UNICEF report card highlights need for action on “stagnating” child poverty

Unicef’s child poverty report released today shows that New Zealand needs to be more proactive in pursuing policies to protect our most vulnerable members of society.

NZEI Te Riu Roa President Judith Nowotarski said our 0.4 per cent improvement in child poverty levels was nothing to be proud of.

“This study of the impact of the worldwide recession on child wellbeing in 41 rich countries highlights the important role governments play in limiting or reducing the effects of poverty on children,” she said.

“Reducing child poverty is a big deal to educators. We care deeply about the kids we teach. We want them to succeed in education and in life, but poverty casts a long shadow and frequently stops them from reaching their potential,” said Ms Nowotarski.

“Forty per cent of the Kiwi children in poverty come from working families. We need to get serious about a minimum wage that families can live on. Why should employers be able to make profits while paying their staff less than a Living Wage, and leave taxpayers to bridge the gap?” she said.

“Too many children are also coming to school hungry. NZEI supports the Greens’ Feed the Kids Bill which they inherited from Mana leader Hone Harawira. We don’t want a return to a Victorian era of charities and philanthropists doing what they can to mitigate the effects of poverty. Only a government can ensure every child has access to food at school.”

Australia had one of the top rankings for reducing child poverty and the report noted that it had targeted cash payments to the poorest families, which protected the vulnerable and boosted the economy at the same time. In comparison, the ambitious tax cuts implemented in New Zealand did not help those who most needed it.

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