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Title:The children left behind: a league table of inequality in child well-being in the world’s rich countries.
Author(s):Adamson, Peter
Corporate Author: UNICEF
Subject:Poverty – child poverty|split|Children – general
Publisher:UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre
Place of Publication:Florence
Date of Publication:2010
Abstract:
The UNICEF Innocenti Report Card 9: The Children Left Behind, examines the material, educational and health well-being of children in 24 of the world’s richest countries. It is the first attempt to compare the gap between children struggling at the bottom of their societies and the average child in “normal” childhood conditions. The disadvantaged children fall – unnecessarily – further behind in some countries than in others. Overall, Canada is in the middle of the group of wealthy nations in terms of equality in child well-being, similar to less affluent countries like Poland and Portugal. The fact that some countries are able to limit inequality shows that it is possible, without sacrificing individual and economic performance. Report Card 9 raises a debate about the policy measures that work to stem the similar market forces that drive inequality in all industrialized countries. Countries that perform well are limiting income inequality by promoting stable employment in the changing job market and through sufficient and fairly distributed family benefits and taxation. They also ensure that health, education, child care and other services reduce rather than widen disadvantage. In Canada, the most effective mix of policies must deal with the fact that full-time employment no longer guarantees an income above the “poverty line.” Most Canadian children in low-income families have at least one parent who is employed, and a third have a parent working full time, year-round who still can’t earn enough to provide adequate conditions for childhood.
Language:English
Series:Innocenti Report Card 9
Material Type:Report
F. SOCIAL ISSUES/F.07 CHILDREN/2010 children_left_behind.pdf
