Moving from child poverty to child well-being

The Child Poverty Reduction Bill is a significant piece of legislation with the potential to transform the lives and well-being of our children.

As Children’s Commissioner, it is my view that child poverty is one of the most significant barriers for a large number of children in Aotearoa New Zealand not achieving their potential. Poverty increases the risk virtually every poor outcome for children now and throughout their lives. Focusing on reducing poverty should lead to taking effective action to improve the lives of children and their families across a range of indicators, and move us toward a fairer, more productive country.