Wales
Wales has one of the worst rates of child poverty in the industrialised world. More than 160,000 children - at least one in four - live in poverty and almost one in ten lives in severe poverty.
- we've persuaded the main political parties to publicly pledge to end child poverty
- we've helped the formation of schools councils across Wales
- we've helped 2,000 children learn decision-making skills
- we're helping young people get involved in local regeneration plans
More than one in four children in Wales live in poverty. Poor children are more likely to experience illness and delayed development, suffer accidents, and become pregnant as teenagers. Wales also has other vulnerable children such as homeless young people,children growing up in local authority care and those experiencing domestic violence, as well as Gypsy Traveller children and young refugees and asylum-seekers.
The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has expressed its commitment to reducing child poverty and to making sure that children have a say in issues that concern them. The first Children's Commissioner for Wales was appointed in 2001.
Save the Children in Wales
We began working in Wales in the 1920s, assisting miners' families in poor areas. Today we work with vulnerable children and young people all over Wales, including refugee and asylum-seeking children, and those living in poverty. Save the Children is a member of a steering group evaluating the Children's Commissioner.
We lobby the WAG to put children's issues at the heart of its policy-making. Our campaigns
have successfully attracted media interest and public support. During the past year the WAG
has taken some welcome steps towards eradicating child poverty and protecting the rights of
vulnerable children. However, there is still much to be done.
Related child rights resources
- Righting the wrongs: the reality of children's rights in Wales - Summary (PDF 497KB)
- Righting the wrongs: the reality of children's rights in Wales - Full report (PDF 3MB)
- Stop, look, listen: the road to realising children's rights in Wales - Full report (PDF 1MB)
- Stop, look, listen: the road to realising children's rights in Wales - Summary for young people (PDF 5MB)
- United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child - Briefing (PDF 163KB)
What we're doing
- Download our country brief to read more about our work in Wales (PDF 84KB)
- Read our newsletter About Wales (PDF 394KB)
- Read Craig's story - Craig lives in Gilfach Goch, one of the 100 most deprived communities in Wales
- Read our reaction to rising childcare costs and child poverty in Wales
Wales related news stories
- Wednesday 16 July 2008 Parents in Wales feel the pinch as childcare costs rise 5%
- More than one in four parents on low incomes have been unable to get or keep a job because they can’t afford to pay for childcare, a new poll for Save the Children has revealed.
- Friday 21 November 2008 Welsh charities launch joint appeal to ease Congo humanitarian crisis
- A Wales-wide appeal to raise funds to help the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been launched in Cardiff.
- Tuesday 21 October 2008 Princess Anne finds hidden gems in Cardiff charity shop
- HRH The Princess Royal recently visited the Save the Children’s charity shop on Albany Road to thank the volunteers for their continued hard work.
- Thursday 18 September 2008 Welsh councils click into action on child poverty
- An innovative new website to help councils lift children out of poverty has been launched by the Minister for Social Justice and Local Government, Dr Brian Gibbons.
- Friday 29 August 2008 Save the Children roadshow - Participation across the nation
- Students across Wales will be greeted by a giant inflatable octopus as part of Save the Children’s Participation Unit Roadshow which will visit various colleges around Wales over the coming weeks.
- Friday 1 August 2008 Save the Children goes 'Plumpy-Nuts' at the Eisteddfod
- Eisteddfod-goers will be excused from thinking that they have lost the plot when they come face-to-face with a giant peanut roaming around the field of the National Eisteddfod held in Cardiff this week (August 2-9).
- Wednesday 25 June 2008 Local family go to great heights in aid of charity
- A family from Bedwas near Caerphilly have gone to great heights to raise money for Save the Children.
- Tuesday 24 June 2008 Mayor announces Save the Children as charity of the year
- The new Mayor of Caerphilly county borough council, Cllr Anne Collins, has launched her charity appeal for the coming year.
- Wednesday 15 April 2009 Go tea potty with Wales’ weather presenters
- BBC Cymru Wales weather forecaster Derek Brockway and former S4C weather-presenter Jenny Ogwen are calling on everyone to organise a tea party or fun event to raise funds to save a child’s life, come rain or shine.
- Wednesday 12 December 2007 Save the Children's Keith Towler appointed as Children's Commissioner for Wales
- Save the Children is delighted that Keith Towler, Programme Director for Save the Children Wales, has been appointed to the post of Children's Commissioner for Wales by Children's Minister Jane Hutt.
- Tuesday 10 June 2008 100,000 more UK children now living in poverty
- Save the Children's response to Household Below Average Income statistics
- Tuesday 11 March 2008 New report calls on Welsh Assembly to tackle severe child poverty
- A new report calls on the Welsh Assembly government to invest significant cash now to eradicate child poverty in Wales.
- Sunday 9 March 2008 Local teenagers go global for children's charity
- Two Welsh teenagers are set to represent the UK in a Global Youth Panel set up by charity Save the Children and held next week (March 10 -14) in London.
- Thursday 6 December 2007 Welsh artists aim to make a difference in Darfur
- The 'Arts Call for Darfur' project created in partnership with Save the Children will be launched on Friday, 14 December between 2.00 - 6.00pm at Butetown History and Arts Centre in Cardiff Bay.
- Wednesday 28 March 2007 New initiative to tackle child poverty
- Save the Children have received over £100,000 from the Welsh Assembly Government to develop a new pilot scheme to help tackle child poverty.
- Friday 6 July 2007 Viva to the Diva at the Abbey
- Concert raises money for Save the Children
- Wednesday 28 March 2007 Cardiff teenager trains European Comission staff
- A Cardiff teenager has travelled to Brussels to train key members of the European Commission staff.
- Thursday 1 February 2007 A pinch of chilli for Save the Children
- A Cardiff mother of two has come up with a tasty way of raising money for Save the Children.
