by Jess Gibson
Children in England’s most deprived areas are less likely to achieve development goals by the age of five, according to a report by the aid agency UNICEF UK.
The report, ‘Held back from the start: the impact of deprivation on early childhood’, maps out every local authority in England and analyses its level of deprivation alongside a range of early childhood health and educational outcomes.
The analysis demonstrates that young children living in areas of higher deprivation and child poverty have poorer outcomes – including higher chances of obesity, severe dental decay and higher A&E attendance.
It also found a “clear link between attainment and deprivation”, highlighting that children in more deprived areas are over twice as far from achieving the government’s target of 75% of young children reaching a “good level of development” as those in more affluent areas.
The analysis shows that every local authority in the top 20% of deprivation – including Blackpool, Knowsley, Liverpool, Kingston-Upon-Hull and Middlesborough – was in the bottom 20% of multiple measures of child health and development. It notes that, in the first five years of life, “the effects of deprivation and poverty are not only clearly visible, they are already well established and likely to impact that child for the rest of their life”.
UNICEF UK is calling on the government to lift the current two-child policy and benefit cap for families on universal credit, stating that “there are more children under five living in poverty than any other age group and child poverty remains high in nearly every local authority”.
Dr Philip Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer of UNICEF UK, said: “The consequences of poverty can last a lifetime and are especially harmful for babies and young children. Growing up in poverty damages children’s life chances and our analysis shows the scale of the problem across the country. It is not acceptable that children in deprived areas are more likely to be behind at school, to be overweight or obese, to experience tooth decay and pain, and more likely to attend A&E – all before their fifth birthday.
“There must be immediate, decisive, and ambitious action by the government. Any further delays will entrench inequality and condemn hundreds of thousands of children to poverty and its effects, as child poverty rates continue to rise.
“The government must act urgently to lift the two-child limit and the benefit cap and commit to investing in the vital health and education services that support children during their crucial early years.”