Calls for more investment in supporting children across East Yorkshire

It comes as a report suggests the coronavirus crisis has increased inequalities in society hitting children in the north of England the hardest.

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Author: Andy MarshPublished 7th Dec 2021

There are calls today for more investment into supporting children across East Yorkshire.

It comes as report has concluded children in the north of England face worse health and educational outcomes following the pandemic, than youngsters elsewhere in the country.

It found boys and girls from the region have a 27 percent chance of being in poverty.

That compares to 20 percent in the rest of England.

It also shows infant mortality and childhood obesity's higher.

There are also concerns about education and the numbers from low income families.

Mental health is also a worry with the report suggesting youngsters from the North are more likely to experience loneliness during the pandemic.

The reports' authors want more investment to address the issues they identified.

Professor Kate Pickett from the University of York is one of them.

She says big policy changes are needed.

She told us "more investment's needed in welfare, particularly in deprived areas most affected by Covid."

"You know that in the North we had longer periods of lockdown so schools were more affected"."

"Increasing child benefit by ten pounds per child per week and increasing the child element of Universal credit plus child tax credit would go a long way."

The findings are being backed in East Yorkshire which has seen problems with children from low income families among other issues.