Child poverty a concern
The Record -- New Westminster
22 Jul 2006
By: Maria Rosario Suson and Christine Schnurr

Editor, The Record:

We are fourth-year nursing students from Douglas College who feel strongly about the need to create awareness for the public regarding child poverty.

In 1989, our government, promised to end child poverty in Canada, yet more than 1.3 million Canadian children - or nearly one child in every six - still lives in poverty. It is shocking to see that children and families in such disadvantaged situations do exist in this country, a country that is deemed as the ninth-richest in the world, and in Vancouver, a city rated as one of the best to live in 2005.

Poverty is a significant factor in health and well-being. Stress and inadequate nutrition can significantly affect a child's growth and development.

Children depend on their parents and, in some ways, our Canadian government to provide an environment that promotes health and well-being.

We all have a part in caring for children.

The Government of Canada acknowledges the seriousness of child poverty but responds by giving families with children under six years of age $100 a month to offset day care costs?

A "pittance" delivered each month to all families with children under six years regardless of family income and regardless of whether or not the child attends day care?

Average Canadian household expenditure is over $63,000 a year, while the average lone-parent family income after taxes is approximately $30,000 a year.

Affordable housing, job opportunities, higher minimum wage, and restructuring of day care would be a better start to alleviating childhood poverty.

It is essential to the future of Canada that the public stand up to promote needed changes in our society and make our government more accountable for the welfare of our nation's youngest citizens.