Without a national anti-poverty strategy, child and family poverty in Canada will continue to grow, compromising the success of future generations and threatening Canada’s economic stability. Today, there are poverty reduction strategies in seven of the ten provinces and even in some municipalities. When it comes to eradicating child poverty, the Federal government is currently an absentee partner. A coordinated federal action plan that sets significant goals for poverty eradication, dedicates adequate financial and human resources and mandates reporting of progress is vital for Canada’s future. It is also long overdue. People of all ages face tough realities in Canada today. Nearly one in seven children lives in poverty because their family lives in poverty. Many youth carry huge debt burdens from pursuing postsecondary education while the youth unemployment rate is double the overall rate. Aboriginal people are the fastest growing group in Canada but one in four First Nations children lives in poverty. Immigrants and newcomers face child poverty rates more than 2.5 times higher than the general population. The persistence of poverty even in families with two parents working full time and recent limits on eligibility for Old Age Security limit families’ prospects of relief from poverty through hard work or Canada’s social safety net. It is estimated that poverty costs Canada $72 to $86 billion per year.1 Child poverty impairs our long term national interests because it leads to higher healthcare costs, spending on social support services, lost productivity and limited opportunities. Child poverty also compromises too many people’s dignity, mental health and well-being. Such sobering realities threaten Canada’s economic stability but they also represent an opportunity for government and all political parties. Workable solutions to child poverty are well-documented and have been rigorously tested in other jurisdictions. Canada’s economy would gain stability from greater social equality and lower levels of poverty. Eradicating poverty through a comprehensive federal strategy is an integral part of sound economic stewardship and a step towards social cohesion and social justice that would honour Canada’s international commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other covenants. It is time to rally the political will to formulate a Federal action plan to eradicate poverty – quite simply, Canada’s future depends on it.
