Northern Ireland is usually ignored in the national debate around childpoverty. Yet its children and families are hit hard by the province'slow wages, which are on average 20 per cent less than the rest of theUK. And costs of living in the province, for example the price of basicgoods, are higher than on the mainland.
As a result, 110,000 children - around one in four - live in incomepoverty and a further 60,000 also suffer deprivation.
In a recent series of seminars held across the province, disadvantagedchildren and families spoke out about the problem and how they want tosee it tackled.
Their comments, published in a report released last week, highlight theinequality and childhood stigma of poverty. Problems cited in The RealStory: Findings on family & child poverty in Northern Ireland rangedfrom not being able to afford the "right" clothes to the poorestfamilies not being able to eat three meals a day.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
