What a busy end to the year it has been! The long awaited Child Poverty Strategy was finally published a fortnight ago and it was swiftly followed last week by the National Plan to End Homelessness and the National Youth Strategy. All these documents signal the Government's intent to grapple with some of the most entrenched social issues we face and its commitment to improving the lives of children and young people. They are all weighty tomes and contain lots of positive commitments that we, working with the 4in10 Policy Forum, will want to take time to digest and evaluate as we move into next year.
Overall though, there is perhaps a sense of frustration that these strategies are not more ambitious - for example the lack of targets in the Child Poverty Strategy is a serious omission that means that it fails a key test of the strategy as set out by the End Child Poverty Coalition. So, for us as a campaigning network there remains lots more work to do to keep holding decision makers to account and ensure that these strategies now deliver real change.
We made a start on this work on Monday 8 December, when in partnership with Centre for London and Trust for London we co-hosted a workshop with leaders from local authorities across London and the GLA to look at how London should respond to the Child Poverty Strategy. We will be drawing on this conversation to produce a briefing paper early next year.
First Child Poverty Free Community event of 2026
Following a successful event in Sutton last week, we are pleased to announce that our first borough-specific event of 2026 will be held in Redbridge on 9 February, 10.30 - 12.30, in partnership with 4in10 member Adanna Women's Support Group. If you are based or work in the borough do sign up to the session (further details below) and share among your local contacts. Please sign up here.
Goodbye to Emily
It is with a very heavy heart that we are saying goodbye to Emily Barker, our Senior Policy Researcher who is leaving 4in10 after nearly three and a half years in post. During her time with us she has developed and carried out our major research projects on access to affordable childcare and child homelessness, led a varied and engaging events programme and launched new initiatives such as the LDN Child Poverty Pod. Moreover she has been a huge support and great friend both within the 4in10 staff team and the wider network and will be much missed. Emily is moving on to a new role at Catch-22, in which we are sure she will continue to champion the rights of children with characteristic enthusiasm!
All that remains is to wish you all a very happy and restful festive period and to say Happy Christmas and Happy Hannukkah to those who are celebrating.
Best wishes
