Gwenda Thomas

Gwenda Thomas AM Column for Neath Guardian April 09

Throughout the time I served as a County Councillor on the old West Glamorgan County Council, where I was Chair of Social Services, and since becoming the Assembly Member for Neath in 1999, I have taken a close personal interest in children’s issues, including tackling the underlying causes of child poverty.

Child poverty affects the lives of thousands of children in Wales, including here in Neath. It has a serious negative impact on their education, health, future employment and their life-chances.

We have done much to combat child poverty over the last 10 years, but we know there is much left to do. We are determined to do more to complete our mission to end child poverty by 2020.

Our vision is shared by everyone in the Labour movement, and by everyone who passionately believes in social justice and equality of opportunity for the many, and not the few. The Welsh Assembly Government is working closely with our Labour colleagues in Westminster to achieve this goal.

Our children are our future. Every child deserves to have the best opportunities we can possibly give them.

That’s why, since joining the Welsh Assembly Government in 2007 as Deputy Minister for Social Services, I have been working with colleagues to implement a whole range of policies and initiatives, designed to help and support vulnerable children and their families, that will be put into place over the next few years to help us on our way.

The Labour-led Assembly Government is doing its bit to give our children the flying start in life they deserve, and since 1999 we have put children at the top of our agenda. £5,900 was spent on every child in Wales during 2006-07 and this figure will rise to £7,100 by 2010-11 - as Welsh Labour continues to fight child poverty.

We have introduced a Children’s Commissioner – the first such post of its kind in the UK – to safeguard the rights and welfare of our children. We have introduced pioneering new initiatives, such as free school breakfasts, and a school uniform grant to help families from low income backgrounds. We are making leisure facilities more accessible, and have introduced popular initiatives such as free swimming for children during school holidays.

But the Government here in Wales and in Westminster can only go so far in eradicating child poverty. We need a co-operative effort from everyone in Welsh society to pledge to make sure our children are given the chance to flourish.