Germany's Misguided Approach to Fighting Child Poverty

[Solly Mack]

According to the statistics, hundreds of thousands of children in Germany are living in poverty. But for many kids it's the neglect and apathy of their parents, not a lack of money, that is their biggest problem. With its new plans to reform the country's welfare system, the government has shown that it still has no clue how to solve the problem.

I (still) believe there exist a cycle of poverty that is brought about by many factors, the impact of some factors being greater than others, but all contributing to generational poverty...some factors intentionally imposed (bias/prejudice can lead to an unwillingness to address the issue to the good and instead use the poor as a scapegoat)... and some inherent within such a cycle (lack of opportunity for parents often means a lack of opportunity for their children). That said...

The posting of this article is neither endorsement nor negation of its content. I just thought others might want to read some of the thinking taking place in other countries.

[Solly Mack]

1. More: A Single Mom's Hartz IV Struggle

'I Would Love to Show My Children other Countries'

The German government plans to increase its benefit for the long-term unemployed by 5 euros a month, but life will still be a struggle for families like the Schades. Jacqueline Schade and her three children have settled into a difficult life on social benefits in Berlin. It is a life of unfufilled dreams and sometimes even bruises.