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The Children’s Commissioner has spoken about the problem of child poverty in New Zealand.
A recent Growing Up in New Zealand survey shows New Zealand child poverty has become worse over the past four years.
Improving this has to be a cross partisan aspiration, says Chief Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad (pictured).
She notes the avoidable hospitalisations shown by the recent update on the child and youth wellbeing strategy by Ministry of Child Poverty Reduction.
It also shows school attendance of tamariki Māori has worsened since the first report in 2020.
Resources needed
Achmad says the survey report findings show successive Governments haven’t provided the resources needed to help children and families out of poverty.
Child poverty is not a choice the children want for themselves or others, she says.
“I have lots of mokopuna who have come up to me over the last few months and said to me, I don’t want any other whānau to be homeless.
“I actually want every other mokopuna and whānau in this country to have a home, to have the things that they need to be able to thrive.”
The Children’s Commissioner says she welcomes a Government commitment to continuing the Growing Up In New Zealand survey. She hopes it will continue despite a cut in funding from the Ministry for Social Development.
Long term action is critical, she says.
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