All sentient life is suffering. Individuals choose to create life in spite of this inevitability, and society perpetuates and encourages individuals making this decision.
We are the product of a mindless evolutionary process, and for the most part societies also take shape mindlessly.
> but can't everyone agree that no child should be in this situation?
Prioritising basic guarantees of well being, above people living in the absurdly precarious situation described, above endless growth and winner-take-all game playing, is actually asking a lot of this world.