Too many families were living in poverty before COVID-19 so the challenge is two-fold; ensuring that the most vulnerable receive financial supports and access to services and ensuring that those who now face unemployment or reduced work hours receive timely assistance. This week the federal government announced a number of MORE
Have a Heart Day is a child and youth-led reconciliation event organized by First Nations Child & Family Caring Society that brings together caring Canadians to help ensure First Nations children have the services they need to grow up safely at home, get a good education, be healthy, and be proud MORE
Last week, the Prime Minister of Canada released ministerial mandate letters to guide the work of federal cabinet ministers. UNICEF Canada analyzed the ministerial mandate letters and outlined key policy priorities that will improve child and youth well-being in Canada and around the world. To mark the start of a new parliament, a new MORE
Future Bright is a free Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver (EFry) program that helps families access up to $3,200 for a child’s education through the Canada Learning Bond and BC Training and Education Savings Grant. EFry will work with families to secure these funds and you can contact EFry for more information.
The LEX Group, a Montreal-based law firm, has launched a national class action against the Federal government of Canada on behalf of all persons who did not receive the Canada Child Benefit for the reasons listed in their action. Visit their website for more information.
First Call sent letters to federal party leaders this week to echo the Coalition for Healthy School Food’s calls for a universal, healthy school food program for Canada. The letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asks that the government include the development of a national school food program in the MORE
2019 marks the 30th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the United Nations and the establishment of the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC). To honour this occasion, CCRC collected essays from a variety of child rights advocates to reflect upon child MORE
October was Women’s History Month, and this Tyee article highlights the women who fought to deal with an issue society wanted to keep in the shadows; the unsung heroes who created Canada’s first women’s shelters. Darlene Lawson was a 23-year-old student when she joined the call to create the first women’s centre MORE
A recent article written by Garima Talwar Kapoor and Elizabeth McIsaac on Maytree discusses why cutting taxes on EI benefits for new parents may not be good policy, as proposed by some federal parties in the election campaign. One problem is that to claim maternity/parental EI benefits, a new parent outside MORE
The BC Government currently has a consultation open to discuss making leave paid for employees fleeing violent relationships or domestic violence and/or who have experienced sexual violence, instead of its currently unpaid model. Organizations and individuals can provide feedback on how future changes could impact you as an employer, an employee, MORE
The BC Federation of Students is currently rolling out their ‘Our Time is Now’ campaign to encourage young voters to vote in the upcoming Federal election. On September 5th they released their report “The Youth Vote: Why Young Voters Can’t Be Ignored.” It shows that for the first time in MORE
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) has launched the One Earth One Vote petition that the Government of Canada must: Implement a strong climate action plan that meets our international commitments to keep global warming below catastrophic levels Establish economic equality and ensure social justice Respect and promote the MORE
Generation Squeeze released a petition calling for affordable homes for young Canadians. The petition notes that, “Canada’s housing market is out of control and people in their 20s, 30s and 40s are feeling the squeeze.” For this upcoming Federal Election, Generation Squeeze is encouraging you to add your signature to get federal MORE
UNICEF Canada recently launched the Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-Being. This is a framework to communicate to Canadians what Canada is like for kids from birth to age 18, track progress for their rights and well-being, and guide action to address the greatest challenges. Canada’s middle position among its MORE
According to recent research earlier this year from Dr. David Hammond at the University of Waterloo, youth vaping rates in Canada have increased significantly and, even more troubling, so have youth smoking rates. The study found that among those 16-19 years old, vaping increased by a stunning 74% from 2017 to 2018, MORE