A new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) reveals that Nova Scotia’s child poverty rate hit nearly 24 per cent in 2022, the highest in Atlantic Canada. This marks the largest one-year increase in the province since 1989, with 41,500 children living in poverty.
The report highlights that despite brief improvements during the pandemic due to federal support, child poverty rates surged once that relief ended. The CCPA calls for immediate action, stressing that the prolonged impact on children’s health and education demands urgent intervention.
The CCPA urges the provincial government to introduce a comprehensive poverty reduction plan, including sustained income supports to help families break the cycle of poverty.
Although overall the report card was unfavourable CCPA Nova Scotia Director Christine Saulnier says without some existing government programs it would be worse. “The data show that transfer payments work,” Saulnier said. ” That’s things like the Canada Child Benefit, the Nova Scotia Child Benefit, programs that without we would have seen thousands more enter poverty,”
Despite that, the CCPA argues that long-term economic growth and more substantial support are necessary to tackle child poverty effectively.
For more details, read the full report here.
