Around one in five children in Scotland are growing up in poverty. We know the statistics. We debate the policies. But children don't experience poverty as a statistic.
They experience it when they miss a birthday party because they can't afford a present. When they can't join a sports club because the fees are too high. When they feel different from their friends because their family is struggling.
These experiences are often missing from policy discussions about poverty - yet they provide some of the clearest insights into what needs to change. That’s exactly what we want to explore, in partnership with Children’s Parliament, through our Child Power project.
By listening to children, we can better understand not only how poverty affects their lives, but also what would make childhoods happier, healthier and safer. And crucially, they remind us that children are not simply individuals affected by poverty – they are people with ideas, expertise and a powerful role to play in creating change.
Through conversations with children in Easterhouse, we have heard powerful reflections on what not having enough money can mean in real, everyday life.
Poverty can mean having fewer opportunities than your peers ("You can’t always get what you want because it costs a lot of money.").
It can mean missing out on birthday parties because buying a gift and getting to the venue costs too much, or being unable to attend clubs and activities ("You should be able to go to clubs because sports or crafts and stuff like that can make you happy.").
It can feel lonely because you feel different or left out ("You may not be able to pay to do things your friends are doing and that may make you lonely."). It can also be difficult to talk about, particularly when you know your parents or carers are worrying about money too ("It might affect adults’ mental health. That might make them unable to take care of their children.").
Children are too often seen as being passively affected by poverty, rather than agents of change. Building on the relationships and community partnerships we’ve already developed in Easterhouse, we’re supporting local children to think about what they want to change locally, and to campaign for happier, healthier and safer childhoods for all.
Children will identify the issues that matter most to them, explore how change happens, and take action to improve their communities. In doing so, they will build confidence, strengthen their campaigning skills, and show other young people what it means to stand up for their community and demand change.
We cannot improve the lives of children experiencing poverty without sharing power with them. Children bring insights that no policy paper or dataset can provide. They know what is unfair, what is working and what needs to change. Sharing power means moving beyond consultation and “sense-checking” decisions adults have already made. It means making the shift to get alongside children, to see the issues through their eyes and to let them show us what child-shaped solutions look like.
Through Child Power, we hope not only to support children to shape change in their own communities, but also to demonstrate what becomes possible when children's ideas, insights and leadership are taken seriously.
If Scotland is serious about ending child poverty, we cannot simply design solutions for children: we must create solutions with them as trusted partners and change-makers. Children's voices are not a nice-to-have add-on to tackling poverty – they are central to building the happier, healthier and safer childhoods we all want to see across Scotland.
