Report reveals government targets for child poverty in Scotland failing to be met

Three in 10 children in Scotland spend at least a year in poverty before they start school, according to a government-funded report published today.

The Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) study is funded by the Scottish government and carried out by the Scottish Centre for Social Research. Beginning in April 2005, it has monitored the progress of about 5,000 children aged under a year, and about 3,000 children aged between two and three.

The findings show that since 2005, approximately three in 10 young Scottish children were “income poor” in any one year. It also concludes that a quarter of three- and four-year-olds and a fifth of five- and six-year-olds have lived in persistent poverty for the past five years.

Children were defined as persistently poor if they lived in a low-income household for at least three of the four annual interviews that GUS conducted.

Tam Baillie, Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, said: “The government targets for child poverty are clearly not being met and this is absolutely unacceptable. Child poverty deprives too many children of their rights to survival, development and to enjoy a decent standard of living.”

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/04/21131609/0