Child Poverty Action Group

fighting the injustice of poverty

Haere mai Haere mai Haere mai

Welcome to the website of CPAG, the leading organisation working toward the elimination of child poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand through independent research and education. End child poverty in NZ by 2020: A rich life for all our children.

"E aku rangatira, he aha te mea nui o tenei ao? Maku e kii atu, he tamariki, he tamariki, a taatou tamariki.
Leaders, where does the future lie? In our children."
- Professor Dame Anne Salmond, Knowledge Wave Conference 2003

Children's Social Health Monitor

The New Zealand Child and Youth Epidemiology Service has launched a project to monitor the effects of the current downturn on children. Thousands of New Zealand children live in households vulnerable to overcrowding, hunger and inadequate access to health services. The project plans to alert policymakers to any deterioration in the wellbeing of New Zealand children so action can be taken.

The website can be found here.

Here is the CPAG press release.

Child Poverty Action Group Hui

This link will lead you to a full report of the hui including presentations.

Do Something: Credit Crunched New Zealand

Interview with Child Poverty Action Group's Anne Else

CPAG discrimination case at the Human Rights Review Tribunal

Child Poverty Action Group NZ has obtained a legal decision confirming the In-Work Tax Credit is discriminatory. This is because children whose parents cannot meet a work test are denied the support needed to keep them out of poverty.

CPAG, represented by the Office of Human Rights Proceedings, has received a decision confirming that real and substantive discrimination exists in the IWTC, from the Human Rights Review Tribunal (Dec 2008). Yet the Tribunal has also decided the discrimination is justified. At least 200 000 of our poorest children are affected. Read CPAG's press release about the decision, or the decision (6.5MB) together with Tapu Misa's brilliant Herald column about it, a summary of the case and more about the progress of the case.

Protecting children from poverty in bad economic times:

We need to make the In-Work Tax Credit (~$60 per week) available to all low-income families with children - including those who are currently on benefits, as well as those who lose their jobs.

This would remedy an unforgivable discrimination and should be the first anti-recessionary, anti-poverty option the government takes. But not the last.

Read CPAG's briefing to the incoming government

Left Behind: How social and income inequalities damage our children

CPAG's cornerstone report puts together many pieces of the poverty puzzle in one place, showing the way ahead for policies that protect children from poverty.

It has been written by a range of experts from fields ranging from economics to health, housing and education, among them editors Dr Susan St John and Donna Wynd.

The report calls for the elimination of child poverty by 2020, to be achieved by a dedicated programme of cross-sectoral work toward government poverty reduction targets. The UK, with a higher rate of child poverty, has already committed to that goal and made significant progress.

For more about the report and ordering go to http://www.cpag.org.nz/resources/ . Copies can be ordered from admin@cpag.org.nz

CPAG publications are freely downloadable here.

You can also find recently added articles from NZ and around the world in the Resources section of this site. It contains articles, material from presentations and links to relevant websites.

CPAG is registered as charitable entity CC25387 under the Charities Act 2005, as of 05 June 2008.

CPAG thanks the JR McKenzie Trust, Tindall Foundation, Hostel of the Holy Name Trust, Apropos and Ideas Shop for ongoing support. CPAG does not accept funds from the proceeds of gambling.

What's New?

Living Standards Report

29 Jan 2010
Child Poverty Action Group has welcomed the release of the Ministry of Social Development's first results of the 2008 Living Standards survey. The report goes beyond income data to measure people's wellbeing by looking at what they can and cannot afford.
More >>

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