Programme for government 2026 to 2030: New ambition for Wales - Chapter 5: Tackling child poverty and securing the best future for every child in Wales

“ A Wales where every child can thrive will be a fairer, healthier and more prosperous nation.”

Tackling child poverty is a defining mission of this government. It is both a moral imperative and an investment in Wales’s future.

Every child should be able to learn, participate and fulfil their potential, regardless of their family’s income. Yet too many children continue to experience the effects of poverty, which can impact health, educational attainment and life chances.

A Wales where every child can thrive will be a fairer, healthier and more prosperous nation. Reducing child poverty can improve life chances, strengthen communities and develop the next generation of workers, thinkers and leaders our country needs.

Years of flawed strategies and unfocused spending by previous administrations, compounded by austerity policies pursued by Westminster, have left child poverty levels stubbornly high.

We need to create expectations across government and society of the role that housing, health, education and the economy can have in breaking the cycle of poverty. We need to establish mechanisms that make it easier for us to embrace these links.

We will:

• work with partners to develop and deliver a new plan to tackle child poverty, setting clear targets, benchmarks and milestones to drive ambitious, deliverable change.
• press the UK government to use the levers they have, including removing the benefit cap, increasing Local Housing Allowance, and introducing social tariffs to deliver real change for families living in poverty.

We want Wales to be a country where every child can thrive. For too many families, financial pressures can limit those opportunities from the earliest years of a child’s life. Direct financial support can help reduce those pressures, improve family wellbeing and contribute to better outcomes for children.

Cynnal will allow us to test the impact a Welsh Child Payment could have on reducing child poverty and improving outcomes for children and families. In piloting this approach, we will build the evidence needed to inform future decisions about how direct financial support can help improve life chances.

We will:

• seek to pilot Cynnal, a Welsh Child Payment, providing a direct weekly payment for young children in families claiming Universal Credit.

No child should miss out on learning because they are hungry. We will build on our record of delivering universal free school meals in primary schools by extending the offer to secondary schools.

Ensuring more young people have a filling and nutritious meal during the school day will promote health and wellbeing, help them concentrate in school and enable them to actively participate in lessons and social activities.

We will:

• expand access to free school meals in secondary schools, starting by ensuring that all students in Years 7‑11 from households claiming Universal Credit are able to claim a free school meal, with no income limit. We will align provision with the work on a new National Food Strategy.

Everyone in Wales should be treated with dignity, be able to fulfil their potential and feel that they belong. A just society benefits everyone, providing equal opportunity, connected and thriving communities, and access to services free from discrimination and prejudice.

Our success as a nation depends on ensuring that everyone can contribute, participate and realise their potential.

We will:

• work across all areas of government to end violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence, through a whole‑system, prevention‑led and society‑wide approach.
• support victims and survivors by protecting funding for specialist, survivor‑centred services, and by exempting refuges from the Renting Homes Act to ensure access to safe accommodation.
• work with people with lived experience to advance equality, including LGBTQ+ equality, disabled people’s rights, gender equality and an anti‑racist Wales. We will strengthen delivery and accountability, and report on progress and impact.
• support the UK government in taking forward a full, trans‑inclusive ban on so‑called ‘conversion therapy’, maximising Welsh Government action to tackle these harmful practices and support survivors.
• uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and work across public services to improve support for veterans and their families.
• take forward proposals to develop human rights‑based legislation for Wales.
• work with partners to support sanctuary seekers to participate and integrate into Welsh society, helping them rebuild their lives safely and with dignity.