2013-06-20T05:24:29-04:00 Anne Longfield http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=anne-longfield Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Anne Longfield Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2906900 2013-03-19T09:37:23-04:00 2013-05-19T05:12:01-04:00

Anne Longfield http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-longfield/
The announcement, which appears to offer help for more families, from across the income spectrum, is for this reason good news. The expansion of childcare vouchers to parents whose employers don't currently take part in the scheme is hugely positive. However, it appears that whilst under current rules both parents can claim vouchers, in the new system the voucher will only be available to one earner. In addition, to benefit from the scheme both parents will need to be in work which will exclude families with a single earner, a blow to some families who have already lost their child benefit.

Increased support for some of the lowest income families - up from 70% of childcare costs to 85% - will make a big difference and will mean that these families will get more of the money they earn as long as they reach the threshold for paying income tax. It is a missed opportunity, however, that this is not being extended to some of the lowest paid workers - earning less than £10,000 per year.

Overall, these are welcome announcements but families who are feeling extreme pressure on their family budgets today, will regret that they will have to wait at least two and a half years to benefit from them. With the cost of childcare rising by around 5% a year there will be some tough times ahead before 2015/16 when this extra money comes on stream.

When the Chancellor announces his Comprehensive Spending Review in June we will be looking closely to see where the money to pay for this comes from. We will want to be sure that it is not being paid for by reducing other support for children and families. This is why the Fair4Families campaign has been launched, aiming to ensure that the CSR gives real support to all children and families, particularly those already struggling with the rising cost of living and cuts to benefits.

There are no easy solutions when it comes to making sure that childcare is affordable for both parents and providers, but the government must guarantee that parents have the means to work and still give their children affordable, high-quality childcare, and that this will also be sustainable in the future.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2883000 2013-03-15T07:51:49-04:00 2013-05-15T05:12:01-04:00

Anne Longfield http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-longfield/
According to new research published today by Asda (in the 'Mumdex'), mums reported that the rising cost of living is now three times as pressing an issue as youth unemployment and four times as pressing as violent crime. The Mumdex reveals shocking figures that 6 in 10 mums say they can no longer afford to turn the heating on for as long as they need. This is simply an unsustainable status quo and it is now clear that the government must intervene to rescue families from the brink. This week's Budget is a key opportunity for the Chancellor to demonstrate that supporting families with children is a priority, and to lay the groundwork that will enable families to take charge of their own budgets again.

To this end, a campaign backed by leading children and families charities has been launched to call on the Government to invest in the country's greatest asset. Headed by national charity 4Children, with a coalition of charities and organisations behind it, Fair4Families argues that families are a major untapped resource and that the Chancellor needs to put them at the top of his agenda in economic decisions this year. An indication of his commitment to families in this month's Budget will be a positive first step, but also crucial will be the later Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), now set for the end of June. With Departmental Ministers openly making the case for protecting their budgets from further cuts, it is critical that the needs of families with children don't get drowned out.

Since taking office, the Government has made pensioners a special case; taking steps to protect pensioners by introducing a 'triple lock' to ensure that the state pensions will rise by inflation, average earnings or 2.5 per cent - whichever is higher - and by protecting key universal benefits. That is admirable, but in contrast, families with children are struggling on multiple fronts, with real terms cuts in tax credits, child benefit, and maternity and paternity pay all adding up.

To ensure that families are made a priority in the Budget and the CSR, Fair4Families is calling on the Government to introduce a 'triple lock' for families. This includes an ambitious vision for support for families, including childcare - so that more parents can contribute to economic growth and a greater investment in housing to give more people the chance to realise their dream of a home fit for a family - and a real shift in spending, from ineffective late intervention to early intervention, as well as a credible strategy to begin to eradicate child poverty. Secondly it calls for protecting crucial services for families with children from further spending reductions for the spending review period, in the face of calls for a public spending freeze from Dr. Liam Fox. Finally the campaign asks that there are no further spending reductions sought through real terms cuts to benefits paid to families with children.

Campaign supporters recognise that there are many competing demands on Government and that tough decisions must be made. However, happy, stable, well supported families are a real asset for our country and with the right support can make a major contribution to our economic and social recovery.

To make this a reality for families we need your support, please sign our petition and visit our website for more information.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1747538 2012-08-06T11:50:16-04:00 2012-10-06T05:12:17-04:00

Anne Longfield http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-longfield/
August 2011 saw images of looting and arson, of police failing to quell violent chaos, of politicians hesitating before resorting to knee-jerk reactions to complex problems. The riots generated a sense of a nation looking on in fear, anger and disbelief as its authorities struggled to contain a sudden boiling over of determined lawlessness.

The actions of those that took part in the riots can not be justified. They can, however, be understood, if we ask ourselves what took hold and caused the riots in the first place.

Despite much debate and scrutiny of the precise factors that fuelled the riots, as a nation we are still unsure of how they began. Just as magistrates were handing down sentences in conveyor-belt courts, the snap judgements and easy solutions of commentators equally failed to understand the underlying issues. Most commentary stemmed from a 'them and us' mentality, sometimes sympathetic, sometimes antagonistic. Others blamed the riots upon a bitter history of resentment toward the police, an obsession with consumerism or mere 'criminality pure and simple'.

With the passage of time, more emphasis has been placed on the broader causes behind the riots: namely, that a majority of those who took part in the riots did so because of a general sense of there being nothing left to lose.

That sense of hopelessness has often been obscured by judgements about previous criminality. If many rioters had previous convictions, and indeed have had subsequent post-riot convictions, we should be asking the reasons for their criminal background. Not crime for crime's sake, but crime because of a lack of positive opportunity to achieve and earn.

In the report published in March,'After the Riots', the Riots Communities and Victims Panel rightly suggested that when people feel they have no reason to stay out of trouble, the consequences can be devastating; bearing in mind the general characteristics of those that took part in the riots, this statement is difficult to dispute.

Indeed, the report notes a correlation between rioting and deprived or difficult backgrounds, with 70% of those brought before the courts living in the 30% of the most deprived postcodes in the country whilst 46% (compared to a 12% national average) were living in poverty.

In addition, educational problems were often prevalent in a sizable number of rioters - with 66% having special educational need; 30% being described as persistently absent from school; and only 11% (compared to a national average of 53%) having achieved 5 A*-C GCSE's including English and Maths. Further, the report by the Riots Communities and Victims Panel also states that 36% of juveniles brought before the courts had been excluded from school at least once during 2009/10.

Faced with so many challenges, growing a sense of pride in achievement will likely seem a distant prospect - though the Olympics have shown us all that pride in achievement are possible where natural gifts are recognised and honed, whatever the background of the athlete.

We all want, as a nation, never to see our streets return to the blazing chaos of 2011. So one year on, local and national governments should focus again on how best to support the "forgotten families", those families struggling, just as much as they were last year, to keep troubled youngsters on the straight and narrow and find them opportunities to achieve more.

Early intervention is key, recognising the signs of trouble before they become trouble. For instance, findings from the Foundation Stage Profile of children as they start school shows that the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers has closed by 3% in the last three years as a result of better early years support, including Sure Start.

The financial costs of better early intervention are just as encouraging; Graham Allen MP's second report, 'Early Intervention: Smart Investment, Massive Savings' highlights this point when it says that the investment benefit-to-cost ratio for Early Intervention data in the US suggests that £40 million invested in positive parenting interventions could save £400 million over a 15-year period.

Of course, investment in the necessary support and early intervention needed represents a daunting cost in a struggling economy, but without it, we will only store up far heavier costs - human and economic - for generations yet to come. Rather than keeping alive the spirit of August 2012, we will continue to fear the shadow of August 2011, and its repetition.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1691987 2012-07-21T13:58:06-04:00 2012-09-20T05:12:04-04:00

Anne Longfield http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-longfield/
Based on over 500 responses, 4Children's Sure Start Children's Centre Census 2012 (http://www.4children.org.uk/Resources/Detail/Sure-Start-Childrens-Centres-Census-2012) found that whilst it has been challenging, many children's centres are continuing to function as a model for early intervention as they succeed in delivering more for less.

Early help is important for all children but vital for those who start life at a disadvantage. Encouragingly, findings from the Foundation Stage Profile of children as they start school shows that the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers has closed by 3% in the last three years as a result of better early years support including Sure Start.

Nevertheless, whilst many centres have shown much resilience amidst a difficult environment overcoming fears around mass closure, our census reveals that centres are still in a highly fluid state with their sustainability in doubt for a significant number.

Whilst 60% of Sure Start Centres said that they were 'coping' with significant budget reductions, 50% of centres that said that their finances were less sustainable and 11% of centres indicated that they were struggling. As a result, 20% of centres were having to reduce the numbers of qualified teachers whilst a further 20% said that they would have to reduce childcare staff. In turn, the census finds Sure Start Centres increasingly reliant upon volunteers with 60% increasing volunteer numbers and 50% reporting that volunteers' hours had increased. Whilst the active involvement of volunteers is undoubtedly welcomed, their presence within children's centres must not serve to replace the skills of trained professionals.

These reductions come at a time of unprecedented reforms for centres - an increasing focus on targeted support for disadvantaged families, the introduction of payments by results and for many, the reorganization of their services into clusters across local areas; all moves that have the potential to improve the cost effectiveness and value of a centre but ones that need careful managing. Such changes at this time can only add to a group of already anxious parents and staff.

Many parent groups worry that the cluster approach will leave their centres without the services they need close by. Concurrently, our Children's Centre Census found that 75% of managers felt a move from universal to targeted support presented some of the greatest challenges for the year ahead with a similar number saying that payments by results was their biggest concern over the coming year..

The local authorities who have prioritised Sure Start above other services know how important these services are. And twelve years on from the initial conception of Sure Start Children's centres, the true potential of Sure Start Children's Centres is only just being realised.

But if they are going to retain their position centre stage they must rise to the challenge. The priority must now be to maintain and build on the successes of children's centres - to put them at the heart of delivering early help and intervention and for local authorities, wider professionals and communities to continue to nurture and extend the reach of Sure Start Children's Centres for older children from 0-19.

Sure Start is still in its infancy and needs continued support as it grows up. The most disadvantaged children and families deserve nothing less.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1373108 2012-03-22T13:56:14-04:00 2012-05-22T05:12:01-04:00

Anne Longfield http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-longfield/
Indeed, with George Osborne's announcement that he would be softening the withdrawal of child benefit for those earning just over £43,000 with a new taper the Government has managed to deal with the serious problem it had created with the creation of a cliff edge for some families. Furthermore in a love letter to the Liberal Democrats, the Chancellor announce that the Government would increase the personal tax allowance by largest increase in the level of the personal allowance in both cash and real terms for the last thirty years up to £9,205.

As said, you might be forgiven for thinking these will act as a welcome relief for low income families.

Upon closer inspection though, the unfortunate reality is that this Budget could have done more and gone further to help hard pressed working families. With the spiraling cost of living many families would have been looking to this budget for much needed relief. The reality is that the increase in the tax allowance will be cancelled out by future cuts that are set to hit the poorest working families next month. When seen in tandem with the Government's reluctance to increase benefits more generously and provide added support for childcare costs this Budget falls short of really helping hard pressed working families.

With government sticking to its commitment to cut the deficit the Treasury have been keen to stress the Budget's cost neutrality. However to achieve this it would appear that grandparents are having to pay the price. Many families rely upon the generosity of older generations but in the wake of this budget many will find it increasingly challenging to continue to offer financial support to relatives.

Last year Alan Milburn, the Government's child poverty and social mobility tsar, denounced the coalition's shared aim of eradicating child poverty by 2020 as 'a fantasy'. Concurrently, findings from the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicate that poverty could be set to rise from to 2020 making the challenge of meeting the target set out in the Child Poverty Act even more daunting. The Government could have signaled their intent to do all they can to achieve this legally binding target through this budget but sadly, this has proved an opportunity missed.

Raising the personal income tax allowance and tapering child benefit will be welcomed by some but increasing the childcare element of working tax credits and uprating benefits by a more generous measure of inflation would have done far more to help families as they continue to face tough financial pressures. Ultimately, this Budget has failed to provide families with the vital support they really need at a time of immense financial stress and with many more challenges yet to come.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1194359 2012-01-09T19:00:01-05:00 2012-03-10T05:12:01-05:00

Anne Longfield http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-longfield/
Milburn described as a 'fantasy' the idea that the "aim of eradicating child poverty by 2020, set by Labour and adopted by the coalition, will somehow still be realised." He went further, saying the debate on the issue had been consumed "in a fog of fantasy and fallacy, of confusion and complexity". It is hard to argue with his analysis.

Figures published today by the End Child Poverty Coalition - of which 4Children is a key member - reveal yet again the true scale of inequality in Britain today with as many a half of children living in poverty in Local Authority areas from Tower Hamlets to Manchester to Belfast.

Looking into the future, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has estimated that 1 in 4 children will be in relative child poverty by 2020; reversing all the progress made in the last decade; and a full 15% points higher than the statutory commitments in the Child Poverty Act 2010.

The scale of the challenge is obvious but there is still a lack of agreement among politicians as to what we should do about it. Alan Milburn stopped short of arguing explicitly for the abandonment of defined goals, though some are openly questioning the value of keeping targets in legislation that few realistically think will be met.

Others, including Frank Field MP and the prime minister, have suggested that we shift our focus away from income targets and instead concentrate more on children's life chances - their so called social mobility. However, many charities believe that this debate about moving or removing the goal posts is a massive distraction and instead we need to re-double efforts to make as much progress towards "making British poverty history" - as the prime minister put it - between now and 2020.

If the eradication of child poverty is to be seen as a number one priority for this country, long term investment in life chances and moves to boost family income should not be seen as mutually exclusive. Both these factors are vital to reducing child poverty and increasing social mobility in the long term - and progress will only be met if we keep a strong focus on outcomes.

Clearly it is right and prudent to highlight achievable long term goals such as increasing life chances through early intervention, good early years provision and affordable child care, but these should buoy rather than dent our ambitions to reduce the levels of poverty experienced by millions of children every day. Spending on longer term outcomes should not be a smokescreen for forgetting that children are living in poverty today - if we allow this to happen we are looking at a lost generation of children whose life chances are simply going to be forgotten.

Child poverty is a tough nut to crack but it is wrong to say it can't be done. The experience of the last decade shows this. During the last government, 800,000 children were lifted out of relative poverty and the absolute child poverty rate has been cut by a massive 1.7 million to 11%. But there are many countries in the OECD with smaller economies that Britain with lower levels of child poverty. There are those who argue that too much focus on getting families with children 1p over the poverty line does nothing to improve life chances. However, we should acknowledge that from the early years onwards, the educational attainment gap for pre-school and school aged children has been closing. This is proof progress is possible.

We must remember that there is an economic cost to doing nothing: as much as £25billion a year according to the respected Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Poor families also spend every penny they get - and primarily in the UK - so any money that goes from the Treasury to the pockets of poor families flows straight back into the economy and additional expenditure on vital services like childcare can support more parents into work, growing the tax base and reducing welfare bills.

As Alan Milburn prepares to present his report on child poverty to Parliament in the spring and the government continues to work on its planned White Paper on social justice, campaigners like myself need to redouble our efforts to make the case that child poverty remains unacceptable but that progress can and must be made - there is no choice. We have to make this case beyond Westminster because politicians are more likely to show the courage of their convictions if they feel more heat from the public. Milburn said we need to be as exercised about poverty at the bottom of the income spectrum as we increasingly are about excess at the top. He is right.

The Irish commentator, Fintan O'Toole, noted recently, there is a difference between making sacrifices and being sacrificed. Let's not sacrifice a generation of children in the name of the political philosophy that "we're all in this together".]]>