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Child poverty happens to other countries not Godzone – right? If talkback radio is any indication of middle New Zealand thinking you would think that poverty, real poverty is only about toddlers begging on the streets or in countries so torn apart from war that children have never known sanitation, hospitals, schools and clean water. I listened (ever so briefly) to a talkback show this week and was amazed that when it comes to measuring our performance as a country in the welfare of our children, people still consider using third world damaged countries as a benchmark. Of course NZ comes out shining in these comparisons but when we look to our peers in this world, amongst developed countries, we Kiwis have our beaks firmly planted in the bush and seem insensitive to the fact we are failing our young.

 

When it comes to education standards, economic and taxation comparisons our ranking in OECD is justifiably used to help us hold ourselves as citizens, leaders and politicians accountable. Last week we learn from UNICEF that out of 26 of the world’s richer countries there are only three doing worse than us in keeping our children above the poverty line. Based on 2001 data 16.3% of our children lived in homes that earned less than half the national median income. If we make the comparison in ‘market’ terms i.e. take away family support packages and taxation we are one rung from the bottom.

 

Napier tends to feature below national averages in factors associated with lower socio-economic status - in income, education, sole parent family structures, and employment. We can assume therefore that a significant number of Napier’s children are suffering. Taking 16.3% of our own young would indicate over 2,500 of Napier’s children and youth are living in deprived conditions.

 

Adequate shelter, schooling, food, health care, access to information and sanitation are basic rights for children and youth. Under the ethos of the Napier Family Centre we would also add to health emotional and spiritual well-being as well as physical safety.

 

Our family social workers, youth workers, childcare workers, budgeting advisers and counsellors see the evidence that poverty in our city is indeed very real. Our city’s poverty is not as visible as shantytowns and begging children, our poor are actually very adept at hiding and isolating themselves from mainstream community. They are the kids who turn up to school hungry day after day, or flag school altogether, forget their permission slips for school outings, don’t join sports clubs, and who haven’t seen a meal being cooked at home since they can remember. They play truant especially on sports days and fundraiser days. Their homes are freezing in winter and the damp exacerbates respiratory illnesses. But you won’t be invited, as there is shamefulness about inviting people over without being able to offer up a cup of tea. Children disconnected from society leads to inevitable issues as young people and grow into adults unable to form healthy relationships or make wise decisions with their lives. If it takes a village to raise a child then it is up to each of us as villagers to care about each and every child and stop tolerating child poverty.