Child-Friendly Version

Did you know that 1 in 4 children in the UK are living in poverty? This means they don’t have enough money to buy the things they need to live a happy and healthy life, and a lot of children and families don’t even have enough money to buy food because the price of a lot of things has increased. The UK is being reviewed by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, and child poverty is one of the biggest concerns they will be looking at.

Children who are affected by poverty often have poorer health because their families can’t afford healthy food, clothes, or a warm home. They may also struggle with their mental health because they are worried about their future. Children who are in families affected by disability, single-parent households, young mothers, households with a baby under one, larger families, Care Experienced children, minority ethnic households, and children with a family member in prison are at an even greater risk to poverty and the many health challenges that come with it.

Children and young people who members of the Children’s Parliament and the Scottish Youth Parliament have said that many children and young people don’t have enough money to make a healthy food choices, which just isn’t fair.

“Although children have a right to food, not all children in Scotland have enough food.” (MCP)

They want the government to make healthy and nutritious food cheaper and more accessible, and they want free school meals for everyone.

Children also talked about how climate change affects their mental health, and they want to be involved in decisions about their environment.

“People often talk about how ‘young people are the future!’, but neglect to acknowledge that we are right here in this moment, watching our planet being picked apart – and we do not want any role in this future that is being built on our behalf.” (MSYP)

We need to make sure that all children have the right to a happy and healthy life. We hope to see the UN Committee pick up on these issues during the meeting at the United Nations – particularly those issues raised by children and young people. Make sure you follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to keep up-to-date with the review at the meeting.

Stay tuned for our next article on children’s rights to education, leisure and cultural activities coming out at 08:00am tomorrow!