Volkshilfe cycles against child poverty: Thousands affected in Carinthia!

Volkshilfe cycles against child poverty: Thousands affected in Carinthia!

Kärnten, Österreich - On June 11, 2025, the "Tour de Chance" stopped in Carinthia and set a strong sign against child poverty. Already in the fourth year, the activists of Volkshilfe cycle across Austria to draw attention to the important topic. In Carinthia, an estimated 17,000 children are affected by poverty, which underlines the urgency of the Initiative. Managing Director of Volkshilfe Kärnten, Jürgen Pfeiler, emphasizes the need to act against child poverty and to promote social justice.

The stage led from Spittal via Paternion to Villach. Volkshilfe is accompanied by the paracycler Svetlana Moshkovich, who made a world bike world record in 2025. At the stopovers, elementary school children, supporters and officials presented themselves who supported the concern together. A moving moment was the climbing of black balloons, which was dedicated to the victims of the tragic killing spree of Graz.

data on child poverty in Austria

Every fifth child in Austria is currently affected by poverty or exclusion, as the Volkshilfe emphasizes. Despite political announcements to combat child poverty, the numbers have remained worrying. The director of Volkshilfe Austria, Erich Fenninger, calls for a rapid and efficient implementation of the announced basic child protection as well as measures to combat the disadvantage in the everyday life of children and adolescents.

consequences of child poverty

Social disadvantage in childhood has far -reaching consequences that have an impact on adult life. The social follow -up costs of child poverty amount to an estimated 17.2 billion euros per year, which corresponds to 3.6 percent of Austrian GDP. This not only has an impact on individual income, but also on the state budget, which has a high losses through lost tax revenue and social security contributions.

The day of the "Tour de Chance" not only serves to commemorate the victims of acts of violence, but is also an appeal to politics and society to fight together against child poverty. Initiatives like this are essential to sustainably improve the living conditions of children and to create perspectives for a fairer future.

For more information about the activities and concerns of the Volkshilfe, please visit Klick-kaernten.at for details about the tour MeinDzirk.at and for the OECD study on Social Ministry.GV.at .