New Zealand's child poverty statistics cast the country in a poor light, but last week's release of a report and action plan on the issue offers policy-makers ways to enrich the lives of children, should the political will exist.
One in four, or about 270,000, New Zealand children live in poverty (generally defined as a household living on less than 50% to 60% of the median wage) which, according to Children's Commissioner Dr Russell Wills, affects their development, behaviour and physical health, can limit their adult potential and comes at considerable cost to the country - estimated at $6 billion to $8 billion.
Dr Wills this year tasked an expert advisory group, including three University of Otago professors, with finding solutions to the issue. The group's subsequent report includes several recommendations, both short and long-term, and sets out a comprehensive set of actions. The recommendations include reintroducing a universal child payment for under-6s, requiring a warrant of fitness for rental properties, a wider food-in-schools programme, and changes to current tax, benefit, health, education and employment policies. The report is open for public feedback before it is considered by the commissioner, who will present his recommendations to the Government in December.
The report was welcomed by the New Zealand branch of Unicef, the United Nations Children's Fund, whose executive director Dennis McKinlay said:
"We are encouraged that this paper proposes short-term strategies which, given political will, could reasonably quickly begin to benefit the interests of all New Zealanders" and the recommendations and "models of delivery can all go a long way to getting it right for every child".
The sad reality is the paper is just another in a line of similar reports and discussions about poverty and other critical issues for children produced by different governments, organisations and experts over many years. And, while governments have put in place various measures to help the country's most vulnerable, there is clearly still much to be done.
While welcoming the latest report, Social Development Minister Paula Bennett did not say which recommendations might be adopted, and Prime Minister John Key dismissed as "dopey" the suggestion of reintroducing the universal child payment.
No-one can argue the solutions are easy. The advisory group acknowledges in the report:
"Addressing child poverty and mitigating its effects is not simple.
"There is no single magic bullet.
"Concerted and sustained action on multiple fronts is required."
That action comes at a cost. While some of the measures are relatively inexpensive, others entail additional government spending:
"Reducing child poverty involves costs and trade-offs. Some hard decisions are thus necessary," the report says.
Those decisions are made even harder in the current financial crisis, which has resulted in severe fiscal constraints worldwide by governments wary of debt.
Added to the usual mix for New Zealand is the huge investment in the rebuilding of Christchurch. It is understandable the Government cannot address all the needs of everyone who puts out their hand.
Yet, clearly, something must be done. New Zealand has a proud record as a world leader when it comes to children. In the education field, we often top various United Nations measures and, in years gone by, our children's health policies were seen as revolutionary, with Plunket once credited with giving this country the lowest infant mortality rate in the world. Sadly, our current statistics paint a much poorer picture: we rate at or near the bottom of OECD measurements when it comes to areas such as income disparity, youth suicide and child abuse.
No-one can disagree we should be doing much better. Early investment in children, as in many fields, pays off in many ways - and reduces costs - in the long run. Given the fact the advisory group believes its proposals "will make a significant difference", it is to be hoped the proposals are at least not rejected outright. As University of Auckland Prof Dame Anne Salmond says:
"An ageing society that doesn't care for its young has a death wish."
