All children should be able to say: ‘My family and I don't live in poverty and we're not hungry', but they cannot. Poverty is impacting on our communities to such an extent it underpins many of the challenges that lead families to children's social care.

The impact of poverty on children's lives and childhoods is clear. It is linked to low birth weight in babies, poor physical and mental health and it is much harder to learn if you are going to school hungry.