End Child Poverty Network Cymru - A Manifesto for Senedd Elections 2021

The End Child Poverty Network Cymru remain deeply concerned that levels of child poverty in Wales remain stubbornly high and predicted to sharply increase in the near future, with many more children and their families struggling to meet basic everyday costs and needs. Many children will have found their situations considerably worsened as a direct result of the economic impact of COVID 19, with the emergency serving to exacerbate pre-existing inequalities.   Pre Covid-19 figures show that over 28% of children were living in relative income poverty, and in some constituencies this figure rises to 1/3 of all children. Close to half of all children in some electoral wards are said to be living in poverty. Independent reports estimate that there could be at least 50,000 more Welsh children in poverty by 2021. With unprecedented demand for emergency food parcels, growing levels of unemployment and fears around increased debt, financial hardship is very likely to have further increased by the time of the Senedd Elections in May.   All children have a right to an adequate standard of living under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and all children should have a say in decisions which will affect them. We believe that Wales could and should do more within the power the next Welsh Government will have at their disposal. We believe that preventing and tackling child poverty should be key priorities for the next Welsh Government and for all political parties in the next Senedd term.   Please see our Senedd Elections Child Poverty: A Manifesto towards Eradication 2021 here: ECPN Manifesto 2021