Combatting child poverty
With rising costs of living and stretched family budgets, it can be challenging for children and families to access what they need to thrive and be healthy, such as nutritious foods and secure housing. Without support or action, financial hardship and poverty in early childhood can have serious and lasting impacts on children’s health, development and wellbeing and can persist for generations.
Anti-Poverty Week for 2023 ran over 15-27 October with a theme to #EndChildPoverty. At the Centre, researchers work to understand the impacts of financial hardship and poverty on children’s health and wellbeing, and develop solutions to help reduce financial hardship for families.
By addressing disadvantage in the early years, applying policy level solutions (like financial payments), making better use of existing service systems, and expanding evidence-based programs focused on addressing financial hardship, it is possible to reduce childhood poverty.
Take a look at the related resources below exploring the impacts of financial hardship and evidence-informed strategies to reduce financial hardship and poverty for families.
Don't forget to check out our webinar, Combatting child poverty in Australia: What are the challenges and how can we overcome them?
Resources
1 May 2024
Using data from the National Child Health Poll, Dr Ana Gamarra Rondinel and Dr Anna Price analysed responses from over 12,000 caregivers of 20,000 children from June 2020 to April 2023. Read their article summarising their findings in The Mandarin.
12 October 2023
For Anti-Poverty Week 2023, Dr Ana Gamarra Rondinel and Dr Anna Price explore the interplay between first time parenthood, financial security and early child development.
14 September 2023
A blog series by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health focused on how universal health and social care services are tackling child poverty. This blog post spotlights the Centre's Healthier Wealthier Families pilot.
16 October 2023
This final blog in the series reflects on some common threads across Scotland, Australia, and Sweden, and considers how strengthening the approach in Scotland could support a more just and equal society.
19 November 2023
Read this piece from Prof Sharon Goldfeld AM, Dr Anna Price, and Dr Fadwa Al-Yaman using Australian Census Data on material deprivation.
This article is part of the MJA supplement on the Future Healthy Countdown 2030.
A collection of resources from the Raising Children network on financial literacy and support programs.
4 October 2023
This webinar recording describes the role of financial supplements in supporting families experiencing financial hardship and why we need to consider a package of interventions to address early-years inequities.
2 August 2023
Use the interactive maps and read the analysis by the Victorian Council of Social Services to learn more about poverty in Victoria.
21 August 2023
Anti-Poverty Week’s Fast Facts series provides a snapshot into the realities of poverty in Australia and around the world.
April 2023
Read this paper by the Healthier Wealthier Families reporting that tertiary healthcare may be a feasible setting for identifying and responding to financial hardship.
2018
Download this child disadvantage framework from the Changing Children’s Chances team.
February 2023
The Centre for Community Child Health responded to the Senate Inquiry and provided four recommendations to reduce the impact of financial hardship and child poverty.
26 September 2019
This article highlights the need for research that builds on contemporary directions in precision medicine to develop precision policy making.
If you, or someone you know, needs support, contact the National Debt Helpline.