verbena-19

CANADA: Child Poverty Report Card

Child poverty report card highlights aboriginal poverty

The rate of child and family poverty in Canada has been stalled at 17-18% over the past 5 years despite strong economic growth and low unemployment, according to a new report by Campaign 2000. The 2006 National Report Card on Child & Family Poverty finds that 1,196,000 children - almost 1 in every 6 children - live in poverty in Canada. In First Nations communities the child poverty rate is higher: 1 in every 4 children.

“These disturbing findings demonstrate that we need political commitment to a Poverty Reduction Strategy for Canada with targets, timetables and funding. Countries like the United Kingdom have done this with success and Canada can too.” stated Laurel Rothman, National Coordinator for Campaign 2000.

You can voice your concern about child poverty and call for government action by going to http://www.campaign2000.ca and click on Take Action to send a message to the Prime Minister.

Add your voice to the growing call for a poverty reduction strategy

One of the specific things the Make Poverty History platform calls for as a way to end child poverty in Canada is “involving groups where poverty is predominant, such as Aboriginal People, women, minorities and youth in the design and implementation of a domestic poverty reduction strategy.”

Now there is a way you can contribute to designing such a strategy. The National Council of Welfare, an independent body established to advise the government on social development, has recently launched a web-based survey to seek input from Canadians on developing a poverty reduction strategy for Canada. They want to hear from individuals and organizations about why you think there is so much poverty in Canada and what you think we can do about it.

To participate click on: https://media6.magma.ca/www.leverus.com/ncw/?refererid=12

The more people who participate in this survey, the more the results will have to be taken seriously by government.