Lack of transport is main concern for poor rural families

The report, Peace and Quiet Disadvantage: Insights from Users and Providers of Children's Centres in Rural Communities, found that poor transport links were the main concern among families on low incomes or out of work.

Large distances involved in accessing basic healthcare and dental services and the high cost of train and bus travel means many families miss out. Those living in the smallest villages were the hardest hit, the report found.

Some parents were forced to pay for taxis to get the weekly shopping because of a lack of bus services. Lack of childcare is also a problem for parents in rural areas and a barrier to finding work.

CRC fears that the situation will get worse as the recession continues to affect the economy and the public sector braces itself for funding cuts. Outreach services, which are more costly in rural areas than urban areas, will be among the services to face cuts, it said.

CRC chief executive Sarah McAdam said: "For many children and young people, the idyll of living in the countryside is far from the reality. Their remoteness from essential services is often made worse because of limited access to transport."