In Manchester on Sunday Gordon Brown reaffirmed his commitment to the eradication of child poverty, stating that ‘at the heart of building a better Britain is the cause of ending child poverty’. Welcome words, but not an easy task. Radical improvement in the following key areas is essential to tackle child poverty.

In the UK today, one in three children (3. 8 million) are in poverty and last year, despite further investment, the number increased by 100,000. An early announcement is needed from Brown that a cross government strategy will be put in place to ensure the 2010 target of halving child poverty and the 2020 target of ending child poverty are met. This must include an extra investment of £4bn on benefits and child tax credits without which there is little chance of reaching the 2010 target.

Brown’s desire to end child poverty must also be reflected in the introduction of fresh policies and new thinking. The appointment of a new Ministry for Children, Schools and Families, with special responsibility for tackling child poverty, is a good start but much more is needed. The British public are sceptical about child poverty and have yet to recognise the damage it is doing to our children and its cost to our society. The prime minister needs to actively campaign to end child poverty, publicly visiting poorer areas of the UK with local political and business leaders and the media. Listening to local families and showing the causes and extent of poverty and inequality, raising questions about the huge disparity between the incomes of the rich and poor, challenging attitudes to poverty, and talking about what needs to be done to eradicate it.

Fifty per cent of children living in poverty today live in households where at least one parent works. Brown should engage business leaders and others in a dialogue about reducing in-work poverty underpinned by a higher minimum wage supported by in-work benefits and tax credits. The quality and sustainability of jobs also needs to improve to help the most disadvantaged get, keep and progress in employment.

Combining work and family life is a challenge for parents. The typical cost of a full-time nursery place for a child under the age of two is £152 a week in England, rising to £205 a week in inner London. A key priority for Gordon Brown must be the provision of a sufficient supply of high quality affordable, accessible, childcare to support all working parents.

Also central to tackling child poverty is improving educational opportunities. This needs to start young because poverty shapes children’s development. Gordon Brown needs to build on the successes of Sure Start children’s centres and increase resources to ensure access to high quality early years education for every child from a low-income family. He also needs to aim to close the gap between state and private school funding levels and ensure that new spending is geared towards schools in the poorest areas or with the poorest intake. Education must work for all children.

What happens at home directly impacts on success in school. Therefore Brown also has to address the lack of good quality housing. In the Comprehensive Spending Review he needs to commit to build 20,000 additional social rented homes a year over the next three years.

We need a prime minister who is an advocate for children and young people. This is a chance for Brown to show he really is the children’s anti-poverty champion. He has a chance to deliver real change for millions of children’s lives. We hope he rises to this urgent challenge.