Early years provision must be a priority - charity

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said early years provision improved children's life chances

A charity has called on the government to focus on early years provision in order to tackle child poverty.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said doing so would help families into work and give children "better life chances".

The minister for early years provision, Stephen Morgan, said he was committed to tackling child poverty.

He was speaking on a visit to a summer club at a school in Kent where 44% of children receive free school meals.

Abby Jitendra from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said making that provision for early years was "a really important way in which families can find work and children can have better life chances".

She said: "A really important part of that is that the system is affordable for families, it's high quality and it's available."

Mr Morgan said the government was committed to breakfast clubs in every primary school

Mr Morgan visited a session organised by TW Clubs at Westcourt School in Gravesend.

Terri Wright from TW Clubs said: "You can't really put words how important this is for the children. The children are at the centre of everything we do."

Mr Morgan told BBC South East: "Our commitment to breakfast clubs in every primary school across the country will make a huge difference to making sure children go to school fed and ready for school.

"Our commitment to 3,000 extra nursery provision across the primary schools is going to make a difference too."