by Laurel Rothman

As we enter the 21st century, Canadians need to face the stark reality that the gap in family incomes between the most advantaged and the poorest is widening. The most recent statistics show that 1,274,000 children, or 18.8%, lived below the low income cut-off in 1998. The prevalence of child and family poverty reflects the lack of a serious commitment by society to invest in policies and programs aimed at the healthy development of all children and youth.

The cost of being poor is onerous for all of us. In a world where achievement and independence depend upon the skills and abilities of a country's people, Canada must create conditions where each citizen can flourish. Poverty can rob children of their opportunity to contribute to their full potential and it robs all of us of their contributions.

A life-cycle policy response to child poverty

As a cross-Canada coalition of more than 85 national, regional and community partner organizations, Campaign 2000 has always maintained that the best way to improve conditions for children in poor families is to enhance the situation for all children. A multi-pronged policy approach that addresses the needs for income security, for quality early childhood development and child-care programs, for affordable and secure housing, and the need for decent jobs, is essential in order to create the conditions that can improve the well-being of all children.

We urge Canada to adopt a life-cycle policy response to child poverty. This type of policy response is based on the recognition that in each period of life, people have specialized needs that must be met. Canada needs to create a matrix of national, regional and civic policies and programs to support children at each stage of their development.

Creative synergies among families, communities and societal institutions can foster a climate in which children can successfully meet the challenges of each developmental stage. Strong public policies are essential to ensure that children in low-, modest- and middle-income families have the opportunity to succeed. As Jerome Bruner, noted American psychologist, recently commented, "Hillary Clinton may be right that 'it takes a village to raise a child.' But the village would be in tough shape without federal and state funds."

A five-year plan for social investments in Canadian families

Addressing child and family poverty through a life-cycle approach requires a serious reconstruction of our social policies and substantial public resources. Canada faces some important choices as our leaders ponder how best to use our financial resources in this era of financial growth and budget surpluses. June Callwood, author and social activist recently reminded us that "this is the most prosperous time in the history of Canada. If we do not lay the foundation for caring well for our children now, then how will we fare in the downtimes that may come?"

The national and community partners of Campaign 2000 propose that the federal government present a five-year social investment plan for children with clear national objectives and targets. This defining mission would commit the nation to an equal opportunity for every child from birth, and to a healthy start for every parent. The core objectives, congruent with the broad vision of the National Children's Agenda, include the following:

• To assure the integrity of our democratic values as a nation.

• To honour our international commitments to the United Nations on the rights of children and the first call on national resources.

• To discover and nurture the special talents of every young person in Canada.

• To enhance the capacities of all families and communities to meet their responsibilities to children.

• To promote social cohesion of our communities across Canada.

• To enrich the cultural and economic fabric of our society.

The following are clear benchmarks that highlight the resources required to implement this plan:

• That there be a commitment to redirect at least 1.5% of the projected GDP in 2005 to federal investments in children and families to meet the core objectives.

• That the federal government improve child benefits for all low-income families to achieve at least a 50% reduction in the depth and level of child poverty by 2005, and work with the provinces to eliminate the exceptionally high poverty levels among children under age six.

• That the federal government work with the provinces and territories to establish a system of high-quality, accessible early childhood development services available to all families in every community across Canada.

• That the federal government make sufficient investments in affordable housing to improve the health and economic well-being of families and to ensure the availability of an adequate supply of affordable housing throughout Canada.

• That the federal government make substantial improvements in the base child tax benefit for all modest- and middle-income families, in addition to improvements in the child tax benefit proposed for low-income families.

• That the federal government make national investments through the provinces to freeze and even lower tuition fees for post-secondary education across Canada.

• That the federal government and the provinces establish a national commission to develop strategies to improve the availability of good jobs, with wages that enable Canadians to move out of poverty.

Next steps in achieving the five-year plan

To achieve these benchmarks, Campaign 2000 estimates that federal investments in children and families should grow by at least $16 billion from current levels. This would mean an average of more than $3 billion in new investments each year for the next five years. Provinces and territories are key partners in achieving the objectives of this plan. They maintain the central responsibility - in cooperation with communities, the voluntary sector and business - to design social programs and contribute appropriate levels of financial resources.

Some initial social investments have been made over the last year. The federal government announced in its 2000 budget an additional investment of $850 million in the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB). Increases to the CCTB will add $2.5 billion a year by 2004. The maximum benefit for a family's first child will grow to $2,400 from the current level of $1,805. Improvements to the base child benefit through full indexation, although minimal in actual dollars for each child, are an important redress to a program that was eroding in value each year. Doubling the duration of maternity and parental leave to one year under the Employment Insurance program will enable some parents to spend more time with their very young children. When he announced the National Child Benefit in the 1997 budget, the Minister of Finance committed the government of Canada to further investments, as resources become available. Campaign 2000 and other groups working on child poverty issues will watch for additional investments towards an integrated child benefit of at least $4,000 per child in low-income families.

The commitment of the federal government to work with the provinces and territories for an agreement on early childhood development services by December 2000 is another important benchmark to be monitored. A significant reduction in child and family poverty requires a resilient system of early childhood development services, including pre- and post-natal care, early learning and child-care programs, and supports to parents, including enhanced parental leave, family resource programs, and flexible workplace policies.

While there are some programs already in place for pre- and post-natal care and supports to parents, quality child-care services remain undeveloped or unavailable in many parts of Canada. Meeting the child-care needs of all families, regardless of their employment status or income, remains critical. To achieve and sustain a significant reduction in child and family poverty - particularly for the 37% of lone mothers in the labour force who earn less than $10 per hour - a reliable system of child care is required. Other countries in Western Europe have ably demonstrated that accessible child-care services, in concert with responsive child benefits, can virtually eliminate persistent child poverty.

Community voices count

The potential for addressing child poverty and improving the life chances for all children in Canada is great. Polling results over the last five years indicate that Canadians place a high priority on government action to reduce child poverty. The public also supports a strong public role in community services and supports to families. On the other hand, some people are urging governments to reduce public policies, increase reliance on market activities to improve job opportunities and create affordable housing, and further reduce taxes. All of these initiatives would weaken the financial capacity of governments to fund crucial social programs.

The role of citizens, both as individuals and as participants in community groups, is pivotal in expressing public opinion and influencing public policy. The capacity of local communities across Canada to express their commitment to social issues was evident last November as people in more than 100 locations across the country participated in activities to mark the 10th anniversary of the all-party resolution to end child poverty. Canadians from all walks of life held silent vigils to focus on the unmet promise to Canada's children, while many others held "wake up" activities to command the attention of our government leaders.

This year, many people will devote energy to the "Sign on for Canada's Kids Campaign" being spearheaded by a number of national and provincial groups, including Campaign 2000. This campaign is organizing a petition and providing resources through its website at www.signonforcanadaskids.org. The goal of this cross-Canada initiative is to ensure that an agreement on early childhood development services is achieved by December 2000 and that substantial federal investments are announced in the 2001 federal budget. These campaigns, though challenging and time-consuming, are a concrete way that individual Canadians can help move our country towards a future where all children will have an opportunity to develop to their full potential.

Laurel Rothman is National Co-ordinator of Campaign 2000, a cross-Canada coalition of more than 85 groups working to end child and family poverty in Canada. For more information, contact laurelro@fsatoronto.com

Canadian Council on Social Development, 190 O'Connor Street, Suite 100, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2R3