An upcoming symposium will explore what contributes to child poverty, its impact on the lives of children and their families, current impediments to addressing it as well as avenues for its resolution.
Focused on the theme of halving child poverty by 2030, the Symposium is being hosted by the WA Committee for Anti-Poverty Week, which works to inform and educate the Australian community to have an increased understanding of poverty and to take action collectively to end it.
This year Anti-Poverty Week will run from 16 to 22 October, with the Symposium to take place on Monday 17 October, from 9am to 1pm at Government House, 13 St George’s Tce. Admission is free.
WA Anti-Poverty Week Committee Co-Chair, Centrecare Inc Director, Adj. Prof. Tony Pietropiccolo, explained to The Record that approximately three quarters of a million Australian children live in poverty, with 100,000 of these in Western Australia.
Ahead of a upcoming symposium focusing on child poverty, WA Anti-Poverty Week Committee Co-Chair, Centrecare Inc Director, Adj. Prof. Tony Pietropiccolo AM, explained to The Record that approximately three quarters of a million Australian children live in poverty, with 100,000 of these in Western Australia. Photo: Max Hoh/Archdiocese of Perth
“If all Australian children are to thrive, then child poverty needs to be significantly reduced - if not eliminated from Australian society,” Mr Pietropiccolo said.
“By working together to raise awareness and take action on the issue of child poverty, we can make sure all Australian children and families can meet their basic needs,” he said.
The WA Committee for Anti-Poverty Week 2022 includes Anglicare WA; Centrecare Inc and Valuing Children Initiative; Commissioner for Children and Young People; Communicare; Foodbank WA; Good Sammy; Mission Australia; PeopleKind Group; Salvation Army; St Vincent de Paul; Uniting WA; WACOSS and Wungening
An upcoming symposium aimed at raising awareness of the issue of child poverty will this year focus on halving child poverty by 2030. Image: Supplied.
Mr Pietropiccolo emphasised that the upcoming half day symposium will explore what contributes to child poverty, its impact on the lives of children and their families, current impediments to addressing it as well as avenues for its resolution.
Speakers and panel members of the Symposium include:
- Minister for Early Childhood Education; Minister for Youth, the Hon Dr Anne Aly MP
- Commissioner for Children and Young People, Jacqueline McGowan-Jones
- Program Head, Population Health; Telethon Kids Institute, Associate Professor Francis Mitrou
- Manager, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Engagement and Therapeutic Services, Aboriginal Children and Families; Australian Childhood Foundation, Glenda Kickett
- Youth Advocate; Author; Presenter; Valuing Children Initiative Ambassador, Bella Burgemeister
- Director Centrecare Inc; Founder Valuing Children Initiative, Adj. Prof. Tony Pietropiccolo AM.
The symposium will be open to all and those who attend will come away with:
Anti-Poverty Week supports the Australian community to have an increased understanding of poverty and to take action collectively to end it. This year Anti-Poverty Week will run from 16-22 October and the focus will be on halving of child poverty by 2030. Image: Supplied.
- a fuller understanding of child poverty
- a clearer view of the reasons for the high level of child poverty in Australia;
- a realisation that child poverty is not intractable;
- the practical ways it can be addressed; and how individually and collectively we can halve it by 2030
To register your attendance, go to https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/anti-poverty-week-2022-symposium-tickets-403277302267