21.7% Of N.B. Children Are Living In Poverty: Report

More than 30,000 New Brunswick children were living in poverty in 2019, down from more than 34,000 in 2015.

The Human Development Council (HDC) released its 2021 Child Poverty Report Card on Wednesday, which is developed using 2019 tax filer data.

Researcher Heather Atcheson said even a small reduction in the numbers is something to celebrate.

Atcheson said the reduction can be attributed in part to social policy changes.

“Things like the introduction of the Canada Child Benefit has been advantageous for a lot of low-income families; different policy measures that are helping make life more affordable,” Atcheson said.

The report also finds deep poverty is a “significant concern for low-income families in New
Brunswick.”

The after-tax median income for a low-income family of four in 2019 was more than $11,000 below the poverty line.

Atcheson said one area where people can help is by advocating for an increase to the minimum wage.

“Right now we’re at $11.75 per hour – one of the lowest in the country. But maybe as we suggest in the report as a recommendation, perhaps that rate could be bumped up to $15 an hour,” Atcheson said.

As for the causes of continuing poverty, she thinks “systemic inequities” in government systems are important factors to consider when thinking about poverty, not personal failings.

Atcheson thinks the 2022 Child Poverty Report Card will be very interesting because it will be looking at the impact of federal programs like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, known as CERB.

“I think it’s quite possible that the current child poverty rate is higher than the one we’ve reported here because we know COVID has impacted so many lives. It’s imposed economic hardship and uncertainty on a lot of families,” Atcheson said.

She said it’s important to note that the 2021 report is using pre-pandemic data.