Thousands of Aussie kids are living in poverty, Support the call to End Child Poverty!
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
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“I spent three years sleeping on a blow-up mattress, bouncing between relatives’ houses with my four siblings, when I was just nine-years-old. This was after my mum escaped an abusive relationship and couldn’t find permanent housing for our large family of six.
I just wanted a quiet place to do homework, a cupboard for my clothes. I wanted a birthday party like the ones all my friends had.
I just felt really crowded and overwhelmed. I was stressed that my classmates might found out. Eventually, I started to get behind in my schoolwork and lose focus in class because I was constantly worried for myself and my siblings.”
- Shayna (name changed)
WE MUST DO BETTER. This is why we are calling on the Federal Government to implement a legislation to End Child Poverty in Australia.
WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US
The existence of child poverty in Australia is undeniable with one in six children living below the poverty line. In real numbers, that’s 761,000 Australian children living in poverty.
The negative impact of poverty on a child’s development and life outcomes is significant, well documented and can last a lifetime. Poverty effects a child’s health, mental health and wellbeing and many children experience missing out on essential items like food, clothing, a safe place to sleep and often friendships.
A child who lives in poverty is 3.3 times as likely to live in poverty as an adult.
Kids growing up in poverty too often go to bed or school hungry, they can feel left out if they can’t join a local sport team or go on school camps, they may be living in an overcrowded home where there’s no quiet place to do homework and they worry about their parents. Multiple studies have found that child poverty isn’t just about not having enough to eat and a secure home. A lack of money limits children and young people’s lives and learning and seeps into other aspects of their life. Children at the forefront of the housing crisis are often frequently moving due to high rents, which disrupts school and friendships.
The opportunity: It’s time to put children at the centre of ending poverty IN AUSTRALIA
We are calling on the Federal Government to:
- Legislate an end to child poverty.
- Include children as a priority in the Measuring What Matters national wellbeing framework.
Please sign and share this petition to help us ensure all kids get the same opportunities to reach their full potential.
Sponsored by
To:
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Prime Minister Anthony Albanese,
I am asking you to End child poverty and increase child wellbeing in Australia.
We are calling on the Federal Government to End Child Poverty in Australia, that creates a bold roadmap towards poverty reduction.
In 2018, New Zealand adopted child poverty reduction legislation that requires governments to set 3 and 10-year targets to reduce child poverty. Bipartisan support for this legislation in New Zealand shows that New Zealand agrees that the reduction of child poverty is not a political issue, it’s a moral one.
Australia’s children need a similar level of commitment from our politicians. Leaving one in six Australian children in poverty is a policy choice.
These children live in stress and shame because they can’t explain to their friends that joining them on the next school trip will come at the cost of having food in their lunchboxes.
Please pass legislation to End child poverty in Australia!