A collection of practical guides, evidence and examples to help local areas improve support for families experiencing hardship.
Sample regional, sub-regional and local Child and Family Poverty Strategies and Action Plans
Regional/Sub-regional
Greater London Authority (GLA) Family Financial Resilience Partnership
A collaboration between advice agencies, councils and the Greater London Authority.
North East Combined Authority
The North East Combined Authority set up the Child Poverty Reduction Unit (CPRU) in 2024 and developed an action plan for the region.
West of England
The combined mayoral authority child poverty action plan.
Local
Derbyshire County Council
Update on activity to tackle child poverty and enable children and young people in Derbyshire to start well.
Coventry City Council
Presentation from the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing and the Inequalities Programme Manager on Coventry’s approach to addressing child poverty and the link with early childhood development.
Nottinghamshire county council
Focuses on supporting families into employment, leveraging Family Hub Networks, and ensuring access to support services like food initiatives, Healthy Start, and Free School Meals.
Rochdale
Update (January 2026) on action arising from Rochdale’s ‘The Future We Deserve’ Anti-Poverty Strategy published in March 2024, taking a cooperative approach.
Research
An evidence repository on the impact of poverty on young children and families.
Inter-parental Conflict
A review of the evidence on discord between parents (interparental conflict) in the contexts of poverty and economic pressure, and the link to poor outcomes for children and adolescents.
Acquah, D., et al. (2017). Interparental conflict and outcomes for children in the contexts of poverty and economic pressure
Children of the 2020s – HLE Focus
Summary of key findings from Children of the 2020s (longitudinal study) on the home learning environment at age 2, including screen time and digital media use,
Fish & Bernardi et al. (2026).
The Impact of Housing Insecurity
A systematic review of qualitative data on the impact of housing insecurity for young children and families Hock, E. S., et al. (2024).
The Impact of Mental health
A synthesis of studies on parental mental health and the intergenerational transmission of attachment (feelings of connection to others) highlighting research gaps Risi, A., et al. (2021).
Socio-economic Position and Adverse Childhood Experiences
A systematic review of the literature on the relationship between childhood socioeconomic position and Adverse Childhood Experiences Walsh, D., et al. (2019). Relationship between childhood socioeconomic position and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs): a systematic review