health unit urges action on poverty

Health Unit urges action on poverty

from The Lindsay Post

A new report on child poverty is best summed up by the stark words of

a Grade 4 student: "Poverty is hiding your feet so the teacher won't

get cross when you don't have boots."

Local health officials say there is no tiptoeing around the fact that

the inability of some families in this area to afford basic

necessities is affecting the emotional wellbeing and overall health of

children. That's the focus of the just-released Child Poverty: A

Problem We Cannot Afford Report, produced by the Haliburton, Kawartha,

Pine Ridge District Health Unit.

"Poverty is a vicious cycle that is only getting worse over time,"

says Aisha Malik, a Registered Dietitian with the HKPR District Health

Unit. "This Report confirms what we already know: a lack of income for

some local families is contributing to child poverty, hunger, illness,

behavioural issues, and increased health care costs."

The Child Poverty Report is an enhancement of the Health Unit's

previous Cost of Healthy Eating reports. These annual reports focused

mainly on the rising costs of healthy eating in the area. The new

Child Poverty Report is broader in scope, providing a statistical

snapshot for 2007 on the challenges faced by some local residents to

cover basic expenses such as nutritious food, shelter, utilities,

telephone and other costs. Among the key findings:

Almost one in six Canadian children live in poverty. Locally, more

than 4,000 families with children in the City of Kawartha Lakes,

Northumberland County and Haliburton County and live in poverty. This

lack of income may negatively affect the health, learning and social

development of children, as Health Canada notes that income is the

single most important factor that affects an individual's health.

The cost of healthy eating continues to rise. In 2007, a weekly

Nutritious Food Basket for a local family of four with a teenager and

younger child cost $135.96, which is an increase of almost $10 since

2003. This 'basket' includes 66 food items commonly purchased and

recommended by Canada's Food Guide.

As the costs of essentials such as food, rent and heat/hydro increase,

Ontario's social assistance rates and current $8-per-hour minimum wage

have not kept pace. This leaves some low-income earners in the area

with little or no money left at the end of the month.

Real-life comments from Grade 4 and 5 students in Ontario (Source:

Campaign 2000) punctuate their feelings on the toll of poverty in

their lives. "Poverty is pretending that you forgot your (school)

lunch," says one student. Another relates: "Poverty is not getting to

go on school trips."

Over the next month, the Health Unit will send the Report to local

politicians, key decision-makers, social service organizations and

others to encourage them to be informed, speak up and get involved in

efforts to eliminate poverty in the City of Kawartha Lakes,

Northumberland County and Haliburton County.

"We need to pay more than just lip service to poverty," says Malik.

"We must take real steps to fix the problem."

To that end, she encourages local residents to learn about the extent

of poverty in their communities, speak up for change with all levels

of government, and get involved in community partnerships and agencies

that work to address affordable housing, access to healthy food and

other issues.

According to the Health Unit, local decision-makers can lobby both

provincial and federal politicians to increase income support programs

and take action to address child poverty. In particular, members of

municipal councils in the area are being urged to forward specific

resolutions to the Ontario government asking for immediate changes to

the minimum wage, social assistance rates and disability support

programs to reflect the real cost of living. Local leaders are also

asked to keep affordable housing at the forefront of municipal

planning.

The Child Poverty: A Problem We Cannot Afford Report and sample

municipal resolutions are available by visiting the Health Unit web

site at www.hkpr.on.ca, going under the 'What's New' section and

following the links. For more details, call the Health Unit at (705)

324-3569.