Child Poverty In Canada

Sanaz Farshchian

Outline1. You Tube Video

2. Poverty Quiz

3. Child Poverty Statistics

4. Case Study: 2 sisters lived in poverty in Kitimat, B.C. In 1994. 14 years later they are interviewed again.

5. How we define

6. How Poverty Affects Children

7. The Idea of the “Western Child”

8. Discussion questions

Video & Quiz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlmwuwhCsgM

http://www.campaign2000.ca/quiz2/index.html

Child Poverty StatisticsCanada

1 in 8 children- 788,000 - live in poverty when income is measured after income taxes. Before income taxes, 1 in 6 or 1.13 million children live in poverty.

Top 4 provinces suffering from child poverty is: British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario.

(campaign 2000)UNICEF ranks Canada 17th worst out of 23

industrialized nations in terms of child poverty levels.

Poverty Across Canada

Case StudyChildren of Poverty: 14 years later

In the Vancouver Sun in 1994 a 12 page article was done on “Children of Poverty”.

Ayla Thompson and her sister Jasmine were featured in the article with their now deceased mother.

They both grew up in extreme poverty and endured 27 different foster homes

Their mother was a struggling addict. 14 years later they were interviewed again; Jasmine is still in foster care

and Ayla is married to Sean Thompson, 27; they have a 2 year old daughter and another baby on the way.

Ayla and Jasmine say that they are breaking the cycle and will not allow their children to live in poverty.

But not all children are as lucky as Ayla and Jasmine, their lives do not straighten out.

Defining Poverty in CanadaThe Canadian government provides three primary measures of

low income in Canada, none of which are officially endorsed as poverty linesStatistics Canada’s Low Income Cut-Off (LICO)

Is defined as a family which spends more than 55% of its income on food, clothing and shelter

Statistics Canada

Defining Poverty in Canada

The Low Income Measure (LIM)Which is strictly relative measures of low income, set at

50% of adjusted median family income.The Market Basket Measure (MBM)

Addresses head-on for how much a family requires to meet basic needs

Statistics Canada

How Poverty Affects ChildrenPoverty brings with it many costs that have a long term

influence on children:Poor nutrition, hunger Family stress, parental depression, reduced supports and

family conflict Fewer resources for learning, lower quality child care,

financial barriers for activities Crowded and dilapidated housing problems, homelessness,

problem neighbourhoods, frequent moves, lack of safe places to play

The Urban Poverty Consortium of Waterloo Region

The Western ChildWe are taught in Canada about the third world and how

children are suffering from poverty and labour.A notion is put into our minds about the Western, first

world child. Jefferess article “Neither Seen Nor Heard: The Idea of the

“Child” as Impediment to the Rights of Children; explains this idea.

Books like Iqbal are written about the other worlds, but where are the books about the children who are suffering right here in Canada

The Western ChildA boy named Craig Kielburger was inspired by Iqbal and

organised “Free the Children”. He travels around the world visiting children and speaking out in defence of children's rights.

Why are they not organizing something in Canada to teach Canadian children about their rights.

Children who are suffering from poverty are not having their rights met.

The 3 P’s (protection, Provision and Participation); they are not being met.

Discussion Questions

1.How is the Idea of the western child related to the idea of the universal child?

2.Why are children suffering from poverty in such a rich country? Is it related to the children being kept powerless?