Child poverty cannot be ignored
Childhood is a magical time in our lives, full of precious experiences, memorable moments and adoration that our families curate for us. Sadly, the coronavirus disease pandemic has exacerbated struggling families’ living conditions and left parents with few or no resources to cover their children’s basic needs. According to UNICEF, the pandemic could plunge an additional 117 million children into poverty globally, bringing the total number of children living in poor households to 700 million.
Poverty causes multifaceted and long-term harm to children. There is a significant correlation between poverty and adverse child outcomes, such as poor educational attainment, impaired physical health, altered brain development, malnutrition, abuse, and mental health issues.
Poverty also places children at greater risk of going on to develop chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease, as well as ensuring a shorter life expectancy. Furthermore, children living in poor housing conditions and impoverished neighborhoods are more likely to develop physical and mental health problems, get injured, and witness violence or crime.
Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has the “right to a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.” And many governments around the world recognize the importance of tackling child poverty before it is too late.
New Zealand has made great strides in safeguarding and promoting children’s well-being.
The country’s Child and Youth
Well-being Strategy, published last year, aims to deliver a range of policies, legislations, and programs to improve well-being, such as increasing employment support for parents, increasing the minimum wage to NZ$20 ($13) per hour by 2021, extending paid parental leave to 26 weeks, improving access to and the quality of early learning education, improving maternity and early years support services, and improving housing affordability, quality and security.
The government of Norway, meanwhile, has a dedicated Ministry of Children and Family Affairs. Five years ago, it published a strategy to address child poverty, with interventions covering a variety of areas, such as family counseling services, housing grants, free core time in kindergarten, mentor programs for young people, and free sports and leisure activities.
One successful program is the Family Nurse Partnership, which targets first-time parents who have limited support networks, are victims of abuse, have mental health problems or addictions, or live in poverty. Countries with similar programs have seen improvements in the health of mothers and children.
Children can only experience a happy, healthy and unforgettable childhood once in their lives. It is imperative that we ensure all the factors that contribute to childhood’s preciousness are safeguarded and provided. After all, we expect them to grow up and reach their full potential, making the world a better place for us all.
Sara Al-Mulla is an Emirati civil servant with an interest in human development policy and children’s literature.
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