Child poverty is on the rise in Canada, putting over 1 million kids at risk of life-long negative effects
Posted on February 23, 2024 in Social Security Debates
Source: TheConversation.com — Authors: Nicole Racine, Shainur Premji
TheConversation.com
January 29, 2024. Nicole Racine, Shainur Premji
At first glance, Canada ranks among the top third of countries for its work in addressing child poverty. But that isn’t the whole story.
Based on current rates of and overall progress in reducing child poverty, the latest UNICEF report card ranks Canada 11th out of 39 of the world’s wealthiest countries. Initially, it seems Canada is doing well; between 2012 and 2021, child poverty fell by 23 per cent.
In reality, since 2021, the number of children living in monetary poverty has sharply risen from 15.2 per cent in 2020 to 17.8 per cent in 2021, and more than one million Canadian children live in poverty today.
This means that one in five children live in persistent fear and stress, face barriers to having their basic needs met, such as stable housing and nutritious food, and experience a lack of opportunity, including access to quality early childhood experiences. As a child psychologist and a health economist, we know that the consequences of child poverty are lifelong and are worth prioritizing.
We know that poverty persists, generation by generation. This is why, although Canada ranks in the top third of countries, we shouldn’t lose sight of our reality. Canada is presently experiencing rising inflation and interest rates, both driving the cost of living crisis and the increase in child poverty rates. And while the economy continues to place constraints on all Canadians, it has a magnifying effect on those most vulnerable, including children.
Building a solid foundation for the future
Child poverty is a pernicious childhood adversity that has detrimental long-term impacts on children’s health, development and well-being throughout life. Children living in poverty have lower academic outcomes, including school readiness and academic achievement, than financially better-off children. Poverty is also a risk factor for behavioural and emotional difficulties.
These educational and social gaps are associated with chronic stress that persists over time, leading to lower earning potential, poorer health and poorer well-being. Poverty, including income loss, housing insecurity and material hardship, is also strongly associated with abuse and neglect, which are known toxic stressors for children and youth.
Poverty reduction has the potential to initiate a beneficial cascade that would improve the lives of children and youth. Taken together, addressing child poverty has the potential to put children on a more optimal developmental course and reduce their risk for poor outcomes.
Balancing today’s needs with tomorrow’s
Between 2012 and 2021, Canada made great strides in addressing child poverty. In 2016, the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) was introduced as a monthly tax-free supplement for eligible families to support the cost of raising children. Families in low to middle-income households benefited the most; the CCB reduced poverty by 11 per cent in single-parent families and 17 per cent in two-parent families.
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program provided additional temporary relief for eligible individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. And, in recent years, the minimum wage has also increased for Canadians.
Although there is evidence that monetary interventions, such as cash transfers, help reduce mental health symptoms among youth experiencing poverty, there remains debate on whether these increases have helped families overcome challenges to the cost of living.
Furthermore, the CERB, provided during the pandemic, has now been discontinued, increasing the hardship among Canadian families. Until families are provided with adequate support, the reality is Canada may continue experiencing a rise in rates of child poverty with significant cascading effects.
Long-term payoffs of addressing child poverty
Addressing child poverty has long-term payoffs. Child benefit programs in Canada have been shown to positively affect children’s educational attainment and improve mothers’ health and mental health. These improvements can subsequently lead to improved health and mental health among children, which reduces long-term public costs.
In addition to being a human rights issue, addressing child poverty makes economic sense. This is why addressing child poverty needs to remain a priority for all Canadians. Governments, employers and communities must partner to reduce the risk of poverty. They can do this by:
- Adopting a national living wage policy, where the hourly minimum wage supports the cost of living in Canadian communities.
- Reducing food insecurity by enhancing access to nutritional food through nationally available school food programs.
- Increasing school readiness by providing universal access to quality early childhood development programs across Canada.
Some are more at risk than others
In its report card, UNICEF identified single-parent families, families living in Indigenous communities, and families with racialized or disabled children as being at higher risk of poverty. These risks come with cascading health, social and justice consequences. Further multidimensional and targeted approaches are needed to support families that are more severely affected.
The Government of Canada has a legislated target to reduce poverty by at least 50 per cent relative to 2015 levels by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
As we saw before the pandemic, it is possible to reduce child poverty in Canada. However, unless the impact of the current economic climate on families is considered and suitably responded to, Canada may continue experiencing a rise in rates of child poverty, putting our collective future at risk. Canada can do better, and we should do better for our kids.
Nicole Racine – Assistant professor, School of Psychology, Scientist, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Shainur Premji – Research Fellow, Centre for Health Economics, University of York
https://theconversation.com/child-poverty-is-on-the-rise-in-canada-putting-over-1-million-kids-at-risk-of-life-long-negative-effects-221565?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20February%2017-18-19&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20February%2017-18-19+CID_7ecb0f9de2822a9b84da770ba338257d&utm_source=campaign_monitor_ca&utm_term=Child%20poverty%20is%20on%20the%20rise%20in%20Canada%20putting%20over%201%20million%20kids%20at%20risk%20of%20life-long%20negative%20effects
Tags: economy, poverty, rights, standard of living, youth
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4 Responses to “Child poverty is on the rise in Canada, putting over 1 million kids at risk of life-long negative effects”
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Recent Comments
It’s really sad that child poverty is rising in Canada, with over 1 million kids facing long-term problems. No child should go hungry, have poor health, or miss out on school. We need to support these kids and push for better policies like affordable housing and fair wages. Every child deserves a chance at a good future. Let’s make a change!
Raise Awareness: Educate yourself and others about the issue.
Volunteer Locally: Support food banks, shelters, or tutoring programs.
Advocate for Change: Push for policies like affordable housing and childcare.
Donate or Fundraise: Support charities fighting child poverty.
Empower Communities: Help connect families to essential services and resources.
Leverage Your Skills: Use your social service training to create impactful programs
Raise Awareness: Educate yourself and others about the issue.
Volunteer Locally: Support food banks, shelters, or tutoring programs.
Advocate for Change: Push for policies like affordable housing and childcare.
Donate or Fundraise: Support charities fighting child poverty.
Empower Communities: Help connect families to essential services and resources.
Leverage Your Skills: Use your social service training to create impactful programs
This topic about the issue of child poverty will have a great influence on my practice as a Social Service Worker. Since more than a million children in Canada are classified as poor, the group urges that it is not only a need to fund child poverty now but also a need to eradicate the very circumstances that continue to produce poor children. I find myself touched by…vulnerable children and their families because I am a professional concerned with social justice. In my future practice, I will address child poverty not simply as a money issue but as an issue that is the product of racism, ineffective policies, and an unfair share of the economy. Listening to the lived experiences of communities marginalized and oppressed in society, especially Indigenous and Racialized people is imperative in my perspective. These are the narratives we cannot afford to have to be the ones shaping the approaches we need to take to fight for improved resource allocation and support infrastructure for students. Of all the features of this problem, I like the idea of thinking about the consequences of poverty for children in terms of their physical and mental development, education, and future professions. Being a Social Service Worker, I would like to address these issues by trying to help families to overcome them. This entails such issues as the right to patronage; that all people should get equal opportunities in such necessities as; shelter, quality education as well as health care. It also means having specific services to assist families in solving problems including cumbersome formalities. A detailed description of the various structural features that confine families to living in poverty underlines the argument for a structural shift. My goal is to support children’s issues beginning with social assistance rates and affordable childcare benefits among others. I also plan to ask the local organizations to help with a variety of issues for families while lobbying for systemic solutions. Finally, special thoughts are a heartfelt desire to do my work with compassion and empathy as well as equity. Minimizing child poverty, I think I have a chance to help build a world where each child could have an opportunity to succeed no matter in what conditions he/she was born. This is not only a professional duty but will be my calling as I embark on a career in social services.
Overall many kids in Canada live in poverty. so, how we can help:
Make housing, childcare, and support easier to get.
Provide more school meals, food banks, and fun activities.
Teach parents, help with money skills, and give school supplies.
Help Indigenous, immigrant, and refugee families.
Donate, volunteer, or mentor kids.
talk about the issue and encourage others to help.
this way we can reduce the child poverty. Because, it is more dangerous effects for the childern.