This new report co-authored by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Assembly of First Nations, published by Upstream, uses Census data (2006 & 2016) and National Household Survey data (2011) to show that child poverty on First Nations reserves has remained almost unchanged for a decade, with the most recent MORE
In this year’s BC budget submission, First Call highlights five recommendations from our 2018 Child Poverty Report Card starting with important targeted poverty reduction measures for families living in deep poverty. Our Key Recommendations: 1. Increase income supports for families living in deep poverty 2. Invest in early childhood 3. Ensure MORE
This week the Nelson Committee on Homelessness released its 11th Annual Report Card on Homelessness. The report found that vacancy rates from purpose-built rent-controlled units in buildings of more than 3 units remain at effectively 0% for the fifth year in a row. The report ends with recommendations including: the development of MORE
Penticton Western News: City of Penticton supports $10aDay Child Care program CTV News: B.C. ‘struggling’ to meet needs of vulnerable youth in contracted care: auditor APTN National News: Language and child welfare bills pass as MPs head home for the summer APTN National News: B.C. CFS moves in to seize 90-minute-old baby on report MORE
This research report, Straddling the Gap, “illustrates the state of housing affordability for younger Canadians, in every province and the major cities within them. It shows that Canadians between the ages of 25 and 34 continue to straddle a massive gap between housing prices that remain at near-historic levels in key MORE
Looking for easily-accessible facts specific to your region to present and share with your communities? We have pulled data from our 2018 Child Poverty Report Card to create Regional Factsheets that are shareable in .pdf and .ppt files and can be downloaded below. Factsheets are available by region and federal riding. A MORE
This Commission is now seeking input on closing the gap between living wages and the minimum wage in B.C. Let them know you support recommendations for the provincial government to: continue to raise the minimum wage with regular, predictable increases until it reaches the living wage rate, and then index MORE
Making the Shift is a Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab was recently launched with a mandate to contribute to the transformation of how we respond to youth homelessness through research and knowledge mobilization specific to youth homelessness prevention and housing stabilization. It is co-led by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness MORE
In case you missed it, the Canadian Medical Association Journal released a blog article in February to discuss the impact of poverty on Canadian children. Cal Robinson, a postgraduate year two Pediatrics resident in Ontario, explains that Canada’s position as third highest rate of child poverty amongst 17 similarly developed countries points to the MORE
In a recent post, Marc Lee, Senior Economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative’s BC office, argues “There is a compelling case for the BC government to fund the #AllOnBoard campaign ask as part of their poverty reduction strategy.” The campaign calls for (1) free transit for those under MORE
In case you missed it, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-BC released a report on the #TogetherBC BC Poverty Reduction Strategy. The report outlines the flagship elements of the plan, including welcome changes to the rules for accessing social assistance (welfare benefits), which will end a number of very punitive, arbitrary and MORE
CBC Early Edition: Is 12 too young to work? Youth advocacy group pushing for changes to B.C.’s labour laws CBC News: Is 12 too young to work? Youth advocates slam B.C.’s lax child-labour laws Prince George Matters: City to study what poverty looks like in Prince George Burnaby Now: Good Girls Don’t celebrates kids MORE
This week, the government released BC’s first ever poverty reduction strategy TogetherBC setting out a number of strategies and initiatives aimed at meeting legislated poverty reduction targets including a 50% reduction in the child poverty rate by 2024. First Call is pleased to see several significant initiatives restated in this MORE
In July 2018, the Province announced the creation of an expert committee to study the potential for using a basic income approach in its efforts to reduce poverty and prepare for the emerging economy. Organizations and individuals with an interest in basic income were invited to share their input by MORE
The Poverty Reduction Coalition is happy to announce another round of the Community Action Network (CAN) Leadership Training Program starting early April 2019. This program provides an opportunity for individuals in Metro Vancouver with the lived experience of poverty to develop their advocacy skills as they aim to increase their MORE