Draft Child Poverty Strategy for Wales: our response
We welcome the priority the strategy has placed on including the voice of the people of Wales. This is paramount in addressing the complexity of the problem at hand.
In our response, we outline how the strategy needs go even further to address the intersectionality and complexity at play.
It is vital we take a trauma-informed approach to addressing poverty. One that takes our relational needs and the impact of developmental and other trauma into account too. It is no good throwing opportunities at people if they are not healthy enough to take them up or sustain them.
We know the first 1000 days of life is a crucial time in child development, and the first two months have a particularly disproportionate impact on children’s health, opportunities and mental health outcomes (Perry & Oprah, 2021). If we support families, particularly mums, during this time, through a whole family approach it would have a significant.
Equally, we must not forget the workforce across many sectors is under immense pressure and change is incredibly challenging in the current unstable and insecure circumstances. But there is hope. If we can embrace the complexity of the problem, and focus on creating conditions for connection and belonging we can mitigate against the harm, begin the processes of healing and support the conditions for post traumatic growth.
Below you will find a summary of our recommendations supported by ideas from practice and research, to reinforce or add to our perspective below.