Sunderland signs off first-ever child poverty strategy as one in three children struggle – what it means
A new council strategy aiming to continue the fight against child poverty on Wearside by “supporting children and families to thrive” has been given the final stamp of approval by senior councillors.
Sunderland City Council’s Labour cabinet, at a meeting earlier this month (December, 2025), agreed to adopt the local authority’s final Child Poverty Strategy 2025 -2028.
A previous report presented to cabinet said child poverty remains a “significant challenge at a national, regional and local level” and in the north east region, it was noted “rates of child poverty are among the highest in the country which has prompted collaborative, regional action”.
This includes the North East Combined Authority (NECA) establishing a “dedicated child poverty reduction unit to lead strategic efforts, support local authorities, and drive innovation in tackling the root causes of poverty affecting children and families.”
The key aim of the new council Child Poverty Strategy is ensuring that “every child in Sunderland has the opportunity to thrive”, regardless of their background or circumstances, in line with the regional Child Poverty Reduction Unit.
The council’s Child Poverty Strategy sets out a vision for Sunderland where “no one lives in poverty or is forced to choose between essentials like heating and eating” and where “every child, family, and resident can achieve their potential, free from the stress and limitations that poverty brings”.
It also states that “tackling poverty is a shared responsibility, and everyone in our city has a role to play.”
Actions outlined in the strategy include creating more secure, well-paid work, improving access to affordable childcare and ensuring families can access local welfare support when needed.
The key goals of the strategy include preventing and reducing child poverty, mitigating the impact of poverty and strengthening city-wide and regional partnership working.
Examples of progress to date noted in the strategy include establishing databanks to “distribute free SIM cards to individuals for whom data costs are a barrier to connectivity”, the Sunderland Household Support Fund providing £16 million to households, the establishment of Esports hubs to provide access to e-gaming and highlighting “pathways within the gaming industry”, increased welfare advice, a project supporting community stores, community pantries and “social supermarkets” as an “alternative to foodbanks” and other advice and community projects.
The strategy, which includes a delivery plan for 2025/26, sets out how the council will work with communities to address issues and lays the foundation for new ideas, projects, and services that aim to tackle the “root causes” of poverty through to 2028.
The delivery plan lists key initiatives under the headings of income maximisation, service access and inclusion, early years and family support, equity in education and work, skills and opportunity, with dozens of actions listed, with some including:
- Leading a multi-agency partnership project to auto-enrol eligible children for Free School Meals.
- Arranging financial, employment and training support for families on a one-to-one basis offering signposting to more bespoke financial advice and affordable credit options to “reduce reliance on high-cost credit.”
- Providing free meals and activities during school holidays (Holiday Activity Programme).
- Improving targeted actions and communications to identify residents currently missing out in relation to benefits and support.
- The development of a new Crisis and Resilience Fund.
- Working with Sunderland Foodbank and other food aid organisations to improve access to foodbank provision in the city.
- Supporting families with housing issues such as damp, mould and overcrowding.
- Delivering the Warm Homes Local Grant by “retrofitting at least 150 low-income, energy-inefficient homes” with measures such as solar panels, insulation, and efficient heating systems to reduce fuel poverty.
- Providing health and wellbeing activities for families, continuing to support families through the city’s Family Hubs and work to ensure families can access their benefits entitlement in full, including the Healthy Start Programme.
- Collaborating with schools to deliver the National Wraparound Program, offering extended support to communities before and after the school day.
- Equipping six VCSE hubs with dedicated gaming suites to provide community access to Esports and offer progression routes, “signposting participants towards educational and employment opportunities.”
- Implementing phases two and three of the national school-based nursery programme to increase the availability of childcare places.
- Supporting every child in the city to understand their post-16 options and supporting people to access education, employment, or training.
- Continuing to develop initiatives to support care leavers with financial wellbeing advice.
The council previously said child poverty in Sunderland is a major concern, with recent data indicating around one in three children live in low-income families after housing costs, significantly higher than the UK average, and that many areas within Sunderland have child poverty rates near or above 40 per cent.
The Child Poverty Strategy aims to set out a clear direction for how the council will work with partners and communities over the next three years to address child poverty.
Councillor Michael Butler, who launched a full council motion back in September, 2024, highlighting the “persistent levels” of childhood poverty within the city and steps to improve lives for future generations, said the council’s first Child Poverty Strategy aimed to make a real difference to children and families.
The Southwick ward councillor and cabinet member for children’s services, child poverty and skills, spoke about the importance of the strategy at the cabinet meeting where the plan was approved on December 11, 2025.
“We want to put this strategic framework in place to help ensure the council, working in partnership with communities and organisations right across the city, is playing its part in supporting children and families to thrive,” Cllr Butler said.
“Tackling child poverty is a key priority for the Government, for the North East Mayor and for the local authority too and indeed, the Government recently published its national strategy which will then add strength to and backing for our own efforts in Sunderland.”
Cllr Butler said the council’s first Child Poverty Strategy draws several key areas together, including children’s services, public health and wellbeing services, digital inclusion and financial wellbeing, in a “coordinated and collaborative way”.
The senior councillor said the strategy also “builds on further engagement work we have done over the past year to understand the actual experience of our residents in relation to living with poverty” to “make next steps into 2026 and beyond as practical and impactful as possible”.
“We have learned more about the challenges residents face on a daily basis in relation to childcare, transport, the increased cost of food, clothing, energy and other essentials and the difficulty of some processes that residents need to undertake to access financial and other support,” Cllr Butler added.
“The strategy now complete with a delivery plan for 2025/26 sets out how we will work and how we already are working with communities to address these challenges.
“It also sets the foundation to establish new ideas, projects and services that get to the heart of and effectively tackle the root causes of poverty as we move into years two and three of the strategy’s lifespan to 2028.”
Cllr Butler also noted Central Government’s announcement to “lift the two-child poverty cap” would “benefit all working families”, along with council regeneration projects such as the Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy (HICSA) providing employment opportunities for new generations.
Councillor Michael Mordey, leader of Sunderland City Council, said the Child Poverty Strategy was one of the “top priorities” set when the cabinet took office in 2024 and that he was “delighted” to “deliver on that promise”.
“There are members of this cabinet who have experienced this growing up and we understand the impact that [poverty] has on families and on communities […] as a council we are creating unprecedented opportunities for Sunderland through our amazing regeneration programme, ” Cllr Mordey said.
“This Child Poverty Strategy is one element of our attempt to connect our residents to opportunities, it doesn’t matter where you grow up in Sunderland we want all residents and all young people to feel the benefit of this regeneration.
“I would commend Cllr Butler for his leadership and the fantastic work of our officers […] I honestly think this will have a lasting impact on reducing child poverty and giving the young people of Sunderland the opportunities to thrive in the future.”
For more details and to read the full Child Poverty Strategy 2025–2028, click here