Child poverty rates in P.E.I. take a jump

A group fighting child poverty on P.E.I. says it's disappointed the rates for the Island have gone up.

The rate jumped from 17.5 to 18.7 per cent in just one year, putting P.E.I. barely below the national rate of 19 percent, according to statistics from Campaign 2000, a coalition of more than 120 organizations lobbying governments to take action against poverty.

On Tuesday, Campaign 2000 released its annual national report card on child and family poverty, Let's Do This: Let's End Child Poverty for Good.

Canadian politicians promised back in 1989 when the rate was only 13 per cent to eradicate child poverty by the year 2000, said Mary Boyd, director of the MacKillop Centre for Social Justice in Charlottetown.

"How come the rate of poverty is going up after three resolutions, and binding conventions?" said Boyd.

"They haven't been honoured and the poverty question seems to be out of the notice and the minds of governments, including our own because there's been no movement on that for years and years."

Boyd said the poverty rate would improve slightly if the new Trudeau government comes through on its promise to give families $6,400 for each child under six.