Combatting child poverty in Australia:
What are the challenges and how can we overcome them?

To contribute to this year's Anti-Poverty Week theme of ending child poverty, the Centre for Community Child Health and the Victorian Council of Social Services are partnering on a webinar. We'll explore prevention and early intervention solutions to reduce the impacts of financial hardship and poverty on children and families. 

Date: Thursday 19 October 2023
Time: 1:00pm–2:00pm AEDT
Cost: Free 

With rising costs of living and stretched family budgets, it can be challenging for children and families to access what they need to thrive and be healthy, such as nutritious foods and secure housing. In addition, financial hardship places enormous pressures and stress on families. 

Without support or action, financial hardship and poverty in early childhood can have serious and lasting impacts on children’s health, development and wellbeing and can persist for generations.

By applying policy level solutions (like financial payments), making better use of existing service systems and expanding evidence-based programs focused on addressing financial hardship, it is possible to reduce childhood poverty. 

The webinar will explore:

• the current state of financial hardship and poverty in Victoria and Australia
• the impact of financial hardship and poverty on children’s health, development and wellbeing
• the role of policy in combatting child poverty
• prevention and early intervention solutions, including the Healthier Wealthier Families (HWF) pilot program.

Participants will have an opportunity to engage in a Q&A with the panel.

Panellists

The Thriving Children, Thriving Communities series focuses on equity and innovation in early childhood and unites clinicians, researchers, practitioners, community members and policymakers to explore issues of significance to community child health. 

Access past webinar recordings and resources.