19 June 2023
Responding to the draft Child Poverty Strategy published by the Welsh Government, Rocio Cifuentes MBE said:
“Poverty is the biggest issue affecting children in Wales, and tackling it effectively is the Welsh Government’s biggest task.
“It’s hugely important that alongside a high-level child poverty strategy document the Welsh Government publishes a specific and measurable delivery plan. This needs to have clear targets showing how and when the Welsh Government will deliver specific interventions that meet the broad aims of their strategy. Without these specific commitments, proper scrutiny of the Welsh Government’s actions on this vital topic will be hindered. I hope that the proposed monitoring framework will achieve this, but in the meantime, we need a firm commitment on this from Welsh Government. I will continue to call for this specific plan to be published alongside the refreshed strategy, and I’ll keep working with stakeholders across Wales to press for proper accountability measures in the Welsh Government’s final plans. When I meet children and their families, they want to know that Welsh Government is doing all it can to help, but without a measurable delivery plan, I cannot be certain that they are.
“In regards to this draft strategy, I really welcome the fact that almost 1,500 children were able to contribute to it, and I encourage everybody to have their say during the consultation period. “