Harker should know. A former chair of the Daycare Trust, she helpedwrite the Government's childcare strategy, one aim of which was to helpmore poor parents into employment. In July she was appointed theGovernment's independent adviser on child poverty, with a remit to "lookat the policy and practice of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)in child poverty, and recommend improvements".
Last week, she published her report, concentrating on three areas:stronger support for families, not just lone parents; helping parentsgain "jobs with prospects"; and targeting parents who are not in Welfareto Work programmes through children's centres and voluntaryorganisations.
"The DWP has only really considered child poverty in the context of loneparents," says Harker. "Welfare to Work programmes and Job Centre Plusshould be more family focused. When people go in (to a Job Centre Plus)they should be asked about flexible working and childcare. Thejobseeker's needs should be seen in the context of their whole family.At the moment, people are just seen as jobseekers, not parents."
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
