28 May 2013

Food in schools initiative a good start

The Salvation Army applauds the Government’s part in expanding the Kick Start programme and hopes this signals a growing commitment to reduce child poverty.

Salvation Army social policy spokesperson Major Campbell Roberts says the announcement shows that policy makers are attentive to the public’s concerns regarding children living in dire material need.

“While food in school’s programmes are critical in alleviating some of the symptoms of child poverty, as well as giving these children a fairer chance of achieving at school, it is also crucial to address the underlying reasons their families are impoverished,” he says.

As the economic situation allows, The Salvation Army would like to see the Government put into action the solutions recommended by the Children’s Commissioner’s Expert Advisory Group to alleviate child poverty.

If something meaningful is not done, child poverty will affect not only this generation of children but successive generations as poverty becomes increasingly entrenched in families and communities, Major Roberts says.

Child poverty is a source of deep shame for us as a country and we need to be prepared to pay the price to mitigate this dire social problem now or we will be paying a greater price for decades to come.”

ENDS

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