Sajoune Rose, Gleaner Writer

Providing gainful employment for unemployed mothers is critical to dealing with child poverty, according to Betty-Ann Blaine, convenor of advocacy group Hear The Children's Cry.

Ms. Blaine was reacting yesterday to the revelation that the local child poverty rate exceeds the national incidence rate by 7.7 per cent. According to the annual report from the Office of the Children's Advocate dated March 2007, the child poverty rate stands at 22 per cent, compared to a national incidence of poverty rate of 14.3 per cent.

"If you provide employment, especially for the mother, then you know the child will be taken care of," Ms. Blaine said.

She is not surprised by the findings published in the report. "We see the evidence of it all around us with more children selling and begging on the street and less children going to school five days per week," she said.

Not supposed to be employed

Henderson Downer, deputy children's advocate, said it was automatic that more children would be poor because they are not supposed to be employed as stipulated by the Child Care and Protection Act. However, he was quick to point out that many more children than statistics capture are poor, either because of their parents' inability to care for them or their negligence, but that the state itself is not able to help in every case when the parents fail.

"The children who are currently in the care of the state are the elite among those who need protection. There would be more but the resources of the country are not able to care for them," he said.

Ms. Blaine said the level of child poverty is linked to other problems, namely crime and violence. She is however optimistic that, if adult poverty is dealt with, then child poverty will be solved because both are inextricably linked.

The March 2007 report calls for "targeted interventions to improve the quality of life for this vulnerable group who, because of poverty, are at risk of abuse, poor health, early sexual activity and pregnancy..."

Mr. Downer however believes it is pointless to attempt to prosecute parents for neglect.

"Parental responsibility is something that does not have to have a law," he said.