The BC government says it's spending $24-million to help low-income families access fresh food, dental and hearing care for their children, and to support community initiatives to reduce poverty.
The funding includes $10-million to Food Banks BC to help the organization's 100 food banks across the province receive, store and distribute food to those in need.
The BC Healthy Kids Program will get $6-million, which will go towards coverage for hearing aids and improve rates for dental services for children in low-income families.
B.C.'s jobs minister says the province needs to work toward long term solutions to tackle poverty.
"We want children to be healthy in British Columbia," B.C. Jobs Minister Shirley Bond said. "If they're going to succeed when they're at school or as they're participating in the community, they need to be healthy. These kinds of measures make a big difference."
One-time funding of $1-million will go to the BC Dental Association to help provide regular dental care for needy children while seven million will go to a new Community Poverty Reduction Fund.
