The FirstCall BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition is trying to make Child Poverty a Federal Election issue.
The Youth Advocacy group is sharing statistics on Child Poverty with Voters in the Province, hoping to raise awareness about the problem.
“One-in-five children is poor in this province” said Adrienne Montani with First Call. “About 20 of the BC federal ridings have Child Poverty Rates that are above the national average which is 19 percent.”
The Cariboo-Prince George riding is one of them, with a Child Poverty Rate of 22.5 percent and more than 5 thousand kids below the poverty line.
Meanwhile the Prince George-Peace River Riding has one of the lowest Child Poverty Rates in the Province at 16 percent. However, Montani says that number could be lower.
“When we’re talking about child poverty, it’s not just numbers” said Montani. “These are real kids and we’re kind of ruining their childhood if they’re growing up in poverty because poverty is pretty toxic to child development.”
According to First Call, there has been no significant change in the national poverty rate since 1989.