British Columbia falls somewhere in the middle of Canadian provinces in standard-of-living rankings, but solidly at the bottom when it comes to child poverty.
The shame of that ranking, compiled by First Call, a coalition of child and youth advocacy groups, is not necessarily where we stand in relation to other provinces, but that too many sa国际传媒 families are living in poverty. As there are many causes, there is no single cure, but that doesn鈥檛 mean we should not be taking steps to arrest this disease.
And it is a disease. It is not limited to any particular age group, but its effects on children are long-lasting. Children in poverty suffer from poor nutrition, which hampers intellectual, physical and social development. They will go to the hospital more often and are likely to have more serious illnesses than children in higher-income families.
While we all love rags-to-riches stories, the truth is that those raised in poverty are less likely to join the middle class. Poverty means a lower level of education, which means more unemployment. It is also linked to crime 鈥� while being poor certainly doesn鈥檛 mean a person will automatically turn to a life of crime, almost 100 per cent of Canadian prison inmates come from beneath the poverty line. People with nothing have nothing to lose; those with hope are more likely to choose the better path.
鈥淚n 2013, the sa国际传媒 government cannot claim to be ignorant of the abundant evidence of the harm done to children鈥檚 health and development by growing up in poverty,鈥� says First Call鈥檚 Child Poverty Report Card, 鈥渘or of the huge additional costs in health care, education, the justice system and lost productivity we are already paying by keeping poverty rates so high.鈥�
鈥淲e will continue to target economic growth as the best method to reduce poverty, simply because it works,鈥� says Stephanie Cadieux, minister of children and family development, in a letter posted on the provincial government鈥檚 website.
Certainly, a strong economy is essential in the fight against poverty, as that means more jobs, more tax revenue and a broader range of opportunities, but it鈥檚 Darwinian thinking to believe that a booming economy alone will solve the problems. The poor are too often left out when the economy grows, as many don鈥檛 have the skills and education to take advantage of improved conditions. Better times economically usually bring higher housing and food prices, and the gap between rich and poor widens.
First Call has compiled a list of 16 recommendations to combat child poverty. They include raising the provincial minimum wage to $12, increasing the federal child tax benefit, increasing the amount of subsidized housing, improving access to education and implementing universal coverage for prescription drugs, dental care and eye care.
No government could afford to implement all the recommendations immediately and fully, but each recommendation concerns an area where incremental progress could be made. Improvements tend to beget improvements 鈥� offering better access to education means more employment, which brings in more taxes and reduces welfare costs. Assuring better health for preschoolers saves health-care costs later.
The government should give serious thought to First Call鈥檚 recommendation for the establishment of a poverty-reduction plan. Without a plan, little progress will be made.
Sometimes there鈥檚 concern that providing too many benefits breeds a welfare mentality. There will always be those who take advantage of whatever assistance is available, but people generally want to make it on their own, and all programs should have self-reliance as a fundamental goal.
It isn鈥檛 about providing a comfortable life for all; it鈥檚 about making it possible for all to have a better life.
