The Child Poverty Reduction unit has been set up to combat high levels of child poverty across the North East. The new unit will be headed by Amanda Bailey, the director of the North East Child Poverty Commission, who works in partnership with Newcastle University.
Around 25% of children in Newcastle, and close to a third of children in the wider region live in poverty, a startling set of figures that Kim McGuiness plans to tackle so that “No child is left behind”.
Meanwhile, Newcastle City Council are facing the challenge head on in their plans to address what appears to be a growing problem. This includes the introduction of policies such as auto-enrolment for those eligible for free school meals, and securing £1.3M investment for additional childcare support.
The regional plan to tackle child poverty will be brought before the Combined Mayoral Authority in March to seek approval.
A 2025 poverty report published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that children across the UK face a disproportionate rate of poverty compared to adults.
The Labour government have stated “No child should be in poverty” and that “children should enjoy the best start in life”, as they look to introduce their national child poverty strategy in summer 2025.