‘Lack of flexi jobs and childcare contribute to London child poverty rates’

Lack of flexible childcare, high cost childcare and a lack of flexible jobs are contributing to high rates of child poverty in London, according to a new report.

No Child Left Behind in London: The Challenge for the Next Mayor is published by 4in10, a group of organisations working on child poverty. It says children are still more likely to live in poverty in the capital than anywhere else in the country. While London’s overall poverty rates relative to the rest of the country have fallen, the report says eight London boroughs still sit in the 20 English local authorities with the highest proportion of deprived neighbourhoods for children. It says 37% of children in London live in poverty.

The report covers housing, childcare, transport, working families, health and schools and makes a number of recommendations for a new Mayor.

It says improving access to flexible and affordable childcare is critical to reducing poverty as a third of London local authorities do not have enough childcare places and the cost of a nursery place for a child under two has increased by 42% and by 56% for a three or four year old since 2008.

It adds that the proportion of jobs paying less than the London Living Wage has increased by 54% since 2008 and there are more working families living in poverty. It highlights that mothers in particular struggle to find family-friendly, flexible jobs to return to work after having children and says this is reflected in lower numbers of mothers working in London than in the rest of the country.

Only 60% of mums work in the capital, compared to 69% nationally.

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