This understanding challenges the concept of individual choice being a primary factor in economic and social status. Isolating child poverty from family or women's poverty has the effect of separating the problem, poverty, from the root cause of poverty, that is lack of income and resources. This separation of the problem from its root cause acts as a barrier to finding and implementing strategic actions that will address the issue and reduce the incidence of poverty in all its manifestation, including the impacts of poverty on children. We recognized that poverty has profound impacts that can be understood from a determinants of health perspective. We developed the understanding that through a population health approach we could get a better understanding of the scope of the problem and some of the potential areas where strategic action would be appropriate.
Child poverty is seen as both a social and a political problem.
We realized that we took a risk in bringing together representatives from government departments, NGO's, service agencies and community groups. We recognized that as a regional branch of Health Canada, we did not bring the monetary resources to the table that would fund the provision of services. We did realize that what we could bring to the table was an understanding of the complexity of poverty and how it impacts on the determinants of health. Also, we could bring togther other sectors who work in this area. We recognized that there was a desire to find ways in which we could, in collaboration with other participants, increase our level of understanding and develop strategies to influence the development of public policies that would address the root cause of poverty and therefore its impacts on children.