MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday 13th September

Left Further Behind - Inequality Hurts Our Children the Most

The recently released report from Child Poverty Action Group “Left Further Behind” is another document recording the heart-breaking damage being done to our children who are missing out on the food, housing, healthcare and education that we would wish for every child in this country.

“Every day our agencies are dealing with the children and their families left behind by a social and economic system loaded against them. A generation of kids have grown up with growing income inequality and high levels of poverty – the violence, poor health and lack of educational success of our poorest kids is a direct consequence”, said Ruby Duncan, President of the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS).

“Our members do not want to be constantly battling the symptoms of underinvestment in families”, said Ruby. “Children deserve to live in families who have enough income to provide reasonable homes, food and clothing. Without sufficient support children from our poorest families will have a lifetime of physical, educational and social disadvantage”.

“We give our full support to the call from CPAG to pay the equivalent of the Working for Families In-Work Tax Credit to ALL low income families” said Trevor McGlinchey, Executive Officer of NZCCSS. “Denying our children access to this vital help is unfair. We fully support calls for better and more affordable housing, better funded education for low decile schools and free healthcare for children under 6”.

“A Minister for Children in Cabinet is a meaningful role and will help in making New Zealand a good place to bring up all our children even those from our poorest families”, said McGlinchey. “In the face of the current neglect of our poorest kids – let us finally make the right choices this year and choose to reduce poverty and income inequality and become a ‘Child Poverty-Free Country’ by 2020”.

ENDS

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