One in five children live in poverty
November 24, 2016
More than 1.3 million Canadian children almost one in five are living in 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.
Precarious work, skyrocketing housing costs and unaffordable child care services continue to be major factors behind family poverty despite the federal government’s introduction of the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) last summer.
“We urge the government to index the CCB to inflation effective in 2017 to help families keep up with the rising cost of living,” said Anita Khanna, Campaign 2000’s national co-ordinator on release of the report entitled A Roadmap to Eradicate Child and Family Poverty.
A provincial report on the state of child and family poverty in Ontario entitled The Time to Act is Now was released simultaneously and highlights results of efforts to monitor poverty reduction across the province.
In the news:
Toronto Star, Editorial, Nov. 27: Time to end child poverty is now
Toronto Star, Nov. 24: Sobering child poverty stats inspire call for renewed action
Canadian Press/CTV news, Nov. 24: Anti Poverty Groups Call on Liberals to Make Immediate Changes to Child Benefit