A critique of applicable policies and legislations.
The Governments view of child poverty:
The Government’s vision for children is that every child
thrives, belongs, and achieves (Ministry of Social Development, 2012). Sadly
this is not the case for many of New Zealand’s children, as 270,000 children
are living in poverty.
There are many different policies and legislations in New
Zealand that are aimed at alleviating the effects of child poverty, however
whether or not these policies and legislations are helping or hindering the
process remains questionable.
The main factor that affects a family in today’s society
is income inequalities. The amount of money and wealth a person or family has
contributes to their overall ‘status’ and can create a divide between those in
higher social classes and those who are in the lowest social classes. (Boston
& McIntosh, 2012; Child Poverty Action Group, 2008).
A family’s income underpins how accessible key needs like
education, food, housingand medical care are for children. Children living in
poverty often have just one parent in the workforce and their income is the
minimum wage or slightly above. However with the economic crisis and rising
prices of education, food, housing and medical costs children are being
deprived of their rights for an equal start at life. Article 25 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights emphasises the right to be free of
poverty: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the
health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing,
housing and medical care. . .”(United Nations, 1948). Children living in
poverty do not have a choice as to whether or not they live in poverty; it is
in the hands of their parents, society and the Government. The economic crisis
is also a reason why there are so many families struggling to get by as jobs
that the Government promised to create have not been successful. There are not
enough jobs for the number of people wanting to work and privately owned
companies struggling in the economy lay off more workers further contributing
to the situation. (Noonan, 2010).
The Government is becoming aware of the large per cent of
children whom are affected by poverty and in 2005 they introduced the Working
for Families package. This initiative was designed at reducing the number of
children living in poverty in New Zealand as parents would receive financial
assistance to help with the financial pressures of life. Most families in New
Zealand benefit from the working for families package as they can receive a
supplement if their combined income is up to $100,000. However research has
shown that although working for families was designed with good intentions the
number of children living in poverty has not reduced. (Bunce, 2011; O’Brien, 2010).
The accommodation supplement, and childcare subsidies
that are a part of the working for families package have little effect on the
effects of child poverty in New Zealand. (Work and Income, 2012).
New Zealanders are becoming more dependent on financial
help from the Government just to get by. The accommodation supplement can
benefit a family in poverty if they are in desperate need of money to pay their
rent or mortgage. A family living in a state housing that can barely meet their
needs is unable to apply for this assistance however, it is children that live
in rentals that fall victim to cold, wet, damp and mouldy housing conditions.
The type of housing children living in poverty live in is miserable and is a
contributing factor to their overall health and well-being. This results in
children requiring medical care which is unaffordable for families living in
poverty therefore children are more likely to stay sicker for longer and end up
in hospitals for sickness and diseases that could easily be managed through a
general practitioner. (Dale, O’Brien, & St
John, 2011).
Childcare subsidies are designed to help lower the costs
of education for children in New Zealand. The Government has brought in
initiatives such as 20 free hours in early childhood education to emphasise the
importance of educating our future generations in the first five years of life.
The amount of assistance given to a family is determined by their annual income
(Work and Income, 2012). This amount, however big or small it is will not
change the outcomes of child poverty because it is the affordability and
quality of the schooling that is hindering accessibility of education for
children living in poverty. The assistance may cover some of the costs of
schooling but it does not cover the full cost of educating a child in New
Zealand. However I feel the cost of educating children should not fall solely
on the parents as the Government are benefiting from the education process as
we are merely ‘human capital’ and will contribute to the functioning of society.
All the economic borrowing that is occurring in New Zealand is debt that our
future generations will have to pay back. If poverty is not analysed in depth
now, then New Zealand has a dismal future of economic growth. The educational
outcomes of children need to be increased and there needs to be a higher rate
of children gaining university entrance if the country is to survive. (Dale, O’Brien, & St John, 2011).
Child poverty is a major issue and it is on the
government’s agenda, although some of their policies and legislations can be
seen as having little effect on reducing the number of children living in
poverty. The government needs to reassess the effects of child poverty and
focus on how they can truly make a difference in the lives of so many of our young
children living in poverty today through policies and legislations. (One News,
2013).
Reference
List:
Dale, M.C., O’Brien, M., & St John, S. (Eds.).
(2011). Left further behind: how policies fail the poorest children in New
Zealand. Auckland, New Zealand: Child Poverty Action Group Inc.
Noonan, R. (2010). Banishing poverty is within our grasp. CHILDREN, 72, 15-16.
O’Brien, M. (2010). Relative
poverty- raw statistics for children in New Zealand. CHILDREN, 72, 11-13.
Work and Income.
(2012). Section 61E. Interpretation.
Retreived from http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/manuals-and-procedures/legislation/acts/social_security_act_1964-248.htm
