1.2. Explain the Importance and Impact of Poverty on Outcomes and Life Chances for Children and Young People.

There is a high rate of child poverty in the UK. According to Barnados, there are 3.9 million children currently affected by poverty. There are a number of issues affected by poverty that can impact the outcome of a child or young person’s life:
Finances – with a low income due to a low paid job or being unemployed, a lot of opportunities can be limited for the child, for example after school clubs like swimming, music or sports cannot be attended. All of this can affect a child’s development.
Overcrowded/inadequate housing – poor housing conditions can affect a child’s health in a number of ways. For example if the house has mould problems or heating problems, it can cause the child to have health problems such as asthma. Families may have unsuitable furniture/equipment, such as a proper bed for the children or safety equipment like stair gates or plug socket covers. If their child doesn’t have a proper bed to sleep in then they may not be able to sleep properly. Lastly not having the proper safety equipment can cause small children to come to harm.
Community – areas of poverty may have insufficient resources for children and young people; like playgrounds, playgroups, youth clubs and sports facilities. These areas tend to have a higher rate of crime, so parents don’t feel that it is safe enough for their children to play freely in the community.
Diet – due to low income parent may not be able to afford the type of food that gives them a balanced and healthy diet. Families will want to buy cheaper food, which is processed and has more fat and sugar in it. This kind of food leads to a lack of concentration and obesity, which further leads to health issues such as heart problems. Health problems can influence a child’s outcome in life as there would be limits to opportunities.
Education – having a lack of finance can lead to your child not having the best education they deserve to have. For example not being able to buy the proper equipment, such as books and stationary; and having access to the proper resources like the internet, which helps them with homework and research. All of this equipment and resources helps towards a good education. Parents may not be able to afford school trips, which can make a child feel isolated from the rest of his friends and peers.
Ethnic minority – people that belong to group that differ from the majority of the population can feel marginalised and isolated from the outside world and find themselves scared from being able to fulfil their aspirations.
Parents – some parents may not have adequate skills for parenting, so they may not give their child the attention they need to develop accordingly. For example reading them stories or engaging in family activities. Their parents may show anti-social behaviour, which the child can be influenced by. This type of behaviour can be aggressive.
The household can also be vulnerable with the use of drugs and alcohol by the parent. Use of drugs and alcohol can affect their parenting skills detrimentally. They will not be able to provide for their child physically, emotionally or intellectually. So the child’s future opportunities may become limited as they are now looking after the family due to the parent becoming consumed by their addiction.
According to ‘Every Child Matters’ if a young person between 16 and 18years is ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’ (NEET) then they will suffer from continuing to not be employed, low income and health issues. It is also said that young people that are NEET have a high chance of becoming young parents, getting involved with unhealthy lifestyles, such as crime, drugs, alcohol and poor diets.
So poverty plays a big part in a child or young person’s outcomes and life chances. Living in an area of poverty is not only a lack of food and clothing, but also a lack of resources to enable children to participate in activities that educate them and socialise with others, which can encourage them to fulfil their dreams and aspirations. People not living in poverty tend to get more opportunities than those living in poverty as people in general tend to respect them more.