Addressing Aotearoa’s child poverty problem

4 April, 2023

Interviews by Hanna Thompson and Arno Cronje, adapted by Ashley-Rose Redstone 

Research assistant in child development at the University of Auckland, Molly Grant, and Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Kemp say more needs to be done to meet the government's child poverty reduction targets. Photo: Unsplash. 

Listen to the full interviews with Molly Grant and Takutai Kemp

Newly released figures have shown disappointing progress towards child poverty reduction in Aotearoa. 

According to Stats NZ, in the year ending June 2022, child poverty rates remained unchanged compared to the previous year.

One in nine or 12 percent of children in Aotearoa were found to be living in low-income households earning less than 50% of the median household income. For tamariki Māori, this is one in seven children or fourteen point five percent, and for Pasifika children, one in five or 19.5 percent. 

This is the fourth year Stats NZ has reported these figures, mandated by the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018.

Research assistant in child development at the University of Auckland, Molly Grant, told 95bFM’s The Wire that according to their research, Growing Up in New Zealand, one in five children will likely experience material hardship before they finish primary school.

Growing Up in New Zealand is a long-term study that records the development of over 6,000 children from birth until they are at least 21 years old. 

Grant said this year's child poverty rates are likely to be even higher, as increasing costs on essentials such as food, petrol, and transport have made it difficult for families around Aotearoa.

“Poverty trends tend to reflect broader societal issues, and when times get hard, families who are already struggling to make ends meet are the ones who are most severely impacted.”

Takutai Kemp from Te Pāti Māori told The Wire that addressing child poverty rates requires an intergenerational focus.

She argued that isolated policies addressing child poverty rates alone disregard the root causes of poverty, including low-income levels and benefit rates.

“You can't take people as individuals. We look at them as a whānau, as iwi, or as hapū.”

Kemp suggested that devolving money from the Auckland Council's budget towards organisations such as Whānau Ora could resource communities and families more effectively than government outlets.

In response to COVID-19, Whānau Ora supported communities by providing essential aid such as distributing hygiene products and food and operating over 40 mobile clinics and Community-based assessment centres (CBACs).

“The cost of living is high. It hasn't changed. It's not going to reduce anytime soon, and when you're taking these core services away, it just puts more pressure on whānau.”

Historically, Aotearoa has ranked above the median rate for the healthy growth and development of children. 

However, Grant argued that more needs to be done to meet the government's child poverty reduction targets.

Under the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018, the government set a goal to halve the number of children living in poverty by 2028.

Grant pointed out that the most effective policies have targeted household costs, such as housing, food, and transport. 

“Initiatives that really tackle these aspects are going to be the ones that are most effective in reducing poverty for our children and young people.”