The government has today called for a "national coalition" to end child poverty, saying that "every child has a right to a decent standard of living".

Ministers say that the government cannot tackle the problem alone, and want to partner up with religious leaders, charities and the voluntary sector to lift children out of poverty.

The strategy was detailed by chancellor Gordon Brown, education secretary, Estelle Morris, and work and pensions secretary, Alistair Darling at a specially-convened summit in Downing Street on Thursday.

The chancellor is hosting a seminar which is being attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, the chief Rabbi Jonathon Sacks and leaders of other faith groups.

"The purpose of today is not to be complacent. It is to show that there is a great more to be done if we are to end Britain's reputation as the country that has been worst for child poverty amongst the major industrialised countries," Brown said.

The chancellor said getting people back into work was vital if a long-term strategy to end child poverty was to be achieved.

Ashley Riley, from Child Poverty Action Group, welcomed the chancellor's calls to reduce unemployment.

However, he warned that we must not forget that some people cannot work - whether it was due to mental illness or having a history of being unable to work.

Since coming to office, Labour has repeatedly said it is vital that it breaks the cycle of deprivation by removing children from the poverty trap.

Tony Blair has said that ending child poverty is a "litmus test" of any political party, while Alistair Darling spoke of the importance of building "a world campaign" to tackle the problem. "It is a complex problem but obviously one which we want to eradicate," Darling said.

The latest move is being seen as a further step towards meeting Labour's goal of eradicating child poverty over the course over the next generation.

The government has said it wants to half the amount of child poverty by the year 2010 - with a million children to be lifted out of poverty during the course of this parliament.

Brown's announcement comes on the day that the Child Poverty Action Group is warning that food poverty is a fact of life for families in the UK. High food prices and poor diet are a reality for many low-income families, according to a new report by the charity.

It claims that two million children in families claiming income support are at risk from health inequalities through monotonous diets or low quality food.

Spending on food is often cut to avoid or reduce debt or meet demands such as electricity bills. The charity claimed people on low incomes are effective managers of food and money but high prices and a lack of choice add to insecurity and health issues.

People in poorer households are less likely to eat fresh fruit, wholemeal bread, lean meat and other more healthy foods, the charity found.

The charity's director, Martin Barnes, said: "The fact that many families in Britain cannot afford to eat enough or eat well is shameful. This report challenges the myth that low-income families have only themselves to blame for their food poverty.

"Many families struggle to afford the basics. While most of us do not think twice about when or where to buy food, for many parents feeding themselves is a cause of anxiety stress and hardship."