The First Call BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition recently released its 2016 BC Child Poverty Report Card.
According to 2014 information, 19.8% of BC children live in poverty. That’s higher than the Canadian average of 18.5% (163,260 children), and an improvement from BC’s 2013 rate of 20.4%.
In the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, 18.3% of children live in poverty. The RDFFG is one of only 12 regional districts with a rate under 20%. The number improved in Bulkley-Nechako but it’s still 21.6%.
The provincial decline reflects the poverty rate among children in couples’ families (13% to 12.4%). The poverty rate amongst children of single parents – mostly single mothers – was unchanged at 50.3%. Almost half of BC’s (49.4%) poor children live in lone-parent families.
The report has 20 recommendations to reduce this rate to 7% or less by 2020. The suggestions include a $10-a-day child care plan, a minimum wage boost, better welfare rates, and provincial child tax benefit. Also mentioned is more affordable housing, addressing poverty for First Nations and urban Aboriginal families, making post-secondary education more affordable, and enhancing universal health coverage.
The Province says it has committed $855 million dollars this year to address some of these issues. The money funded up to 5,000 new affordable housing units for families and 2,000 new rental units throughout the province. A new initiative has also helped educate and train 4,000 single parents to find employment and get off of assistance.
Starting in the new year, the province will make changes to the Medical Services Plan, which will allow approximately 40% of BC families pay reduced premiums or no premiums at all.