Child poverty and its alleviation – or even elimination – has now reached an uncontentious position as a priority for government. It would seem that the facts and impacts of child poverty as demonstrated incrementally through research have been finally accorded unequivocal recognition. To what extent, however, is this a permanent shift in approach? To what extent does it represent a genuine break with past approaches? And to what extent does it represent a direct translation from the demonstrable findings of research to political will and universal consensus? Only time can answer the first question – although history demonstrates that there have been other periods (most notably after the Second World War) where an apparent consensus on the value of children’s welfare has been achieved only to be undermined subsequently. Meanwhile, this chapter highlights some remaining issues to consider in relation to child poverty at the end of the 20th century; and it also summarises the problematic relationship between research and policy that has marked the last 200 years and cannot be said to have been resolved in the present day.

Above all our welfare reform programme will give children – all children – the support they need. Our approach on children brings together all the lessons we have learned from applying reform in other areas…. The levels of child deprivation are frightening…. And in the last 20 years the tax burden on families has increased. At the very time that families have come under increasing pressure, juggling work and home, the state has made it harder than ever for them to cope.

We need to break the cycle of disadvantage so that children born into poverty are not condemned to social exclusion and deprivation. That is why it is so important that we invest in our children.

But our reforms will help more than the poorest children. All parents need help. All children need support.

Across government, children are getting a better deal. Our family policy is geared to children and their well-being more than the type of family that a child is born to. (Blair, 1999, pp 15-16)