New statement on tackling child poverty

At a time when the UK Government is consulting on a Child Poverty Strategy, the RCSLT has brought together over forty organisations on a joint statement highlighting the contribution of speech, language, and communication to tackling child poverty.

We are calling on the Government to take a multi-pronged approach to speech, language, and communication by ensuring:

• the development of children and young people’s speech, language and communication skills is at the heart of the Child Poverty Strategy
• services and support for children and young people’s speech, language and communication are accessible to families living in poverty; and
• services and policies to tackle child poverty are accessible to those with communication disability, difference and difficulty, including families.

To help deliver that, we are calling for action in the following areas:

• Early Intervention
• Integrated Services
• Training and Awareness
• Parental Support
• Research and Data Collection
• Adjustments to services and policies

We are sending a copy of the statement to the two Cabinet ministers leading on the Strategy, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Education.

Read the statement in full