A NEW approach is needed to solve child poverty in Wales, according to a report published today, saying the government’s current policies have not made a “meaningful difference.”

Welsh think tank Bevan Foundation called for universal free childcare from nine months to four years and the introduction of a Welsh child payment plan to help the one in three (31 per cent) of children living in poverty.

Despite positive measures for families, such as the free school meals programme, the Council Tax Reduction Scheme and improvements to the education maintenance allowance, the overall rate of child poverty has not changed in 20 years, the report said.

They argued that area-based schemes have missed out on many children outside of Wales’s most deprived areas.

Researchers also highlighted the lack of government support in costs directly associated with child care in spite of recent data showing that more than half (57 per cent) of children in poverty live in a house with a child under four-years-old.

The new strategy should be developed to meaningfully tackle the issue before the end of the current government’s term at the end of 2026, the Bevan Foundation said.

It called for headline and interim targets to be set on poverty rates, as well as a cross-government strategy, which can link housing, education and transport as key sectors of action.

They also demanded the government stops using the area where families live as the main factor in determining how help is allocated, and instead focus on the circumstances of families.

Other key policies should include extending free school meals, lowering the cost of school uniforms and providing all learning resources in schools for free.

The Welsh government said: “We’re determined to do all we can to prevent people from falling into poverty and to help those who need support the most.

“We’re providing free school meals for all primary pupils, offering up to 30 hours of funded early education and childcare to parents of three- and four-year-olds to support parents to work or study, and have invested over £7 billion between 2022 and 2026 to support households through programmes to alleviate financial pressures, help maximise income and to help keep more money in their pockets.

“We welcome the UK Government’s decision to remove the two-child limit, which will bring relief to 69,000 children in Wales.”