During the provincial election in 2007, Make Poverty History in collaboration with other groups in the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction mounted a very successful campaign to get all provincial party leaders to support a poverty reduction plan.
In December 2008, the Government of Ontario introduced the plan Breaking the Cycle: Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. On May 6, 2008 the Ontario legislature unanimously passed The Poverty Reduction Act, which commits successive provincial governments to act on poverty and provides measures to track progress over time.
The Plan
Goal
Ontario’s poverty reduction plan has set out a goal of reducing the number of children living in poverty by 25 per cent over 5 years, lifting an estimated 90,000 children out of poverty by 2014.
Strategy
Ontario’s poverty reduction strategy focuses on four key areas:
- Investing in the Ontario Child Benefit - increasing it to up to $1,310 annually per child per year, to provide support to 1.3 million children in low-income families
- Investing in education and early learning
- Strengthening communities by fostering positive local initiatives
- Reviewing social assistance with the goal of removing barriers and increasing opportunity
Budget & Accountability
A key part of Ontario’s plan is that it includes a budget and a plan to measure its progress. The plan includes a commitment to investing $2.5 billion over five years, with a total annual investment of over $1.4 billion when the strategy is at full implementation. The government also established indicators that will be reported on annually to measure the province’s progress.
Progress Report
Currently, one in nine children in Ontario lives in poverty. 40% of those children are from families where at least one parent is employed full-time, year-round.
As Ontario’s strategy primarily focuses on child poverty, it has been critiqued for not adequately addressing the situation of all people living in poverty, particularly as a significant number of those living in poverty are adult individuals. While the plan is strong in addressing child poverty, consideration must also be given to strengthening the families and communities in which they live. However, the strategy was created with significant input and collaboration from community groups and those living in poverty. Generally the strategy represents a positive start to addressing poverty in Ontario.
Take Action
Ontario is doing its part to address poverty but the provinces and territories need federal support to significantly reduce and ultimately eliminate poverty in Canada. That’s why we’re calling on Canada to adopt a national poverty-reduction strategy.
Support a National Poverty Reduction Strategy
Resources
Documents
Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Plan
Government Sites
Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Online
Organizations
25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction
Ontario Coalition for Social Justice
