Poverty is crushing for kids – it’s time for change

As Anti-Poverty Week 2025 begins, Cafs CEO Wendy Sturgess has called for urgent action to break the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage that continues to hold hundreds of children across the Central Highlands region in poverty.

“Poverty is crushing for children,” Ms Sturgess said. “It strips away opportunity, hope, and dignity. It means going without safe housing, missing out on education, being excluded from social connection, and suffering poorer physical and mental health. It’s a cycle that repeats across generations unless we intervene.”

More than 760,000 children in Australia live in poverty. That’s one in six. In single-parent families, the rate is even more alarming, with 35 per cent living below the poverty line.

“Poverty isn’t just about income,” Ms Sturgess said. “It’s about place. Where you live determines what services you can access, whether you can get to school or the doctor, and whether your community can support you. In regional areas, we see firsthand how postcode can shape a child’s future.”

Cafs has long advocated for place-based solutions that empower local communities to respond to local needs.

“However, community efforts must be matched by better policy,” Ms Strugess said.

“Thoughtful, inclusive policy can lift people up — opening doors to education, housing, healthcare and opportunity. But poorly designed policy can create unnecessary barriers, compounding disadvantage and making life harder for those already doing it tough.”

“Punitive policy, such as rigid social security rules that penalise parents for administrative missteps can deepen the hardship children face, entrenching poverty rather than alleviating it,” she said.

Anti-Poverty Week (12-18 October), which includes the United Nations Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October, is a time to reflect. But for families living in poverty, the struggle is daily and relentless.

“We need to do more than reflect,” Ms Sturgess said. “We need to act. We need policies that prioritise children, support single parents, and invest in communities. Poverty is not inevitable. With the right choices, we can change the story.”

Cafs continues to work with families, children, and community partners to build a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of where they live or how much money their family has.