Op-ed by UNICEF Aotearoa CEO, Michelle Sharp: Persistent poverty is a political choice – it's time to make the right call

"Just before Christmas, the Government quietly announced its new target to reduce persistent poverty. It didn’t feel very festive – to put it lightly, it wasn’t the kind of early Christmas present anyone hopes for, and it stayed with me throughout the holidays.

While I sat around a Christmas table, with my children, nieces and nephews, I couldn’t help but think about what Christmas might look like for the children in Aotearoa who were at a much sparser table – of which there are simply too many.

Almost 99,000 Kiwi kids are living in persistent poverty right now. The target announced (to reduce persistent poverty for children from 9.4% to 8%) would only reduce that number by 15,000 over a full decade.

That’s leaving most children living in persistent poverty as they are, for the next 10 years, or longer.

This target will have ramifications for children not just for the next decade, but for decades to come. Living in persistent poverty pumps the brakes on a child’s potential for the rest of their lives.

The good news here is that before the Government set this target, it defined what persistent poverty is: as a child living in relative income poverty in the current year and at least two out of three previous years.

In simple terms, it means living at least two years in a family where parents and caregivers are consistently struggling to make ends meet, making access to essentials like healthy food and a safe and consistent place to call home much harder than it should be.

Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (which New Zealand has a responsibility to uphold, as a signatory), children have a right to survive and develop. Persistent poverty places both of those things under threat.

When persistent poverty pushes children to the margins, they miss out on the ability to simply be children. They miss out on the opportunity to play freely, to learn without their tummy rumbling or getting distracted by worrying about what’s going on at home, to open a full lunchbox and screw up their nose at the piece of fruit they really wish was a biscuit.

It sounds grim, and it is, but it also gives us reason to hope that things can change. When you can name and understand something, you can start to do something about it.

Unicef has been going into bat for the rights of children for 75 years, and we know that with determination and commitment, we can see real progress for children. Every one of us has a responsibility to play a role in advancing children’s rights, and we need to take that seriously and call on our Government to create change for children.

Persistent poverty is a political choice, and our Government can choose to tackle it with the ambition and commitment that our tamariki deserve.

It can start by raising its ambitions when it comes to reducing persistent poverty for children.

Unicef’s Report Card 18 makes it clear that cash benefits are one of the best ways to lift children and their families out of poverty – and they’re cost effective.

For every dollar governments invest in cash benefits that positively impact children, they can see up to $13 in returns. We believe that every child should have the chance to not only survive but thrive – this evidence tells us that beyond these shared values, investing in children and their families is actually better for our budget.

Our leaders should rely on this evidence to make ambitious and tangible changes in the lives of children. It’s better for our country, and benefits communities and our economy both now and in the longer-term future.

That includes in communities and our local economy here in Christchurch. My community is experiencing a remarkable renewal, almost 14 years after the devastating earthquake. The city is beginning to feel vibrant and alive once more.

The earthquake exposed the harsh reality of children living in poverty - many of whom continue to face these challenges today. As our city rebuilds, it’s vital that we don’t allow progress to overshadow the ongoing needs of children and the huge benefits of addressing those needs.

Imagine an Aotearoa where an additional 84,000 children grow up to realise their potential. Where their unique gifts are nurtured, and they’re empowered to contribute to their communities.

Imagine leaders, scientists, artists, and doctors - even politicians - with lived experience of poverty and what it takes to get out of it. That’s the kind of Aotearoa where every child will have the chance to thrive."