Publications from ODSW Social Insights: Letters by DSW (Vol 1) | Page 76

Understanding Policy Issues in Poverty

Education, health, jobs and networks
The research has also shown that for poor children, some interventions are a
priority. These include:
(i) Increasing high-quality educational opportunities, from early childhood
through to higher levels, and this would include after-school care,
enrichment and holiday activities.
(ii) Reducing crime and violence so that children and their parents feel
physically safe and psychologically secure and are not subjected to
repeated traumas.
(iii) Providing health-promoting services and amenities, including affordable
sources of healthy food; physical and mental health services for children
and parents; safe places for children to play and exercise; and homes,
schools, and safe community spaces.
(iv) Supporting social networks by strengthening the capacities of residents to
work towards shared goals; mutually support one another and each other’s
children, and secure resources.
(v) Expanding access to opportunities for jobs, financial stability and economic
advancement.
A quick reflection on these areas shows that we have given people here
access to these areas. For example, we have equal access to high quality
education for all our children, affordable and accessible good primary health
care, social networks and access to family service centres and reskilling and
life-long learning efforts by Workforce Development Authority to secure jobs.
In many large countries, these are areas that can trap individuals in poverty as
the mechanisms and structures for enabling and facilitating access to public
services and amenities are stubbornly unresponsive or absent.

75