The Importance of an Occupational Perspective to Inform Child Poverty Policy.

Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) and Australia report high child poverty rates, particularly amongst Indigenous/First Nations peoples, minority ethnic groups, those with disabilities, and refugee communities. To meet UN Sustainable Development Goal 1: ending relative poverty, including for children, consistent long-term efforts are crucial. Whilst NZ's Child Poverty Act (2018) initially reduced its incidence, political shifts and the cost-of-living crisis have reversed that trend. Australia has not adopted similar legislation. Poverty infringes children's rights by limiting participation in educational, social, cultural, and recreational occupations, defined broadly as all the things people do in everyday life, such as playing, doing homework, sports, chores, and computer games. The social, physical, and mental capacities and knowledge children gain from engaging in occupation supports their health, wellbeing, development, and future prospects. Within NZ's child poverty policies, perspectives on children's occupations are underrepresented. Recent NZ research suggests that multidimensional poverty constrains children's patterns of participation across all occupational domains, including domestic, educational, recreational, and cultural activities, limiting their opportunities to develop their capabilities. Occupation-focused and transdisciplinary solutions, driven by those most affected, such as Indigenous communities, minority groups, children, young people, their families, and communitybased organisations are required. Therefore, adopting an occupational perspective is crucial to designing government policy that attends to community-driven opportunities for children to participate in occupations that will optimise their capabilities and lift them out of poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]