Australian Child Poverty Crisis Deepens: One Million at Risk as Cost of Living Soars
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As inflation continues to grip Australia, a growing number of families are facing unfeasible choices, forcing parents to decide between basic necessities like food and utilities. the escalating cost of living is pushing more families into poverty, with potentially devastating consequences for the nation’s children.
The Daily struggle of Australian Families
For Laura, a single mother of four, the financial strain is a constant reality. “Some weeks we’re good, some weeks we’re down and I have to go into the community and ask for vouchers,” she said.”It’s just… it’s hard.”
The Smith Family’s latest annual survey paints a stark picture of the growing crisis. The organization’s annual survey revealed that nine in ten families are worried about affording essential back-to-school items. This marks the third consecutive year that over 80% of families surveyed reported being unable to afford school supplies, a trend that echoes findings from a Curtin University child poverty report released late last year. that earlier report indicated an additional 102,000 children fell into poverty during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, between 2020 and 2023.
Based on current population trends and rising rental costs, projections indicate the national child poverty rate could climb from 15% in 2023 to 15.6% in 2025. A concerning forecast suggests that, without intervention, Australia could see over one million children living in poverty in the next year.
the Detrimental Impact on Education
According to Doug Taylor,CEO of The Smith Family,one in six Australian children are now growing up in poverty,a situation that carries significant risks for their educational growth. “Research tells us that by Year 9 a student who experiences disadvantage can be four to five years behind their peers in literacy and numeracy,” Taylor stated.
The lack of improvement in The Smith Family’s survey results year-on-year is particularly troubling. Taylor emphasized that low-income families are disproportionately affected by rising costs. “For low income families,thay feel those cost of living impacts most adversely,” he said. “Once again, at the start of the school year, families are facing those real pressures financially, but it’s also about the distress and the psychological impacts of facing those pressures.”
digital Divide and Extracurricular Activities
The survey also revealed that more than half (56%) of families fear their children will miss out on necessary digital devices due to affordability issues. Four in ten parents or carers expressed concern that their children would be unable to participate in educational activities outside of school or afford essential items like uniforms and shoes.
While The Smith Family has provided 14,000 laptops to families over the past seven years, a significant digital divide remains, with approximately 400,000 students – 44% – still lacking internet access at home. Taylor underscored the importance of bridging this gap, alongside expanding access to extracurricular activities like tutoring and catch-up classes, which are increasingly common among more affluent families.”We certainly know that there’s a big gap in terms of the numbers of students that fall behind in literacy and numeracy that come from disadvantaged backgrounds,” he explained. “There’s everything that you can get in the classroom,but then so much happens now outside of the classroom in terms of that extracurricular.”
The Challenges Faced by a Single Mother
For Laura,the rising costs of uniforms and shoes – with her children “continuously growing and growing” – are a major concern,as are the expenses associated with extracurricular activities like sports,music,and school camps. She expressed gratitude for the laptops and internet access provided by The Smith Family, stating, “Otherwise they’d just be using the internet off my phone, which would be impossible.” she added that the reliance on digital learning makes access even more critical. “That just makes it so much harder for them, as all the homework and correspondence with the school is online now. They would just miss out because I can’t afford them.”
The situation facing families like Laura’s underscores the urgent need for extensive solutions to address the growing child poverty crisis in Australia and ensure all children have the chance to thrive.
