There was cross-party support for a motion aimed at tackling the rising crisis of child poverty and neglect in Warwickshire and the rest of the country.

Councillors backed a Liberal Democrat motion at Warwickshire County Council this week, calling to turn "concern into action".

The motion, moved by Cllr Jerry Roodhouse, noted the "stark reality" of children in Warwickshire growing up "without basic necessities such as nutritious food, warm clothing, and stable housing".

Cllr Roodhouse said: "Today's council decision is a vital step to protecting children and families in Warwickshire. 

"The Liberal Democrats have led the charge against child poverty – from leading the national campaign to scrap the two-child benefit cap, to driving real change here in Warwickshire.

"This motion is part of the same mission: tackling child poverty is not just a moral obligation, but a social and economic necessity to deliver a fairer future for every child." 

The Full Council agreed to:  

1. Draft A Child Poverty Reduction Strategy (2026–2030) 
2. Create measurable targets to explore avenues in improving life chances and increases Free School Meal uptake. 
3. Scope A Cross-Party Child Poverty Commission  
4. Bring together schools, health partners, voluntary organisations, and councillors to ensure a coordinated county-wide response and practical proposals. 
5. Pilot A Child Poverty Impact Assessment Framework  
6. Explore how major budget proposals and projects can be assessed for their impact on children and families. 

Cllr Roodhouse added: "As Charles Dickens warned us, the cost of looking away is too high. In A Christmas Carol, he showed us two children — 'a boy and girl, yellow, meagre, ragged' — and told us, 'beware them both.'

"Those children are not echoes of the past; they are here, in our communities, and we have a moral duty to protect them."