Enough (2026 campaign)
Every child deserves enough.
Enough food.
Enough housing.
Enough income.
Enough to be safe. Enough to be healthy. Enough to learn, play and participate in the life of their community.
Enough to thrive.
But child poverty is getting worse in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Too many children are growing up without enough of the things they need to live a decent life. Their families are being forced to make impossible choices between food, power, rent, transport, healthcare and everything else a household needs.
And we know it doesn't have to be this way.
The solutions are known.
For more than 30 years, CPAG has researched child poverty and advocated for the changes that would make a real difference to children's lives.
We know what drives child poverty.
We know what families need.
And we know the policies that can reduce it.
What we need now is political action.
Enough with the excuses.
This election, we're asking for enough.
Enough income for families to meet their children's needs.
Enough affordable, secure housing for every child.
Enough support for families when times are tough.
Enough investment in the services children rely on.
Enough action to reduce and ultimately end child poverty.
The 2026 election is an opportunity for every political party and candidate to tell Aotearoa what they will do.
We want them to answer a simple question:
What will you do to end child poverty?
Help make child poverty an election issue
You don't have to be a policy expert or a campaigner to get involved.
There are things you can do right now to help make sure child poverty is part of the conversation this election.
Put up an Enough poster
Download one of our printable Enough posters and put it somewhere people in your community will see it.
Every poster includes a QR code linking people back to this page and our campaign resources.
Talk about child poverty
The way we talk about child poverty matters.
We've put together simple guidance, facts and figures to help you have conversations with friends, whānau, colleagues and your community.
Contact your candidates
Ask the candidates standing for election in your area what they will do about child poverty.
You can use our resources to find out who is standing, contact them directly and ask them to make child poverty an election issue.
Share the campaign
Send this campaign to someone who cares about the future of children in Aotearoa.
Share Enough on social media, in your community or with your friends and whānau, and tag us!
What does “enough” mean?
For a child, enough can mean a lot of things.
Enough food to eat every day.
Enough income for their family to pay the bills and still afford the things children need.
Enough housing to have a warm, dry and secure place to call home.
Enough healthcare when they need it.
Enough support when their family is struggling.
Enough opportunity to learn, participate and be part of their community.
These aren't luxuries.
They're the foundations children need to thrive.
Child poverty is a political choice.
Children don't choose the circumstances they're born into.
Families don't choose to have wages that don't cover the cost of living, rents they can't afford or inadequate incomes that leave them unable to meet their children's needs.
Governments make choices about income support, housing, employment, health, education and the services available to families.
Those choices affect children's lives.
That's why we're asking every political party and candidate to be clear about what they will do to reduce child poverty.
No more excuses.
No more waiting.
Enough.
Follow the campaign
Over the coming months, CPAG will be publishing research, analysis and resources to help you understand what the parties are promising, and what it could mean for children and families.
We'll be asking the questions politicians need to answer.
We'll be tracking the policies that affect child poverty.
And we'll be giving you ways to take action in your community.
Sign up to hear what's happening with Enough.
The evidence is clear.
CPAG has spent more than three decades documenting child poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand and advocating for change.
Explore our research and find out what the evidence tells us about child poverty, family incomes, housing and the policies that can make a difference.
Enough is enough.
Enough food.
Enough housing.
Enough income.
Enough for every child in Aotearoa New Zealand to thrive.
