The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) acknowledges the work that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has done to put child poverty on the political agenda. As the first Minister for Child Poverty Reduction, she has advocated for children over challenging times, particularly given the disruption of the Covid pandemic.

Under her leadership, government strategy and policy around child poverty has been significantly strengthened. The Child Poverty Reduction Act means we now have a political requirement to report on progress (or lack thereof) on child poverty. It can no longer be ignored and written off.

CPAG also applauds the comprehensive steps and efforts taken to unify the different arms of central government to reduce child poverty in New Zealand. The Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy is now a statutory policy. As well strict procedures for amendment or review have been introduced which will offer long-term protection for children in the face of political change.

The Healthy School Lunches programme is a great example of steps taken by the Ardern government to reduce food insecurity and address the effects of poverty at the grass roots level. The estimated one million school lunches supplied each week ensures that children have the food they need to learn and grow.

In addition, increases have been made to the minimum wage and protections offered for tenants in relation to the obligations of landlords to provide warm, healthy homes. In November changes to the childcare subsidy policy were flagged for inclusion in the 2023 Budget. This should see an income threshold increase for over half of all New Zealand families with children eligible for subsidised childcare assistance.

CPAG would also like to see further steps taken as a matter of urgency to reduce disparity in child poverty rates, particularly for children disproportionately affected such as Māori, Pasifika and children with a disability. This should be implemented as a priority for any subsequent government.

CPAG spokesperson Mike O’Brien says "There are still too many children living in poverty, and the programme of action needs to be accelerated to address the high rates of poverty for some groups of children. While CPAG acknowledges the gains made under the leadership of Jacinda Ardern, we urgently ask for more to be done to support low-income families, and we look forward to the promised review of Working for Families. What we need now is immediate action so no child is left behind."

© Scoop Media