EU-SILC figures show catastrophic developments in child poverty. 24% of all children in Austria are at risk of poverty. Special budget required for children’s opportunities action plan.
Vienna (OTS) – “It is a catastrophe that child poverty in Austria is not taken seriously by politicians. It has been pointed out for years that there is a massive need for comprehensive measures to combat child poverty. Nevertheless, the government’s commitment to date has been half-hearted and apparently largely ineffective,” says Christian Moser, Managing Director of SOS Children’s Villages, shocked in view of the EU-SILC figures published today by Statistics Austria.
“88,000 children in Austria are massively socially and materially disadvantaged. Their chances of getting a good educational qualification and living a self-determined life without poverty are slim – it doesn’t have to be that way! With aggressive investments in child care, schools and individual educational support, with a different housing policy and, yes, other social benefits, every child in Austria could look to the future with hope,” said Moser. Without immediate, comprehensive countermeasures to combat poverty, the almost 400,000 children and young people who are already affected by poverty would soon find themselves in an even worse situation. “The crises of our time have the most negative impact on the younger generations. We know this from numerous studies,” warns Moser.
National Action Plan for Children’s Opportunities
“Two years ago, numerous children’s rights organizations developed an action plan together with the Ministry of Social Affairs. This good plan was subsequently ground down in the political discussion until it was massively undermined by the time it was decided,” said Moser. On the one hand, he calls for improvements to the National Action Plan for Children’s Opportunities, but also for a special budget to be quickly set up for this purpose. “The younger generations urgently need more attention and support. If they are denied this, it will be a catastrophe for them individually, but also for us as a society and democracy,” Moser concludes.
Questions & Contact:
SOS Children’s Villages Anna Radl +43 676 88144124 anna.radl@sos-kinderdorf.at
