The extra difficulties that children face when they grow up in poverty place additional burdens on families already struggling with other stresses of poverty. The costs of health and social services to help poor children overcome the extra obstacles they face, during childhood, and later, when they face the job market with lower levels of education and fewer job skills, come out of the public purse.
Child poverty is bad for children, bad for their families and bad for Canada.
There are many factors affecting child development other than poverty. Some of the other factors are equally important in determining children's well being. All families hope that their children will become successful and self-sufficient adults. However, a child's fortune in life is determined not only by parenting strategies, but also by family income and the family structure. In general, two parent families with two earners have higher incomes, therefore more opportunities are available to their children e.g. education, recreational activities, travel, computer and internet access, than they are to families with lesser earning.