New Zealand suffers from one of the highest rates of child poverty in the Western world. According to Statistics New Zealand,Dalziel, Paul (Professor), "The 2013 Budget: Address to the CPAG Breakfast" (Child Poverty Action Group, Wellington, 17 May 2013) by the end of June 2022, 12% of all children (1 in 9) were directly affected by poverty. Historically, child poverty has had, and continues to have, a disproportionately high effect on Māori and Pasifika households, with 14.5% of Māori children and 19.5% of Pacific children living in poverty. These two ethnic groups continue to experience lingering effects of forced land alienation and immigration discrimination.
In 2011 around 285,000 children were living in poverty, as reported by the Child Poverty Action Group (Aotearoa New Zealand) (CPAG). However, as inequalities were exacerbated during the mid-2010s, exemplified by the a major housing crisis that began in Auckland, this figure increased to an estimated 295,000 children (1 in 6) in 2016.
The Ministry of Social Development recognises that:Poverty in the richer nations is about relative disadvantage—it is about households and individuals who have a day-to-day standard of living or access to resources that fall below a minimum acceptable community standard.In New Zealand, children living in poverty lack material things enjoyed by other children, which results in their social exclusion and alienation. More is expected than merely providing the essentials in a country that strives to support each individual citizen to reach their maximum productivity potential. Consequences of child poverty in New Zealand include: poor health, such as lower rates of vaccination, higher rates of avoidable child mortality, infant mortality, low birth weight, and child injury; reduced participation in early childhood education and young people leaving school with no or low qualifications; and higher rates of youth suicide, teenage imprisonment, and the victimisation of children. Efforts against child poverty in New Zealand include child-centred legislation, child specific representation in the decision-making process, as well as creating a Minister for Children in New Zealand. Professor Marie Johansson, an early education expert from Karolinska Children's Hospital in Sweden, spent some time working in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. After her work, she stated that New Zealand needs to address child poverty "not [as] a political question; [but] it's an ethical question, it's a moral question".
Background The evolution of child poverty in New Zealand is associated with the 'Rogernomics' of 1984, the benefit cuts of 1991 and Ruth Richardson's "mother of all budgets", the child tax credit, the rise of housing costs, low-wage employment, and social hazards, both legal and illegal (i.e. alcoholism, drug addiction, and gambling addiction).
In 2004 26% of children were reported as living in serious or significant hardship, while at the same time only 4% of over-65-year olds were reported to be in those same circumstances. In response to this, the Working for Families (WFF) gave financial support to lower-middle income "working families with children", and saw child poverty fall from 28% in 2006 to 22% in 2007, and then again to 19% in 2008. However, the poorest families were not being reached, and, Child Poverty Action Group argued, were being discriminated against which prevented them from obtaining a benefit which was "rightfully theirs".
Overview of children's rights in New Zealand
A problem often encountered is that the rights of children are entangled with the rights of their parents and caregivers (limitations on which affect children).
Rights in New Zealand law The Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 provides services for children, their parents and family to help with child care responsibilities with the aim of preventing children suffering harm, ill-treatment, abuse, neglect, and deprivation.
The Domestic Violence Act 1995, which offers counseling for victims of domestic violence and section 5(2) requires victim protection, access to the court system in a speedy, inexpensive, and understandable way while also appropriate support programs.Parliamentary Counsel Office, Section 5 of the Domestic Violence Act 1995
The Care of Children Act 2004 concerns the best arrangements of guardianship/ care of children, recognising their rights (section 3), and with the best interests of children as paramount (section five).
Currently New Zealand is adapting the Vulnerable Children's Bill which is an omnibus bill intended to strengthen child protection, and ensure fewer children are abused and neglected.
The resources in the Family Court, and the Department of Child, Youth and Family, are minimal, causing long delays in hearings, investigation, and final cases.
Rights in international law New Zealand ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) in 1993 with three reservations which still stand: Article 22.1 regarding the rights of children with parents who are not legally allowed in New Zealand; Article 32.2 regarding the minimum age of employment; and Article 37 (c) regarding separate detainment facilities for children. Article 24 of UNCROC, which stems from the right to health, requires states to provide measures aiming to reduce infant and child mortality, develop primary health care systems for children, combat disease and malnutrition, ensure pre- and post-natal care for mothers, and spread awareness about child health and nutrition, including the advantages of breast feeding, hygiene and environmental sanitation, and the prevention of accidents.
Ten recommendations from the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review addressed child poverty issues in New Zealand.
Measuring child poverty
Relative A poverty threshold based on 60% of median disposable household income was widely accepted before the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018 was passed. Using this measure, the child poverty rate was 14% in 1982 and increased drastically and in 1994 the poverty rate for children was 29%. This peaked at 30% in 2001, and saw a decline to 22% in 2007. From 2009 to 2012 the poverty rate held steady at 25%. In 2016 the poverty rate dropped to 20%. From 1984 through 2012 ages 0–17 remained the most impoverished age group within New Zealand. The pushing factors for the increasing poverty rate were slow wage growth, high unemployment, and a decrease in social expenditures.
The Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018 provides for several, updated measures of relative and absolute poverty. The primary measurement is 50% of the median income after housing costs for the 2017/2018 base financial year (AHC) while supplementary measures consist of 50% of the median before deducting housing costs and 40% of the median income after deducting housing costs.
Absolute Material hardship refers to children who live in households where their caregivers cannot afford items that are considered essential. In 2007 and 2008 the deprivation rate among children was 18%, while it was 3% for those over 65 and 13% for the overall population. This is measured by calculating the proportion of households that lack three or more essential items out of a list of nine. The New Zealand Ministry of Social Development has created its own index to measure poverty based on material hardships: DEP-17, an index utilising 17 items that are considered essential for children. A score of 7+ is indicative of material hardship and a score of 9+ shows severe material hardship. The ministry collected data from 2008 to 2016. The highest rates of material hardship was seen in 2011 with households containing children aged 0–17 lacked 7+ items an average of 20% of the time and roughly 9% lacked 9+ items. These numbers steadily declined into 2016 where 12% of households lacked 7+ items and 6% lacked 9+ items.
Demographic considerations Studies have shown the Māori and Pasifika (other Pacific groups) consistently rank higher when considering impoverishment compared to other European ethnicities. There is also a consistent finding that poverty rates for younger children were higher than those aged 12–17. From 2007 to 2014, income poverty rates remained the highest in households that had multiple children. in 2014 household with three or more children made up 45% of impoverished children.
Causes of child poverty
Public spending priorities In June 2011, while $9 billion was spent on the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, only $1.7 billion was spent on the Domestic Purposes Benefit, a bill supporting most of the 235,000 children in poverty, as well as their parents and caregivers.
The 2013 budget offered small amounts of extra social policy spending, relevant to children's wellbeing, such as:
Increased spending on home insulation targeted at low-income households with children or elderly occupants or high health needs; Increased spending on rheumatic fever prevention; and Increased spending on early childhood education and schooling initiatives (although offset by other cutbacks in the sector).
In 2013, there was a conference held to address many of the issues that New Zealand was experiencing called the Children in Crisis Conference 2013. The conference was held to allow interested groups to discuss and seek evidence-based solutions to the current crisis. Key talking points were policy development, promoting reform, and publishing relevant articles. This was a three-day event that organised speakers and provided resources to current publications of that time. A full schedule of events and topics can be found on the conference website.
Comparatively, a decade later, the most recent 2023 budget emphasises,
supporting New Zealanders with the cost of living delivering the services New Zealanders rely on recovery and resiliences, and fiscal sustainability
The New Zealand Treasury has budgeted over $2.5 billion to supporting New Zealanders with the pressures associated with the increasing cost of living. The Treasury has also dedicated over $223 million to Māori housing and infrastructure stating, The ability for many Māori and Pacific peoples to have mana āheinga (the capability to decide on their aspirations and realise them) and build mana whanake (the power to grow sustainable, intergenerational prosperity) is impeded when health, education, housing and social welfare systems do not address multifaceted, intergenerational disadvantage. For this reason, we are making substantial investments in Māori and Pacific language, culture, and education; Pacific skills and employment; and Māori housing.
Intergenerational disadvantages: Māori children Maori and Pasifika children continue to be affected by intergenerational disadvantages that are traced back to the colonisation of their native land starting in the 1830s. These long-lasting effects are not only observed in child development and experience, but throughout Māori and Pasifika lifetimes.