THE North East Child Poverty Commission is calling for a post-Covid-19 recovery to prioritise delivering a better future for children and young people in the region.

Meeting last week to discuss the impact of the global pandemic on the North East’s children and families, representatives from local authorities, charities, housing and health organisations, the faith community and academics welcomed the compassion and co-operation shown by people and organisations across the region throughout the coronavirus crisis.

However, the group warned that not only has the Covid-19 lockdown created many new challenges for North East families, it has shone a harsh spotlight on inequalities that already existed for tens of thousands of children and young people across the region.

The Commission said, longstanding concerns around educational disadvantage, food insecurity, housing, the growing digital divide, health inequalities and an inadequate social security system must be properly addressed as part of the country’s post-Covid recovery - with a comprehensive Government strategy to end child poverty at the heart of this plan.

The Commission’s warning is timely after analysis of new Government data – published by the End Child Poverty coalition last week – showed that the North East has seen the starkest increase in child poverty in the country in recent years, even before the coronavirus crisis hit household incomes.