CHILD WELL-BEING INITIATIVE Our National Project

The Child Well-Being Initiative is a project that was started by the Albert and Northwest UCW. The intent is to eliminate child poverty. We have adopted this as our national UCW project.

TODAY WE WILL… 1. share some of our thoughts and concerns about child poverty 2. learn some poverty statistics 3. learn what Alberta has been doing 4. discuss our conference objectives

THE FACE OF POVERTY

CHILD POVERTY STATISTICS IN OUR AREAS As of 2011… Canada overall – 13.3% of children are living in poverty New Brunswick – 10.5% Nova Scotia – 13% Prince Edward Island – 9.5% (Source: Statistics Canada)

THE CHILD WELL-BEING INITIATIVE School breakfast and lunch programs Affordable day care Affordable housing Higher minimum wage A poverty elimination strategy

HOW THEY HOPE TO ACHIEVE THIS…

A POLITICAL MINDSET Making poverty dolls to raise awareness Writing letters to MLAs Giving dolls to MLAs Meeting with MLAs

WHAT IS OUR GOAL FOR MCUCW ? Develop a four-year plan toward reducing the effects of poverty in our areas. Year 1 – Objective: To pray about child poverty, reflect and undertake Bible study together. Objective: To learn the facts and impacts of child poverty across Canada and in our region.

FUTURE OBJECTIVES?? To provide leadership in the church to encourage wider engagement. To identify a community partner where possible and collaborate to end child poverty. To advocate for a national child well-being strategy through letter writing and engagement with elected officials and all-candidates meetings. To ensure ongoing Mission and Service support for ministries and programs addressing child poverty by sustaining and, where possible, increasing annual Mission and Service giving.

WHAT WILL YOU DO? What skills and assets could you contribute to the cause? How will we continue this work with our UCW units? Remember the story of the bus??