It didn’t make headlines but this week Stormont's Department for Communities provided an update on the Anti-Poverty Strategy. They said the Minister is committed to creating a more ambitious strategy. Along with many others we've been calling for leadership on child poverty so we wanted to respond:

Our response to the Education Minister’s announcement on changing the criteria for pre-school education places and the impact this will have on some children.

Vast majority of parents here feel financial pressure every summer - our poll paints a snapshot of the summer strain many families live with. www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/norther...

Vast majority of parents feel financial pressure every summer, research finds

belfasttelegraph.co.uk

‘Children have had their sense of security ripped away... but their dreams have survived’ - How Save the Children is helping the youngest victims of the Venezuelan earthquakes. www.irishnews.com/life/childre...

‘Children have had their sense of security ripped away... but their dreams have survived’ - How Save the Children is helping the youngest victims of the Venezuelan earthquakes

Aisha Majid, media manager for Save the Children in Venezuela, takes us inside the charity’s efforts to help the youngest victims of last month's devastating earthquakes

irishnews.com

Ahead of Ireland’s EU Presidency we’ve come together with other organisations to call for children’s rights to be embedded at the heart of the EU agenda. 1 in 5 children are impacted by conflict around the world. We want them to be prioritised!

Tragically we say it again - no child should be exploited through fear and hate for violent ends. No community should have to cower in fear of violence. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Derry: Church leaders appeal for calm after disorder

Two boys, aged 13 and 14, were arrested after trouble in the Bishop Street area of Derry on Tuesday night.

bbc.co.uk

“Poverty pressures are getting louder. We all want to make this work. For the sake of the children who live it every day we’re asking – when will a plan on poverty get real? @irishnews.com @savechildrenuk.bsky.social www.irishnews.com/news/norther...

Charity boss slams Stormont for ‘ignoring experts and avoiding targets’ over poverty strategy

Head of Save the Children NI speaks out after consultation findings released

irishnews.com

We've signed this call - along with 60 other orgs - to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility here. #TenIsTooYoung

Children's Law Centre@childlawcentre.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Ten is too young. That’s why we’ve joined 60 organisations in calling on the NI Assembly to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility. You can add your support at www.tenistooyoung.com/support/ It’s time to raise the age #TenIsTooYoung

We’re at the 1st ever Irish Network on Education Worldwide (INEW) conference talking about the impact of conflict on children’s education. With everything going on around the world right now this is a crucial & timely conversation!

Much focus at Stormont today on under pressure families & soaring living costs. 3 yrs since holiday hunger payments were axed MLAs debate a Private Members' Bill from @dannybakersf.bsky.social to see them reinstated. Currently children here are treated unequally compared to rest of UK & Ireland.

Latest child poverty stats didn't get pick-up in NI media last wk but we want to keep sharing about impact on the children behind the data. There's a story of widening inequality in terms of support offered to families here. We can't be silent on this! www.savethechildren.org.uk/news/media-c...

NI: Response to latest child poverty statistics

Statement from Save the Children NI on the newly published Households Below Average Income poverty figures.

savethechildren.org.uk

We stand with voluntary and community sector staff this week as they face into a funding cliff-edge. These people are frontline and on the ground, serving many who face profound challenge & disadvantage @nicva.org

NICVA@nicva.org · 6mo ago

Just days until 1 April, when a 64% cut to employability support takes effect. ⚠️ 11,000+ people risk losing vital services ⚠️ Hundreds of jobs on the line This is a cliff edge for thousands across Northern Ireland. 🧵 #NICantWait

Let's be honest the poverty picture is complex. Latest UK Gov stats show 1 in 5 children in NI in poverty. 1 in 3 in some of our communities! But we believe there's a deeper story of a widening inequality gap for children here when it comes to support given across these islands!

Our CEO Moazzam Malik on BBCNI's Talkback speaking on the plight of 1 in 5 children who live in conflict zones. He spoke movingly about impact on children in Middle East & Sudan: "Don't look away, we need to keep our eyes on the conflict & recognise our common humanity." @savechildrenuk.bsky.social

In uncertain global times it’s good to have our Save the Children CEO Moazzam Malik here holding conversations north & south. In Dublin he’s held an energising discussion with Irish Aid on how to bolster protections for children caught in conflict around the world. @savechildrenuk.bsky.social

For the 110,000 children in poverty in NI - support needs to go well beyond oil bills. Our response to the UK Government home heating oil support package:

12 working days left❗ Funding cuts linked to the Local Growth Fund mean up to 400 jobs lost and 11,000 people losing vital support. Grateful to leaders raising this with the Prime Minister and at Stormont this week. UK Govt and NI Executive must act now with a bridging arrangement. #NICantWait

We’re at Stormont’s All Party Group on International Development today focused on Ukraine. We’re hearing from Ukrainians in NI. “This is a war against civilian life, families, childhood. Children are growing up in a state of alert. A generation is being shaped by war.” (Pt 1 🧵)

Across the Middle East and wider region, the escalation of violence is having a devastating impact on children. As tensions rise, children’s lives hang in the balance. We urge all parties to abide by international humanitarian law and protect civilians. It must stop.

Some good news. There's been a surge in volunteering spirit in our Save the Children stores here. Volunteers are giving more hours of their time than before. We called in to our east Belfast store to meet this brilliant group of volunteers who have become firm friends. @savechildrenuk.bsky.social

We've signed this open letter to the Executive in solidarity with DPAC NI and those disabled people who feel let down by the Draft Disability Strategy. We know people with disabilities are some of the most impacted by poverty and their response to this cannot be ignored. dpacni.com/2026/02/12/d...

Disability Strategy Open Letter to Northern Ireland Executive Ministers

Open letter to the NI Executive: The Draft Disability Strategy is a massive disappointment, work with us to deliver a Strategy that will make a difference. Dear Executive Ministers,  The under…

dpacni.com

"Why are our political leaders content to ignore the evidence and see inequality rise? We know our politicians are staring down the line at an election. But what better was to connect with people and communities than to prioritise & invest in children." www.irishnews.com/news/norther...

We’ve a plea to the Stormont Executive printed in today’s @theirishnews calling for children here not to be left behind when it comes to poverty. We can’t sit back & let the gap widen!

Tomorrow JRF presents Poverty in NI 2025 research to the Committee for Communities. Before that, we went out w/ Trussell NI to hear some public reaction to our findings. The responses were powerful & demonstrate the urgency that @northernireland.gov.uk need to place on this. Watch the 1st video 🔽

We're another step closer to the scrapping of the two child limit to benefits. Good news for the 1 in 10 children here who are impacted by this unjust policy.

Save the Children UK@savechildrenuk.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Great to see that the first major hurdle for the Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill passed in UK Parliament last night. Scrapping the two-child limit to benefits will lift 450,000 children out of poverty - the single most powerful step to reduce child poverty in a generation.

Brilliant news today for families in Scotland. In this new year we will advocate loudly for political decision making in NI that offers hope and relief for children and families in poverty. We long to see child poverty become a top Stormont priority.

Save the Children Scotland@savechildrensco.bsky.social · 9mo ago

We are delighted that the Scottish Government has committed to doing better for babies in today’s budget by announcing a boost to the Scottish Child Payment for families with a baby from 2027.

80 children from North Belfast were part of our Listen to Learn project where they helped design a report with Young at Art into experiences of learning. Now they’ve got to see the final product & their reactions are v cute! (You can read full report 👇🏼) www.savethechildren.org.uk/what-we-do/c...

Just 1 day to go until Christmas Jumper Day & Christine Lampard has a message for everyone here who's getting ready to take part and raise money to support children around the world!🎄🎅🌟

Here’s a glimpse into our #HappyVote event in east Belfast. We’ll be announcing the 10 projects soon that got the most votes from children & families. Then pls keep an eye in 2026 as the projects come to life!

So proud of these brilliant women speaking out on behalf of families and children in poverty. They’ve been giving evidence to Stormont’s Communities Committee. Their challenge - why are children here being left behind compared to rest of UK. (Atlas Women’s Centre/ Women’s Support Network / NIAPN)