For the sixth year in a row, British Columbia has the highest child poverty rate in Canada. Figures released Tuesday from the 
2009 Child Poverty Report Card shows 18.8 per cent of children in the province lived in poverty in 2007. The Canadian average for the same year was 15 per cent. "We've been at the bottom year after year after year, and our elected officials still don't take seriously the pain and suffering that poverty causes children and their families," Julie Norton, First Call's chairperson, said in a statement. The 2009 poverty report of BC Campaign 2000, prepared by First Call and the Social Planning and Research Council of BC, found 55 per cent of poor children had been so for at least four out of six years. The agency found while female lone-parent families were three times more likely to be poor, the majority of poor children, 51.6 per cent, live in two-parent families.
The study also revealed poor families are getting poorer. Those families with children in the bottom five income brackets (10 per cent) made no significant income gains between the years of 1989 to 2007. In fact, two of the groups actually saw a significant decline. BC Campaign 2000 is urging the provincial government to institute public policies to reduce child poverty in the province. Recommended options include increased child benefits, increases to minimum wage and welfare rates as well as quality and affordable healthcare and new housing programs. The agency says the poverty rate will continue to remain high until the provincial government acknowledges there is a problem. "High child and family poverty rates are disturbing and unacceptable," Adrienne Montani of First Call said."Without a concerted plan and leadership from government, things will keep getting worse."
November 24, 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the House of Commons unanimous vote to end child poverty in Canada.
2009 BC Child Poverty Report Card
Press Release
2009 National Child Poverty Report Card
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