.

Last year it was reported that 29% of children in Wales were below that poverty line, 1% more than in 2007.

The new Integrated Family Support Teams would include social workers with extra intensive training and aim to get the various support agencies working together more effectively.

Under the proposals, the teams would start work in three parts of Wales next year, concentrating initially on families with problems cause by substance misuse.

'Life chances'

Bodies which would be covered by the legal duty to "identify and take action to assist" in tacking child poverty would include local councils, fire and rescue services and local health boards.

Organisations with a charitable status, including both Sports Council Wales and the Arts Council of Wales, would not be included under the current plans.

The assembly government is hoping to reach an agreement with the Charity Commission to give such bodies the same obligations.

Local councils would also be required to provide "sufficient play opportunities for children, so far as is reasonably practicable", based on assembly government regulations and guidance, and to include children in local government decision making.

For their part, Welsh ministers would have a duty placed on them to develop a child poverty strategy for Wales which would have to be reviewed every three years.

Social Justice and Local Government Minister Brian Gibbons said ending child poverty was "at the top of our list of priorities".

He said the proposed law provided "a solid foundation to tackle child poverty and to improve the life chances of the most vulnerable children and families".

"It will require a commitment from organisations across Wales to ensure that all children and young people get a chance to fully participate in community life," he said.

"The measure will underpin action that is being taken collectively to tackle child poverty across the country," Dr Gibbons added.

'Cycle of hopelessness'

Conservative social justice spokesman Mark Isherwood said he shared ministers' "aspiration" to end child poverty but the assembly government record was "one of failure".

"The rate of those children in poverty is now rising faster than in England and the recession is only going to make matters worse," he said.

"For this measure to be effective it must break the cycle of hopelessness and tackle the causes of the problem at their roots.

"To achieve this ministers must replace rhetoric with real and effective action.

"It remains to be seen if this measure provides that opportunity."