A report showing how London boroughs are working to eradicate child poverty has been published by London Councils today (Thursday). The report highlights a range of measures delivered by London's boroughs that have been successful in reducing child poverty. These include schemes to help parents into jobs they can do while caring for their children and that pay well enough so that the cost of childcare does not absorb large amounts of the family's income.

Boroughs are also helping parents find good quality affordable childcare and, in some cases, offering subsidised childcare while parents receive training and re-enter the workplace. Families are also being offering services to help manage their finances and alleviate debt.

The report praises the targeted approaches London councils have taken, using their knowledge of local issues and the needs of local residents to address the causes of child poverty.

London's local authorities are now being urged to extend their work and develop borough wide strategies that bring together these initiatives and finances across departments. This will maximise resources and make real progress towards ending child poverty.

London has the highest rate of child poverty in the country with 600,000 children living below the poverty line after housing costs are taken into account. More than half of children in inner London live in poverty, compared to 28 per cent nationally.

Child poverty is a nationwide issue but the capital's higher childcare, housing and transport costs exacerbate the problem. This often means there are increased barriers for individuals trying to make the transition from benefits into employment as it is harder to make work pay in London than other parts of the UK.

Tax credits were introduced by the Government to help families out of this poverty trap. Take up of tax credits is lower in the capital than elsewhere in the country because they don't stretch as far due to the higher cost of living in London.

Councillor James Kempton, London Councils' Executive Member for Children and Young People said:

"Eradicating child poverty is a huge challenge but our report shows how local authorities are taking imaginative approaches to tackle this enormous problem.

"However there is more to do. While these schemes have been extremely successful in tackling individual cases of child poverty, we now need to look at borough wide strategies that will put the issue at the heart of all local authority services.

"With average child care costing up to £200 a week in central London, it is almost impossible for many parents to return to work.

"We need the Government to recognise the situation here and the specific challenges that London faces in overcoming the current high levels of child poverty."

Lisa Harker, London Child Poverty Commissioner, said: "Child poverty is a national problem, but children in London fare particularly badly. The lives of London's children will only be transformed through sustained action by all the key players.

"Local government has a crucial role to play in ensuring that services meet the needs of local people. This report demonstrates that child poverty is not a marginal issue for London boroughs, but one that must be at the heart of local government action if child poverty levels are to fall."