Saint John Businesspeople Call For Action On Child Poverty In City

The poverty rate for children under the age of six in Saint John is at 34 per cent. Tom Gribbons, who chairs the Business Community Anti-Poverty Initiative, is alarmed by that, calling it frightening.

The business group is calling for the early childhood learning programme at St. John the Baptist school be made permanent and other such programmes be set up at schools around the city.

Gribbons says there should be three or four around town.

He warns unless steps are taken to help young people succeed from cradle to career, the city could find 34 per cent of its potential work force that is unprepared 20 years down the road.