GLOBAL ISSUESChild Poverty

INTRODUCTION

For our humanities/global issues topic we have chosen child poverty. Child poverty is an issue in Canada which not many people know that it actually exists.

What is Child Poverty? What is the differenceBetween child poverty and poverty?

Well, first of all poverty is the state or condition of having little or no money , goods, or means of support. So what is child poverty? Child poverty mainly focuses on children who have little or no education, shelter, food and have small life spans. These are some of the reasons why this issue affects children’s childhoods. Poverty on the other hand is focusing mainly on everyone as a whole in a country. That is the difference between poverty and child poverty.

How does Child poverty affect us?Child poverty affects us, by causing changes in the

economy and population characteristics (birth rate, death rate, literacy rates, life expectancy and earning power). These changes happen due to the amount of education the child has received. Children who live in poverty tend to have lower levels of education. Because of this they are most likely to live in poverty as adults.

If we don’t address child poverty, it can be a huge problem for the country’s economy and reputation. This in the long-term will affect our country’s economy if not solved now. It will result in higher rates of poverty, which then will be harder to control. Birth rates would increase, while literacy rates, life expectancy and earning power would decrease .

Higher rates of poverty would mean more crime and children are very vulnerable in these situations. They could be used in any way to make money. When children grow up and don’t have a mean to earn, they may use illegal means to actually get a meal. So therefore child poverty affects us all. It will ruin our economy in the future, as well as our relationships with other countries. So it is up to us to help these children, who will be our country’s future.

3. Make children a priority in budget sharing and first call on Nations’ resources - Increase child tax benefits to at least $5000 (help lift thousands of children out of poverty)4. Make governance child sensitive - Government needs to set an official definition of child poverty5. Government should make an official poverty line that way they know what exact measures are needed to be taken to get the most beneficiary results

What are other countries doing to eliminate child poverty?What can we/government do to help eliminate child

poverty? Canada has scored straight ‘’C’’ from the 1980’s to the

2000’s. Only four countries have scored straight “A” from the 1980’s; Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. These countries have a universal welfare policy and they have effectively combined it with job creation strategies. They also support gender equality and accessibility. They give 3% or more of their GDP for direct public spending on families; this is a whole percentage point higher than the OECD average

The steps that the Canadian government can take to help eliminate child poverty are:1. Ensure enough financial assistance for families.2. Provide motivation for people to work and provide for

themselves/family.

CONCLUSION

FRENCH PSA