1 in 6 Australian children live in poverty - that's around three quarters of a million children! Every child deserves a fair go and the best start to life but too many kids miss out on the supports and opportunities they need to flourish.
For children growing up in poverty, it is not unreasonable for them to expect adults to recognise the urgency of their situation and take immediate action. They would be justified in believing that they are valued enough to move the hearts and minds of those who have the power and means to effect change.
Every month and every year of their poverty results in severe and longstanding consequences.
This Anti-Poverty Week ‘APW22 (Oct 16-22), we are joining the call to halve child poverty by 2030. We must urge our parliamentarians to legislate with measurable targets and actions to achieve this goal. With this push we can meet our international commitments to the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child and UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Australian children living in poverty are relying on a societal shift that sees them prioritised as valued citizens. Their health and future depend on it. Every child, no matter which postcode they are born into, should be given the opportunities and supports they need to flourish.
It’s not right and it’s not fair to turn our backs on children growing up in poverty. Until we come together as a society and collectively agree that we no longer tolerate child poverty it will continue to exist.
To raise awareness of this important social issue, VCI, in collaboration with Roots TV, have created this powerful video to help adults understand how poverty from a child's perspective. You can help us raise awareness by sharing the video: Growing up poor in Australia- A child's voice https://youtu.be/xG0QYxg9ri4
Thank you to the amazing young people connected to Roots TV for assisting us with this project!
Learn more about poverty in Australia by reading the articles below and visiting the Anti-Poverty Week website here: https://antipovertyweek.org.au/
Want to take action? Sign and share our petition https://www.change.org/774000_Australian_Children_Live_In_Poverty
#EndChildPoverty #APW #AntiPovertyWeek #ValuingChildren
Looking for more resources to share?
With the assistance of students from St Benedict's School, VCI created powerful images and short videos to raise awareness about child poverty in Australia. These are perfect for sharing on social media and can be downloaded here.