COUNCILLORS will meet next week to discuss the best way to protect the health and wellbeing of vulnerable youngsters in Notts.
There are currently 179,500 young people and children in Notts, with this figure expected to rise by 13 per cent to 202,835 by 2030.
At the latest check there were 27,950 children and young people, aged between 0 and 19, who were living in low income households in the county – with Mansfield and Ashfield having the highest proportion of children living in poverty.
A paper due to go before Notts County Council's Health and Wellbeing Board on Wednesday April 17 also states that the UK and Ireland have the highest number of households who do not work in the Western Europe.
As part of the plan to protect the vulnerable children, the local authority is set to extend free early education to the most disadvantaged two-year-olds in Notts. From September councillors are expected to allow 1,625 early education places to be offered to toddlers from lower income families.
The paper goes on to say that women from poor families are more likely to have poor health and psychological problems during pregnancy, and that they are more likely to smoke, have poor nutrition and be more susceptible to genital infections.
The weight of a child at birth is used as an important determinant for infant health, mortality, and future adult health.
The latest statistics show that in England 7.2 per cent of all births were babies with a low weight. In Notts the average was 7.1 per cent, but Ashfield the figure was as high as 9.1 per cent and in Mansfield it was 8.5 per cent.
At the meeting, which is open to the public and due to start at 2pm at County Hall in West Bridgford, councillors will also discuss sexual health in young people, the number of missing children in the county, and effects of domestic violence.
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