Nursery World - More children with language delay and behaviour problems as poverty becomes the 'norm'

‘Poverty is so widespread among families it has become the norm’, according to health visitors who have seen an increase in the numbers affected in the last year, impacting children's health and development.

The iHV's survey highlights the growing scale of poverty among families, PHOTO: iHV

Findings from a survey of 1,186 frontline health visitors working with babies and young children highlight a rise in the number of families using food banks and skipping meals as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.

The Institute of Health Visiting’s (iHV) survey, which claims to be the largest of health visitors working with families in the UK, reveals:

Of those that took part in the survey, some reported that ‘poverty is so widespread that it has become the norm’.

Health visitors also raised concerns about the wider impacts of poverty and increased parental struggle on children’s health, development and safety. More than 80 per cent said they have seen an increase in children with speech, language and communication delay, while 75 per cent have seen a rise in child behaviour problems.

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