The federal government needs to step up its efforts to tackle poverty, according to this year’s national poverty report card from Campaign 2000, a non-partisan coalition of 120 groups and individuals co-ordinated by Family Service Toronto.

The new report released Nov. 21 calls for Canada’s first Poverty Reduction Strategy to outline a new social contract that responds to the needs of today’s families and lifts individuals and families out of poverty.

“Government must commit to reverse the effects of decades of austerity budgeting and finally prioritize the prevention and eradication of poverty in Canada,” says Campaign 2000 National Co-ordinator Anita Khanna in addressing the need for a national strategy.

“It’s clear that the social safety net is not adequately supporting families who face no choice but to piece together precarious work, struggle to afford quality housing and childcare and scramble to pack school lunches,” she said.

Campaign 2000 was formed in the early 1990s to urge governments to deliver on an all-party House of Commons resolution to end child poverty by year 2000. Nearly three decades later, the report notes there are still 1.2 million children and families in poverty.

Seven Campaign 2000 provincial partners, including Ontario, also released their annual report cards on child and family poverty on Nov. 21.

Globe and Mail: Liberal government urged to be more aggressive in tackling poverty

Toronto Star: Ontario urged to make ending child poverty an election issue

Toronto continues to have the highest rate of child poverty in Canada, says a new report based on the 2016 census.

More than one in four children under 18 years of age live in poverty and children in racialized families are more than twice as likely to live in poverty, according to the report released Nov. 15 by a coalition of social service agencies including Family Service Toronto.

“Building a successful city must include providing the necessary measures to ensure no one is left behind and that systemic inequalities are addressed within policies and programs,” the report notes in its summary statement.

Report: Unequal City: The Hidden Divide Among Toronto’s Children and Youth

Toronto Star: Racial disparity seen in child poverty numbers

November 20 marks Transgender Day of Remembrance – a memorial in which we remember the lives lost to transphobic and transmisogynist violence.  Around the world, trans lives – and particularly the lives of trans women of colour and sex workers –  are disproportionately at risk due to this type of violence.

Family Service Toronto and our David Kelley David Kelley LGBTTQQ2SIA+ & HIV/AIDS Counselling Services join in solidarity with our trans communities to reflect on the successes, strength and courage of trans people, as well as honour and remember the lives lost this year. We reaffirm our continued commitment to combat systemic transphobia and trans-misogyny.

More information on the day’s history and an image gallery can be found on International Transgender Day website.

Please also consider attending the Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR) event being held at the 519 Church Street.

Child poverty activists have welcomed the federal government’s decision to step up plans to increase Canada Child Benefit payments for lower- and middle-income Canadians in pace with the cost of living.

“Indexation of the CCB has been a policy lever that Campaign 2000 has called for since Budget 2016,” said Anita Khanna, co-ordinator of the non-partisan coalition of 120 national, provincial and community partner organizations co-ordinated by Family Service Toronto. “Low-income families need the CCB to keep up with the rising costs of housing, heat, hydro and food.”

As of July 2018, the CCB will be fully indexed to inflation –  two years earlier than originally planned.

Campaign 2000 also welcomed the announced increase in funding for the Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB) adding: “While we have praise for these anti-poverty measures, we know that a full package of policies is needed to eradicate child and family poverty in Canada. These measures, include accessible, regulated childcare, affordable housing, drug and dental coverage and strong employment programs that provide families with stability.”

See full media release.
Campaign 2000’s response to the announcement appeared in the Toronto Star, the Financial Post and the Globe And Mail.

Family Service Toronto launched its staff campaign in support of United Way Toronto and York Region Tuesday Oct. 3. with a BBQ fundraiser lunch sponsored by Xerox Canada. Over 100 staff and guests participated as we revealed this year’s campaign target of $22,000.

FST is also hosting a team in the on Sunday, Nov. 5. We invite our friends and community members to join the team or sponsor team members.

New census data from Statistics Canada shows 1.2 million Canadian children under 18 live in low-income households.

Campaign 2000 is featured in a Canadian Press article about the release. For more information see the links below.

Links to Statistics Canada Census data:
Income Highlight Tables, 2016 Census
Household income in Canada: Key results from the 2016 Census
Census in Brief: Children living in low-income households

CCPA commentary on income inequality: 7 things the Census teaches us about income inequality

Other related news: Census 2016: Income grows in resource-rich provinces, Ontario and Quebec lag behind, Globe and Mail, Sept. 13, 2017
Canadian incomes jump, Ontario residents hit by manufacturing downturn: Statistics Canada,Toronto Star, Sept 14 2017

There is good news for pedestrians and cyclists travelling the West Toronto Railpath to FST’s Sterling Road offices. The City of Toronto has announced it is closer to constructing the path extension between Dundas Street West to just south of Queen Street West.

“Staff are now focussed on completing the final multi-use trail design in 2018,” according to a city update released over the summer. “Discussions about a construction schedule are currently underway with Metrolinx.”

Future Railpath Extension updates will be posted on the city of Toronto website.

Family Service Toronto is seeking to recruit women labelled with an intellectual and/or developmental disability (ID/DD) and who have experienced sexual abuse for a study that could lead to improved counselling and support services.

Few counselling services in Toronto serve specific needs of ID/DD women who have been sexually-abused and the benefits of peer support have not been studied in this population.

Both peer mentors as well as clients are being recruited for the study, which is funded by Women College Hospital’s Women’s Xchange. It will provide 10 participants with counselling and peer support over a period of five months. The study will document the service provision process and examine the impact on the participants’ resilience and quality of life.

Recruitment will run from August to October 2017 and the study will be completed by April 2018.

For more information on how to participate in this study as a client or a peer mentor, visit Sexual Assault in Women with Intellectual Disabilities Study page.

Family Service Toronto held its Annual General Meeting on June 21 at our Sterling Road office.

The event was attended by board members, staff, and visitors.

Copies of our annual audited financial statements and 2016-17 Annual Report were distributed and are now available for download or online reading through our website.

Family Service Toronto joins all Canadians in celebrating 150 years of our country’s remarkable history and diversity this Canada Day weekend.

Please note all FST offices will be closed Monday, July 3 and reopen on Tuesday at 9 a.m.

Happy Canada Day!

The start of June marks a month of double celebrations at Family Service Toronto.

FST is pleased to recognize the important work of our Seniors and Caregivers Support Services unit as we welcome Seniors’ Month and celebrate the contributions that seniors make every day in communities across the province.

June 1 is also the start of Toronto’s second annual Pride month. FST’s David Kelley Services unit recognizes Pride, by celebrating the resilience of our diverse LGBTQ+ communities as well as individuals living with affected by or concerned about HIV.

A highlight of Pride month will be the annual Festival weekend (June 23-25) which culminates in the Pride Parade on the last Sunday in June.

2017 marks the 33rd annual Seniors’ Month in the province and this year’s theme is “Living Your Best Life.”  Toronto’s Seniors’ Forum will host an information event at Toronto City Hall on June 15.

Family Service Toronto joins all Canadians in recognizing June 21 as National Aboriginal Day and celebrating the cultural diversity of Inuit, Métis and First Nations peoples and their significant contribution to our society.

Wednesday is the 21st annual day established by the federal government to celebrate Indigenous culture and heritage and falls in National Aboriginal History Month. The date was chosen because it corresponds to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and because for generations, many Indigenous groups have celebrated their culture and heritage in June.

This year’s celebration comes in the wake of recent findings of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which examined decades of abuse at residential schools and the fallout. It also coincides with the ongoing national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Both developments have emphasized the fractured relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups in the country.

In this exceptional year marking the 150th anniversary of Confederation, we recognize the important work of these national investigations and the many layers of oppression inflicted on Indigenous peoples over our history.

We also support the Broadbent’s Institute call on the federal government to ensure that Indigenous children have access to the same level of social services available to non-Indigenous children. Sign the petition.

The Aboriginal People’s Television Network will broadcast performances by Inuit, Métis and First Nations artists during Wednesday’s National Aboriginal Day Live programming.