Child Trust Fund 27/04/01

Commenting on today's launch of the Child Trust Fund, Amanda Ball, Chief Executive of Gingerbread, said:

"Low income means that 7 out of 10 lone parents have no savings. We welcome the government's proposal to start children off with savings, as many lone parents would be unable to set up accounts for their children themselves. These savings will be more likely to be further supplemented by their parents, if more is done to raise the living standards of those families who currently live below the poverty line or on low pay.

We also welcome the decision to extend parental leave to the parents of all children under 5. Lone parents especially have extra pressure as a result of being the sole day-to-day carer for their child. We urge the government to introduce paid parental leave for parents on low income, who otherwise will be reluctant to take it because they cannot afford to lose pay."