COVID-19 pandemic will increase child poverty in B.C., advocates fear

Not enough is being done to help children in B.C. out of poverty, advocates say, as the COVID-19 pandemic puts added financial stress on many families.

A 2020 report from First Call B.C., a child and youth advocacy group, found that159,570 of the province's children and youth 18.5 per cent, or almost one in five are living in poverty.

Data for the report was collected in 2018. Adrienne Montani, provincial co-ordinator of First Call B.C., said inequities seen prior to the pandemic have been magnified, and families have expressed "worry"and "desperation"in regards to making ends meet.

"We know that a lot of people lost their jobs," Montani told CBC'sTheEarly Edition host Stephen Quinn.

"Two-parent families either have one earner instead of two earners, or have no earners, or are working part time [and] are not getting very many hours."

That's meant more difficulty paying bills, more reliance on food banks, and has led to greater challenges for childrenaccessing technology and digital resources to complete schoolwork, Montani says.

"Families are really struggling," she said.

B.C. Minister forChildren and Family Development Mitzi Dean said the government has implemented a number of measures to help families through tough times, including the COVID-19 recovery benefit andthe B.C. Child Opportunity Benefit, a tax-free monthly payment to families with children under the age of 18.

She also noted the provincial government's ongoing efforts to increase minimum wage and the elimination of MSP payments.

"This pandemic has exposed inequality and we want to take opportunity to close those gaps," Deansaid.

Last week, the ministry extended housing and financial support for teens set to age out of the foster care system; supports will remain in place for youth set to age out at 19 until March 31, 2022. Dean said that timeline will be re-evaluated if the pandemic persists.

While she commends the province for the work they've done,Montanisaid some of the changes have been "incremental."

"There's more to be done," she said.