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TOPSTORIES/GERMANY

IN EQU AL ITY

Studyfinds2millionpoorchildreninwealthyGermany
ChildpovertyhasgrownevenasGermanyhasbecomericher,accordingtoastudy.Advocatesblamethegovernment's
familypolicy.HowcanGermanyensuresustainableupbringingsforits2millionexcludedchildren?

Germanydoesnotlackthebarenecessities.Food,shelter,winterclothing,medicationandschoolingaregenerallyavailable.Evenpoor
kidsfromBavariaorBerlinenjoymoreprivilegethanthevastmajorityoftheworld'smorethan2billionchildren.
Nonetheless,arecentstudypublishedbytheBertelsmannFoundationrevealsthatthenumberofchildreninpovertyisgrowingin
Germany.Thestudystatesthatalmost2millionGermanchildrenliveinfamilieswhohavereceivedwelfareforatleastfiveyears.Children
whoseparentsdependonbasicstatesupport,knownasHartzIV,arealsoconsideredtobepoor.Theresearchersuseddatatakenfromthe
FederalEmploymentAgencyandalongtermstudyontheconsequencesofpovertyforchildrenandyouths.
Frequentlylackingaccesstofreshproduce,poorchildrenareofteninsufficientlynourishedandatriskofillness.Thestudyalsofoundthat
childrenfrompoorhomesareoftensociallyisolated.Theirfamiliescannotaffordschoolexcursions,sportsactivitiesormusiclessons.Poor
childrenoftendonothavetheirownbedroomsand,consequently,noplacetoretreatordotheirhomework.
Allofthisleadstoeducationaldisadvantages."Theirentire
educationalbackgroundencompassesmoreproblemsthan
childrenwhosefamilieshavesecureincomes,"saidAnnetteStein,
whoworksonfamilypolicyattheBertelsmannFoundation.
Thisdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatchildrenbornintopovertywill
alwaysbepoor.Lowincomefamiliestendtosupporttheir
childrenasmuchastheycan.Yetthepovertymaybereinforced.
"Thelongerchildrenliveinpoverty,thehighertheriskofbeing
influencednegativelybytheirlotinlife,"Steinsaid.Studentsfrom
HartzIVhomesremaintheexceptionatuniversities.

Germany'spoorchildren

Thestudyalsofoundthatchildrenraisedbysingleparentsand
childrenwithtwoormoresiblingsaremoreoftenpoor.

Activistshavelongtriedtodrawattentiontoinequalityintheworld'sfifthrichestcountry

'Nothingisworking'
Wherechildrengrowupseemstoplayarole.Generallyspeaking,theriskofpovertyismuchlowerinwealthysouthernGermanythan
economicallyweakerareaslikeNorthRhineWestphalia,themostpopulousstate.OneinfivechildrenineasternGermanyarepoor.In
Berlin,everythirdchildgrowsuppoor.ChildrenwhogrowupinBavariaorBadenWrttenburgdefinitelyhavemoreauspicious
beginnings,asonlyonein10childreninthesestatesareaffectedbypoverty.
Steinholdsthegovernmentresponsible.Therehasbeenmuchdiscussionoffamilypolicyandsomeprogramshavebeenimplementedto
addresspoverty,Steinsaid,"butitisveryobviousthatnothingisworking."Themainproblemishowwelfareratesarecalculated.Right
now,theratesthatareappliedtoadultsarealsousedforchildren."Butchildrenarenotsmalladults,"Steinsaid,addingthatfinancial
supportshouldbetailoredtothechildren'sneedsandthatchildrenshouldhaveaccesstoculturalandeducationalinstitutions:Schooling
aloneisnotenough."Weneedapolicythatbeginsatthechild,"shesaid.
ChildpovertyisnotanewdevelopmentforGermany.TheBertelsmannstudymakesitclearthatallgovernmentmeasurestocombatchild
povertyhaveprovedtobeineffective.ArecentreportpublishedbyvarioussocialinstitutionsinGermanyreachedthesameconclusion.The
studiesmakethecasefora"needorientedchildallowancethatensuresadecentlife."
Moneyisnotthebasicrequirementforahappychildhood.Yetthesumofwhatisforfeitedbecauseofpovertyhealthyfood,sports
activities,musicactivities,tutoring,ayearabroadorfamilyvacationmakesadifference.
Lastweek,FinanceMinisterWolfgangSchubleproposeda2euro($2.25)monthlyraiseinthechildbenefitperchild.ThomasKrger,
thepresidentofthechildwelfareorganizationDeutschesKinderhilfswerk,criticizedtheraise,sayingitwouldmakenodifference.

D WR EC OM M EN D S

PovertyamongtheelderlyinGermanyskyrockets
ThenumberofolderGermanslivingonmeagermeanshasincreased25percentin10years,areportsays.TheoppositionLeftpartysaysthegovernment
isn'tdoingenoughforsomeofthenation'smostvulnerablepeople.(10.09.2016)

Almost1millionGermanpensionersstillinworkforce
AccordingtoGermany'sLaborMinistry,943,000pensionersarestillinminoremployment.DW'sKateBradyspoketoworkingretireesinBonn,western
Germany,tofindoutifit'sonlymoneyonthemind.(01.09.2016)

Schubleclingsto'blackzero'fetishinGermanbudget
FinanceMinisterSchublehaspresentedGermanywithanotherbalancedbudgettocementhisreputationforausterity.But,withthecountryinneedof
socialinvestmentandinterestrateslow,isn'tittimetoborrow?(06.07.2016)

'Massive'richpoorgapinGermansociety
PovertyinGermanyremainshighamongsingleparents,theunemployedandelderlydespitesolideconomicdata,saysocialwelfaregroups.Lowskill
workershavebecomedisconnectedfromeconomicsuccess.(23.02.2016)

Germany'smiddleclassisshrinking,studywarns
Germany'srecenteconomicupswingisbypassingthemiddleclass,accordingtoaneconomicresearchinstitute.Globalizationandgreaterflexibilityinthe
labormarketarewideningthegapbetweenrichandpoor.(09.03.2008)

FoodpovertyrifeeveninwealthyGermany
HowpoorisGermanyreally?Staffatcentershandingoutfoodtotheneedyknowtheanswer:Manypeoplecan'taffordtoeatproperly.DWvisiteda
centerinColognethatprovidesfoodforpeopletosurvive.(23.02.2016)

AU D IOSAN D VID EOSON TH ETOPIC

Germany'spoorchildren