Poverty affects many Australian children and families, diminishing their lives now and in the future. Even though Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, 1 in 6 of our children grow up in poverty.
Join us this Anti-Poverty Week to call on all our government to commit to halving child poverty by 2030.
Relationships Australia WA child and family practitioner Gelinda said the challenges families are currently facing are multifaceted and wide-ranging.
“We are increasingly seeing that the basic needs children require are not being met, due to related factors of economical strain, systemic barriers and some coping strategies used by families that can be less than optional - often as a result of despair,” she said.
Relationship Australia WA service 4families is a free mental health service that also links families and carers to a variety of services to reduce family stress and enable children and young people to reach their full potential.
“Preventive strategies are imperative to break cycles and improve the health outcomes for children that we see continue across generations,” Gelinda said.
“We work with families to maximise their resilience and ability to navigate the challenges they’re facing. Both preventive and proactive strategies are essential to address this serious challenge for us as a community."