HDC Warns Of Pandemic Impacts To Child Poverty Rates

Child poverty remains grim and those on the front lines expect it will be much worse when the impact of COVID-19 is fully known in a couple of years.

The Human Development Council has released its 2020 Child Poverty Report Card which finds more than 30,000 New Brunswick children — or one in five — live in poverty.

Social Researcher Chelsea Driscoll said there is no easy solution as several factors created this number.

“You can’t address child poverty without addressing housing concerns and food security and covering basic needs. You can’t address it without addressing minimum wage laws and employment standard laws,” Driscoll said.

Driscoll said much of the data for the report comes from 2018. A lot of the data used comes from tax filers and it takes time to gather that data.

“We are looking at our 2022 report card before we can accurately say what the impact of COVID has been on child poverty in Canada and New Brunswick,” Driscoll said.

Driscoll said the government recommendations include the low amount for social assistance and early childhood education and childcare.

“That is certainly something that although we have recommended in the past, this year 2020 has really highlighted that child care is an essential service and it is something that needs to be universal and accessible,” Driscoll said.

Reliable internet access at home for children living in poverty has been added to the 2020 recommendations because of the pandemic.