Bay children struggling in poverty

Merivale School principal Jan Tinetti. Photo/John Borren

Tauranga principal Jan Tinetti never asks kids at her decile one school what they got for their birthday, "because more than often they don't get anything."

In outgoing Children's Commissioner Dr Russell Wills' latest annual Child Poverty Monitor, out today, he said children living in households earning below 60 per cent of the median household income after housing costs, have almost doubled from 15 per cent of all children in 1984 to 29 per cent last year.

Children hospitalised with poverty-related illnesses more than doubled in the 1990s and have increased further in the recent recession.

Jan Tinetti, principal of Merivale School, said she welcomed the report which showed a third of children were living in poverty, but said she was sick of seeing no response from central government.

"At school we're seeing more and more families in increasingly desperate situations and this takes an enormous toll on kids. It doesn't take much for them to explode."

She said while there were no answers coming from the Government, more people were becoming aware of the poverty in their community and taking action.

"One local firm bought all of our kids Christmas presents. And what was telling, was that almost half the kids didn't open their gift immediately, choosing instead to take it home to have something to open at Christmas."

Dr Wills wanted to get the message of "Child poverty - it's not choice" spread through social media in a challenge to Government policy.

"Everything points to things being far tougher than they were 30 years ago. That's not right in a country like ours and it's not fair," said Dr Wills, whose five-year term as Children's Commissioner ends in June.

"Today I'm asking New Zealanders to show they share our concern by spreading the message #itsnotchoice.

"If they visit our website they can take part in a selfie campaign and show that we're all behind the need for things to change for our kids."

- Additional reporting NZ Herald