Children in the countryside battle against poor housing and transport links, says commission
Neil Puffett
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Isolation, poor housing and inadequate transport links are some of the problems affecting children and young people living in the countryside, according to guidance from the Commission for Rural Communities.
Child in the Countryside: a challenging reality also contains details of safeguarding issues for many children living in rural areas.
The document is aimed at improving understanding among policy makers and service providers, and uses statistical evidence to highlight the barriers and impacts on rural children, with a view to achieving fairer outcomes in the future.
Sarah McAdam, chief executive at the Commission for Rural Communities, said: "Child in the Countryside seeks to raise awareness of what life can be like for rural children and young people.
"Many of the issues covered are not exclusive to rural areas, but it is important that policy makers and those who commission services have an accurate, rather than a stereotypical, picture of the needs of rural children.
"Delivery arrangements may well need to be adjusted to take account of the different character of rural areas, but the objective should always be to ensure equitable access to key services."
