What is child poverty?

Supporting vulnerable children

Child poverty describes when a child is raised with limited access to or, in some cases, no access to, the essential resources they need to survive and live well. Children who've grown up in poverty often suffer compared to others because of the lack of food, sanitation, healthcare and education they need to thrive.

Poverty is a problem affecting children around the world. According to UNICEF, an estimated 685 million children around the world live in poverty, whilst in the UK today, one in four children are living in poverty. Our focus is to help the most vulnerable children living in the most dangerous places to overcome poverty and experience fullness of life.

What is keeping children in poverty?

In order to make changes, we need to understand and address the circumstances that create child poverty, and keep them there.

1 in 10 people live on less that £1.50 a day
Every day 15,000 children and 800 mothers die of preventable causes
Children spend over 200 million hours every day collecting water
The poorest children are often taken out of school to help their families earn an income
Unpredictable weather and emergencies brought on by climate change and war can destroy a family's ability to provide for their children, and make it hard for them to build a better future

How we work to end child poverty

We tackle child poverty at its roots. With your support, we work alongside communities to bring lifesaving healthcare, clean water, nutrition, quality education, child protection and ways for families to make a living.

By tackling the root of the problems, we help to empower communities and ensure that the change we make lasts. Communities set their own goals for transformation and work with us to ensure that we're reaching these goals - and that children won't slip back into poverty when we leave. Children like Olya and Gor.

Girl sits with her arms around her knees, against the wall of her house in Armenia

Child Sponsorship Olya and Gor’s story

Siblings Olya, 7, (pictured) and her 10-year-old brother, Gor, live in a remote community in Armenia with their parents and two younger siblings. The family used to live in extreme poverty with less than £30 per week for the whole family. In 2016, a World Vision Social worker put down a Development Plan for the family to overcome social and economic difficulties, and ensure decent living for the children.

Armenian boy leans an arm against a wall and smiles for the camera

Child Sponsorship Training for parents

Their parents participated in a series of training on positive parenting, hygiene, healthy nutrition and healthy lifestyle to improve their parenting practices and take the best care of the children. They also participated in a savings training. World Vision also supported Syuniq, their father, to begin agricultural activities – cultivating their small land with cereal crops and potato, and beekeeping.

Boy puts his arm around his sister as both smile for the camera outside their house in Armenia

Child Sponsorship Escaping child poverty

As a result, within three years, the family’s income gradually increased. Today, the family have significantly improved their housing conditions. The children have necessary clothing and school supplies, and the scope of the family's agricultural activities are increasing. Thanks to World Vision supporters, Olya, Gor and their siblings have been offered hope for a better life.

How we tackle poverty

How Child Sponsorship lifts children out of poverty

A family of four from Cambodia smiling at the camera with a large bowl of rice

Food

Access to nutritious food is one of the most important ways to lift children out of poverty. With your support, we'll teach communities about growing stronger and effective farming techniques. We share knowledge of nutrition, helping families feed their children nutritious food and saving millions of lives around the world.

Mother and song from Bolivia with a brick background. Mother is looking at her son as he looks at the camera.

Protection

Poverty often forces children into dangerous situations - like working in dangerous conditions, sold as a child bride by desperate parents or driven into the arms of a militia or armed group in search of a better life. You can make sure some of the most vulnerable children in the world escape abuse or exploitation. Together, we can give these children a safe and secure life and hope for the future.

Water

Child Sponsorship helps us build boreholes and clean water taps – so no mother has to choose between giving her child dirty water, or none at all. Clean water saves lives, keeps children healthy, and allows them to spend more time at school because they don't have to walk miles each day collecting water.

A young girl from Malawi sat in a classroom with a workbook and listening, with lots of other children in the background

Education

Having access to education - as well as the resources they need to thrive - gives children the ability to pull themselves out of poverty. You can make sure not just one child, but future generations no longer live in poverty.

Two mums from the DRC at a health clinic holding their babies and laughing

Healthcare

Help fund World Vision's healthcare assistants in some of the toughest parts of the world and make sure children living in poverty are vaccinated. We'll also use donations to empower vulnerable families to protect their children from coronavirus.

A young girl holding a bowl of eggs, and a boy holding an egg in each hand. Standing in front of their family smallholding in Myanmar

Income

You can help World Vision teach new skills, and afford seeds and resources so that they can not only lift themselves out of poverty - but stay there for the long term. With your support, families can build a stable income so they can afford the essentials to stay out of poverty, like healthcare, nutrition, and education.

Too many children live in poverty across the world, and with climate crises, conflict and COVID-19 affecting billions, the number of children in poverty is only growing. For those living in countries where people already struggling, the need to help is acute. Sponsor a child today and help us end child poverty.

Ending child poverty

Sponsor a child

Discover more

If you're still thinking 'but what really is child poverty and how to I help end it?', learn how we work to empower children in poverty, or consider sponsoring a child today to support them to transform their life.