Report reveals children trapped in poverty

Australian children are being robbed of their childhood, Barnardos Australia has said following the release of new research which reveals that more than one in three children in single-parent families live in poverty. The landmark Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey shows more than one in three (36.2 percent) children in single-parent families are living below the poverty line, the highest level recorded since the survey began in 2001. Research found 30 per cent of children in single-parent families have lived in poverty for more than two decades, but in 2022 the figure reached its peak at 36.2 per cent. Single-parent households are almost three times more likely to be in poverty than households with two parents. “This research reflects what Barnardos is seeing in the community. Housing costs are pushing children deeper into poverty, with many single-parent families living below the poverty line,” Barnardos Family Connect and Support team leader Michaela Bestwick said. “When more than one in three children in single-parent families can’t afford basic necessities after paying rent, it is clear we’re facing a national housing and child poverty emergency that demands immediate action.” Single-parent families have experienced a 76 per cent spike in childcare costs since 2006, the research shows, leaving many children without access to early learning opportunities. “How can we break the cycles of poverty and disadvantage when families can’t afford to send their children to daycare?” Ms Bestwick said. “Children experiencing poverty and instability are removed from their families not because of abuse or neglect, but because their parents simply can’t afford to provide basic necessities. “The government must do more to ensure families are supported and children are given the opportunity to thrive and enjoy their childhood. “When children can’t access early childhood education because a single mother can’t afford childcare, or when they’re forced to move schools repeatedly due to housing instability, or when they can’t concentrate in class because they’re hungry - we’re failing them at the most crucial time in their lives. “Every day of disadvantage in a child’s life will have consequences for years to come.”