We asked our caseworkers, what would you change for a child experiencing poverty?

I want children to not worry about big people’s problems—not worry about finances, not worrying about where the food is coming from. I want them to know that their day will be the same today, tomorrow, and the next.

I’d want every child to feel like they have a safe person to talk to and not feel like they weren’t alone.

A safe space where they can talk about how they feel without feeling like they will be judged or will be punished for what they say.

One thing I would love to change for children experiencing poverty would be that people ask them about what’s happened to them and not what’s wrong with them. Sometimes, what kids have had to survive and what kids have been through gets missed. That can sometimes mean that kids take on a perception that there’s something wrong with them.

I want children to feel safe and connected, to know where they are, what’s happening today, what’s happening tomorrow, and that they belong.

I think for all children to have access to support and to have their voices heard. If we could start there, that all children are seen and all children are given the same opportunities.

When I hear feedback from families and from parents and they say, “I just felt like I wasn’t alone anymore,” that is for me the most motivating thing for me.

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I definitely got into this work because it just seemed that in a small way, every single day I can make someone’s life better. And I can’t see any better way to spend your life.

So I see a lot of value in helping those families find their feet, where they have no one and no one to rely on or trust.

Society keeps changing. The rules keep changing. You know just when you think you have got it something changes. You don’t need to hold someone’s hand forever. You just  need to help them through the middle challenges in life.

In our work, it’s important that we often work with parents, but also for the children. We always talk about how we can give children a voice, how they can be seen, and how we can listen to their wants, needs, and challenges so we can provide them with the best support.

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