Anti-Poverty Week
This Anti-Poverty Week I’m thinking about the 739,000 – one in six – Australian children living in poverty. Poverty has a devastating impact on the whole community – but it’s particularly devastating for the children living in it.
At Berry Street, we see first-hand the impact that poverty and inadequate income support can have on Victoria’s most vulnerable children, families, and young people. That’s why we’re calling on the Australian Government to #RaiseTheRate of Newstart, Youth Allowance and related payments. You can join that call by signing the petition here.
If you have read my articles before, you will know that Victoria is rapidly approaching 12,000 children in out of home care (OOHC). There are no signs that this growth is abating, and the projection that more than 25,000 children will be in care by 2026 is conservative.
Of course, multiple intersecting factors cause families to be separated and children to enter OOHC. Factors like long-term unemployment, housing stress, inadequate income support and acute financial difficulties compound other issues that can lead to family dysfunction and separation.
Without a roof over their head, food on their table, and the ability to keep the lights on and pay for doctor’s visits and school books, it is almost impossible for families to deal with the complexities of parenting in difficult situations or addressing family violence.
Intervening early – when families are struggling but before they are separated – is the only way to sustainably reduce the number of children entering OOHC. I’ll be sharing more about the economic benefits of targeted early intervention in November.
Early intervention efforts need to be supported by strong, universal platforms that help people move through the tough times. This includes a robust, universal system of income support and rent assistance.
That’s why Berry Street is campaigning to #RaiseTheRate and why we’ve provided a submission to the Senate Inquiry into Newstart and related payments. We’re telling the government that the rate of Newstart, Youth Allowance, and related payments needs to increase to protect children and families, to keep them out of poverty and allow them to stay safely together and thrive.