Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

A recent report by SHENLA highlights that child and family poverty is an important issue in Lethbridge and area. This report was funded by the City of Lethbridge and the Government of Canada and prepared by HelpSeeker in collaboration with SHENLA. While rates of poverty have declined somewhat over the last twenty years, children 0-5 years of age continue to experience higher rates of low income across age groups. This presentation will explore which groups of children are differentially affected by poverty in our community, the impacts of poverty, and why action is needed. Child poverty is associated with a cascade of negative impacts over the life course, and a variety of negative impacts at a community level.  Recommendations for urgent action are identified. What is the City of Lethbridge’s strategy to address poverty? The speaker will argue that a collective impact approach with broad community participation and municipal support is required to address and end child and family poverty in our community. Sp