CHILD poverty is taking a heavy toll on children’s physical and mental health, their education and how they feel about themselves and their futures, a damning report revealed today.

Research by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) found that 79 per cent of parents worry about not having enough money to provide for their family.

And 65 per cent of children reported money worries themselves.

Of those surveyed by the group, 68 per cent of 14-17-year-olds realise their parents are trying to hide how stressful things are from them while 56 per cent said they are worried that their families’ lack of money will affect their future opportunities.

More than half of parents are worried about how a lack of money affects their children’s mental health and about the impact on children’s physical health.

Almost a third of parents said their children are getting a poor night’s sleep at least once a week due to family budgets. 

Both parents and children are worried about prospects at school.

More than half of children report they have had to deal with being cold at home because of the rising cost of heating, and 56 per cent of parents said that the price of food makes it difficult to ensure their children have healthy balanced meals.

CPAG chief executive Alison Garnham said: “Poverty is snatching the joy from children’s lives. This is no way for a child to grow up.

“Already 4.2 million children are in poverty and the number is expected to rise.”

Ms Garnham called on the government to commit to getting more money to families with the least.

“We can all imagine better than this — we know what the solutions are, and they start with removing two policies that have been causing harm: the two-child limit and benefit cap,” she said.

“And then investing in children by increasing child benefit by £20 a week, and rolling out free school meals for all pupils.”

Delyth Bowen, the strategic pastoral support lead at Stoke Heath Primary school in Coventry, said they were seeing children coming to school hungry, adding: “You can’t learn without food in your tummy. 

“In school we try to avoid asking children what they did in the holidays now, because some families just don’t have money for public transport to go places — so children’s opportunities and life experiences are being affected.”