Media Release and Backgrounder

The 2022 Child Poverty Report Card found that BC’s child poverty rate dropped significantly largely due to the enhanced income supports families with children received during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the year this report covers, 13.3% of BC children and youth (0-17), or 116,500 kids, were living in poor households, down from 18% in 2019.

Read the media release and backgrounder below.

Opinion Editorial

An opinion editorial by First Call’s Executive Director, Adrienne Montani, was published in the Vancouver Sun on February 15, 2023.

Articles

The release of the 2022 BC Child Poverty Report Card generated a number of news articles. A sample of articles are listed here.

• Pandemic support lowered B.C.’s child poverty rate but inflation causing new woes: report (video) Brenna Owen | The Canadian Press | Global TV | February 14, 2023
• COVID benefits pushed down B.C.’s child poverty rate in 2020, but cost of living risks wiping out progress, says advocacy group (print) Brenna Owen | The Canadian Press | Globe and Mail | February 14, 2023
• Child poverty rates in B.C. dropped due to COVID-19 supports, annual report shows – However, advocacy group warns rising costs threaten to wipe out progress CBC News | February 14, 2023
• COVID supports helped lift thousands of B.C. kids out of poverty: report – Child poverty trended downward during the pandemic thanks to government support, but will get worse now that those benefits are gone, say advocates. Denise Ryan | The Vancouver Sun | February 14, 2023