MKO Grand Chief Says Report on Child Poverty ‘Reinforces What We Have Been Saying All Along’

“Province needs to move on this immediately.”

To view this media release in a PDF format, please click here.

For immediate release
February 15, 2023

Treaty 5 Territory- Campaign 2000-Manitoba, a coalition that monitors child poverty in Manitoba, released a report yesterday indicating Manitoba has the highest child poverty rate among all provinces, with more than one in five Manitoba children living in poverty. The report shows Manitoba’s child poverty rate is 20.68 per cent, more than seven percentage points higher than the rate for all of Canada.

“The report just confirms what we have been saying all along,” said MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee. “It comes as no surprise that Manitoba’s child poverty rate is higher than any other Canadian province. We know that poverty directly influences not only the day-to-day impacts of our children but also the longer term prospects of success for them socially, emotionally and in school.”

“Poverty is the number one reason that children come into care of Child and Family Services,” he added.

As of March 31, 2022, there were close to 10,000 children in care. Indigenous children make up about 27% of the child population in Manitoba (2016 Census), but they account for 91% of the children in care.

“MKO is calling on the Government of Manitoba to respond to the recommendations outlined in the report immediately. This includes the government targeting to end child and family poverty in the 2023-24 budget by using federal transfer payments to bring all families above the poverty line,” said Settee.

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For more information:
Philip Paul-Martin, Communications Officer
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc.
Phone: 204-612-1284
Email: [email protected]