Eleven years past the federal government's deadline of eradicating child poverty by the year 2000, 1 in 10 children continue to live in poverty. Why hasn't more progress been made? Read more »
By Chandra Pasma | Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011 - 10:13AM
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When I was expecting my daughter, I was asked on more than one occasion if I had put my name on a list for childcare yet. Here in Ottawa, the waiting lists for some childcare centres can be more than a year – requiring parents who need childcare to signup before their child is even born. Parents who can’t afford the fees (which for young children can outstrip university tuition!) can wait even longer for a subsidized childcare space.
Meanwhile, just across the river in Gatineau, all parents have access to $7 a day childcare. Approximately 50% of children under 5 receive this care, which can take place in many different settings from home-based care to a regulated daycare centre. While other Canadians gaze jealously in the direction of Quebec, the argument is often made that a government-funded childcare program is expensive and unwieldy and doesn’t facilitate “true choice.” Read more »
By Chandra Pasma | Tuesday, June 14th, 2011 - 3:30PM
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Don Drummond had a bit of a strange op-ed in the Toronto Star on Sunday. On the one hand, he acknowledged the debate over the option of corporate tax cuts and called for the impact of cuts to be monitored so that we know whether or not they are actually delivering on their goals. On the other, he reviewed and dismissed all of the arguments against corporate tax cuts as negligible. Read more »
All the political parties like to claim that they are family-friendly and offer policies that support families. One of the most crucial issues confronting Canadian families is early childhood education and care. Currently, only a small percentage of children have access to a regulated childcare space. Costs are prohibitive for many families, who rely on two incomes just to pay all the bills. Meanwhile, the benefits of access to high quality childcare and early learning programs are well-known: children learn better when they learn earlier, and affordable childcare can help to lift families out of poverty and strengthen the economic security of families, especially women. So what do the party platforms offer on childcare? Read more »
CPJ believes that vigorous and sustained action by the federal government is necessary to combat poverty in Canada. Through the Dignity for All campaign, we’ve called for a federal plan for poverty elimination that complements provincial and territorial plans; a federal anti-poverty Act that ensures enduring federal commitment and accountability for results and sufficient federal investment in social security for all Canadians. In this look at the party platforms, we look at what the political parties are offering to do on poverty if they form the next government. Read more »
Rooted in issues of early childhood development, gender equality, and poverty, the lack of a national childcare plan is having detrimental effects on many children and their families in Canada. It is clear that what is needed is an affordable, accessible, quality national childcare program based on the best interest of the child. It is crucial that this program be situated within the context of a comprehensive set of family-oriented policies. Read more »
By Rebekah Sears | Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 - 12:00PM
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New Brunswick became the sixth province to adopt a poverty reduction strategy, Overcoming Poverty Together: The New Brunswick economic and social inclusion plan, at the end of 2009. The plan was finalized after a series of meetings with representatives from all over the province and from various sectors, including government, business and the social justice community. The plan was aimed at addressing the circumstances of specific communities, working at the grassroots level, but with overall support from the provincial government.
Now, several months after the plan was introduced by the provincial government and approved in the legislature, groups like the Common Front for Social Justice (CFSJ) are weighing in on the plan, the evidence of action so far, and the needs that are still very evident across the province. Read more »
Ontario’s strategy is unique in the sense that its specific goals and targets are focused on one particular area- to reduce child poverty by 25% in 5 years. As a result much of the plan’s focus is on child-tax benefits, child care, early childhood education, and training for children and youth. Education and support for children is seen as a key element to breaking the cycle of poverty. Read more »
Participants included Brenda Murray, director of Policy, Planning and Research with the Department of Community Services, Dr. Ulrich vom Hagen, Coordinator of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, and Tamarack’s Mark Cabaj. The discussion covered the roots and formation of the plan, the goals and targets, as well as implementation strategies. Read more »
Eleven years past the federal government's deadline of eradicating child poverty by the year 2000, 1 in 10 children continue to live in poverty. Why hasn't more progress been made? 
CPJ believes that vigorous and sustained action by the federal government is necessary to combat poverty in Canada. Through the Dignity for All campaign, we’ve called for a federal plan for poverty elimination that complements provincial and territorial plans; a federal anti-poverty Act that ensures enduring federal commitment and accountability for results and sufficient federal investment in social security for all Canadians. In this look at the party platforms, we look at what the political parties are offering to do on poverty if they form the next government. 
