child support

Child poverty in Scotland: taking the next steps

Child poverty has fallen in Scotland, but evidence from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation suggests that the current rate of progress will not achieve the 2020 target to eradicate child poverty. Some policy measures required to reduce child poverty (such as benefit increases) are not devolved powers, but the Scottish Government could do more to remove barriers to employment, sustain people in work and tackle low pay. This study discusses progress made in Scotland to end child poverty, and suggests what the Scottish Government needs to do to reach the 2020 target.

A child's legal rights At a glance

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has been signed by 197 countries including the UK.Most parents make sure that their children grow up with care and support. Most schools do everything they can to make school a good experience. Some children, especially those phoning ChildLine, say that they feel they have no control at home and in school.

The effects of discrimination on families in the fight to end child poverty

This report focuses on the discrimination experienced by families living in poverty in the UK ('povertyism'), examining the barriers preventing them from enjoying equal access to fundamental economic and social rights. Current thinking, in the national and international poverty debate, is that the question of rights, and their absence, is linked to poverty. Povertyism perpetuates a lack of knowledge and understanding about the lives of people experiencing poverty. The resulting policy approach leads to a denial of their basic human rights.

Issues in Earlier Intervention: Identifying and supporting children with additional needs

Earlier intervention is a cornerstone of government policy on supporting children and families with additional needs. This review and scoping study was commissioned to provide a more in-depth understanding of what is meant by ‘earlier intervention’ (defined as intervening early in the life course of a problem, or with a population at risk of identifying that problem, but not necessarily early in life).