Children growing up in poverty go to bed or school hungry, feel left out of local sport or can’t go on school camps. Children in poverty live in overcrowded homes and worry about their parents. A lack of money limits a child’s life and learning. Children in unstable housing frequently move due to high rents, which disrupts school, community and friendships. All of this affects how they see themselves and the impacts can be lifelong.
High rates of child poverty are not inevitable. Australia and New Zealand have significantly reduced child poverty when governments have committed to act. A commitment to end child poverty, enshrined in legislation and with cross-party support, reduces the risk that commitments can easily be swept away. The Economic Inclusion Advisory Council has recommended that the Australian Government adopt an official measure of poverty (monetary and multi-dimensional) and that it be independently reported on and enshrined in legislation.
More than 165 organisations across Australia, including WACOSS, have joined the End Child Poverty campaign, calling on all Federal Parliamentarians to pass legislation by 2030. The legislation would acknowledge the inherent right of all our children to live a life free from deprivation and hardship.