Lobbying helps focus public attention on this issue and encourages system-wide action to resolve this problem. This report identifies the extent and consequences of child poverty in Manitoba. In this report card, the Council draws attention to the fact that child poverty rates in Manitoba continue to rise despite a low provincial unemployment rate. The Council calls for specific actions to alleviate child poverty. For example, municipal and provincial governments are exhorted to raise both the minimum wage level and social assistance rates.
Poverty breeds a vicious cycle of low educational attainment and thus poor employment prospects.
This has been widely acknowledged in research and is easily observable in the classroom. Despite the constructive ideas that have been advanced by many organizations with a commitment to child advocacy, there are still many children who live in communities that do not have access to these programs, and who are still struggling to deal with the consequences of poverty. By putting the subject of child poverty on the public agenda, school boards are drawing attention to the social and economic consequences of child poverty and its relationship to student achievement and performance. MAST has identified as one of its strategic directions the importance of addressing child poverty. Campaign 2000 is also continuing to work toward this goal.