Child Poverty/ Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL)

Children understand poverty as a deeply physical, emotional and social experience. In fact, many children prioritise the psychological and social experience of poverty (e.g., humiliation, shame, and stigma) over any material deprivation.^[1] Children also interpret a part of their own well-being (and indeed that of others) through their social relationships, so interventions that address the purely physical characteristics of impoverishment may not improve a child’s well-being or quality of life.^[2]

Evidence strongly suggests that the incidence of mental health problems among children and adolescents can be reduced by addressing severe and persistent poverty, particularly during the early years of a child’s life.^[3] FSL staff are ideally placed to identify families in need of further support, including individuals who may have mental health difficulties or difficulty coping.

[1] CCF (2005) Understanding children experience poverty, an introduction to development framework

[2] CCF (2005) Understanding children experience poverty, an introduction to development framework

[3] CCF (2005) Understanding children experience poverty, an introduction to development framework