1,000s of Cork kids trapped in poverty
Almost 7,000 children in Cork are trapped in constant poverty with parents often going without food to make sure their children are fed.
That’s according to Tanya Ward, the CEO of the Children’s Rights Alliance which has just launched a new child poverty monitor report.
The report is the first in a series to be published by the Irish charity that will analyse the complexity of child poverty across the country.
Speaking to the Cork Independent, Ms Ward said one of the biggest issues facing parents in Cork is the cost of childcare which is some of the highest in the country.
“Ireland doesn't have a public childcare scheme. Nearly every other country in Europe has a public childcare scheme, just like your primary school system or your secondary school system. Our childcare system is mostly delivered by private providers.”
According to the report, it costs an average of €204.36 for a week of childcare in Cork city and an average of €193.53 in Cork county.
Ms Ward said reasons such as high rent and a lack of facilities in Cork city and county can contribute to the increasing costs of childcare. She added that living through poverty does “enormous harm” to young children and can have knock-on effects that last their entire lives.
Ms Ward pointed out that 611 children and young people in Cork are waiting for a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) appointment, representing 15% of the total waitlist figures in the country.
“We know from studies that children who live through this over a long period of time start developing a very poor self-concept, even from the age of 9. They will think that they don’t really have a future. They will have poor self-esteem.
“They’re going to be hungry a few times a week, the heating isn’t switched on in the house. In September, they’re not the kids with the new pair of runners or the new schoolbag,” she added.
Ms Ward said children living through poverty know what their parents are going through and often won’t tell their parents when they need something because they don’t want to put any more pressure on them.
The Children’s Rights Alliance is now calling on the Government to establish a national child poverty unit that can be a driver for national policies and steer local action plans to address the levels of child poverty in Ireland.
Ms Ward said Ireland needs to learn from other countries that have established a national child poverty unit such as Scotland and New Zealand.
“There’s a real need for Government at a national level to take control of this.
“We know that other countries have got this right and have turned the tide on the child poverty statistics. We need leadership and champions at a national level,” said Ms Ward.