CBC Radio takes an in-depth look at child poverty
CBC Radio’s The Current followed up on the recent release of Campaign 2000’s 20th report card on child poverty in Canada by devoting air time to the broader issue of poverty.
On Friday, Dec. 2, poet Lorna Crozier was special guest host and recounted her experiences growing up poor in Saskatchewan. (The Current then held a subsequent show on Dec. 7 during which people called in from across Canada to tell their own stories.)
The special edition can be heard online.
One of the sections looks specifically at child poverty. Included is an interview with Clyde Hertzman of the Human Early Learning Partnership. He discusses the 25 to 30 per cent of children who are not where they should be in terms of development by the time they enter school. The percentage can swell to 60 per cent in some of the poorest neighbourhoods.
He also talks about how deprivation can affect DNA, which can in turn have consequences for children’s development as they get older. “The potential susceptibility is for a lot of different things,” he says. “It can cut quite broadly.”
Hertzman cites numerous example such as failing grades, criminality, unwanted early pregnancy, obesity, mental health issues and the early onset of chronic diseases.
Gary Evans of Cornell University talks about his work looking at how environment, especially poverty, can influence children’s social, emotional and cognitive development, particularly when children show elevated levels of stress hormones.
Finally, research fellow Kelly McCuaig of the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education discusses the need for concrete action, rather than “platitudes,” to combat child poverty. She also talks about how the education system can act as an equalizing force. One example she gives is the evolution of schools, which are becoming community hubs for families with young children in their preschool years.
The StarPhoenix also ran a story on the issues of poverty and quality of life in the Friday, Dec. 9 edition. It looked specifically at the Community-University Institute for Social Research latest quality of life report for Saskatoon.
Nazeem Muhajarine of kidSKAN was one of the people quoted. He said that while many in the city are doing well overall, there are others being left behind despite economic gains in recent years.
"The rising tide here is one of perception that we are doing much better today than 10 years ago. In fact, I think we are, but there is some hard and uncompromising truths that for some people things are worse off. There's less money in people's pockets and it does not go as far as it did 10 years ago. When everybody seems to be doing better, in fact most are not."
By Mike Chouinard, kidSKAN managing editor. He can be reached at mike.chouinard@usask.ca
