Child poverty in the UK is at continuous rise and according to the Institute of for Fiscal Studies figures will reach at estimated 3.1 million in 2013. With the given upward trend, it is predicted that approximately 4.2 million children will be living in poverty by 2020 (www.cpag.org.u). Child poverty is a complex notion with no universal definition. A child whose family has only £12 to spend per day per person for normal expenses like new shoes, clothes, school trips, broken items  and all house hold bills  is considered to be living in poverty in the UK (www.barnardos.org.uk). According to the Department for Education, child poverty is defined as proportion of children living in families which receive out-of-work benefits and tax credit when their incomes are less than 60% of the national average income.

Some of the factors which cause child poverty are parents’ drug and alcohol dependency, family breakdown, high percentage of  low income households, families with disabled children or adults, lack of support for the lone parents in job sectors, decreasing levels in child benefits and financial incapability of families to manage their debt. Factors that cause children to live in poverty often lead them to a life of deprivation as adults in future. They are more likely to be unemployed, homeless, suffer ill-health and get involved in drugs, alcohol and abusive relationships (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4123676.stm). Along with the domestic challenges, the economic recession makes it difficult for the children, as well as parents to come out of the persistent cycle of poverty.

Poverty affects social, personal and educational aspect of child development. According to economic and social research council report, children from poor families have lower educational attainment. A 2007 report from Joseph Rowntree foundation stated that children from low income household are affected in their progress at school as their poverty suppresses their capabilities (http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/2123.pdf). Children living in poverty often miss out the learning facilities at home like books and computer skills along-with informal education that takes place outside the school. They also can not partake in the extra curriculum activities like music lessons and sports because their families struggle to provide them with basic necessities of food, housing and utilities.
Educational qualifications for at least a basic standard are essential to finding well paid work and thus avoiding poverty in later life. Children from poorer backgrounds are more likely than other children to not attain these basic standards while at school. So the effects tend to pass from one generation to the next. The UK government made a pledge in 1999 to reduce poverty and deprivation and promote fairness and secure opportunity for all children. One of the approaches adopted by the government to reduce child poverty was to narrow the gap in educational achievement between the most and least advantage children and young people.

As a part of the government’s vision of ending child poverty, charities are joining hands to contribute to poverty eradication. Muslim Aid hopes to speed up the process by raising awareness of the inherent danger faced by children in the UK in relation to child poverty and ensuring the provision of resources contributing to basic standard of living of a child and development are made available. Muslim Aid also aims to engage Muslim communities in their child poverty programmes. Child poverty is not only related to financial shortage; other factors like job mobility, provision of good educational and health facilities and prevention from life threatening activities like drugs and alcohol require community participation to tackle child poverty related issues. One of the ways community members can assist is through charities working towards reducing child poverty. The small initiative taken by Muslim Aid to provide educational resources and facilities at home can help build confidence in children and perform well at school. Their good performances and achievement can improve their chances to move out of poverty.

Cycle of poverty can not be broken by one entity or organisation on its own. It requires co-operation and joint efforts from government, NGOs as well as public and private enterprises. Participation and support from communities in such an effort is crucial to generating empowerment to children and realizing their potential. It also helps in creating a fairer society where children do not feel socially excluded and marginalised from the community. In addition, it also fosters to make healthy environment in which children are encouraged to thrive. There is a two way beneficial relationship between community development and child poverty eradication. The end result would be a prosperous economy and healthy society which respects people’s right and dignity.

*The copyright of this article is held by the Information and Public Affairs Department of Muslim Aid, UK. Use of its contents is allowed subject to acknowledgement. The opinions expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent the point of view of Muslim Aid.

By:
Amal Imad
Information & Public Affairs Assistant
Muslim Aid