Archive for the ‘Child & Family’ Category

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Pierre Poilievre’s proposed mandatory minimum penalties will not reduce crime

Tuesday, March 5th, 2024

… with MMPs [mandatory minimum penalties], Parliament removes judicial discretion for any sentencing option other than imprisonment and imposes a minimum term of incarceration, regardless of the facts of the case… The evidence shows that MMPs are ineffective at reducing crime, may actually increase recidivism, are highly vulnerable to being struck down by the courts as unconstitutional, can increase delays in an overburdened system, and perpetuate systemic racism.

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Indigenous child welfare Act is constitutional, says Supreme Court of Canada

Monday, February 19th, 2024

Canada’s highest court has unanimously ruled that First Nations, Métis, and Inuit rights to self-government include jurisdiction over child and family services, throwing out the attorney general of Quebec’s 2022 appeal… Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution affirms and recognizes Indigenous peoples’ right to self-govern. Bill C-92 additionally affirmed that the right to self-govern included “jurisdiction in relation to child and family services,” meaning Indigenous communities have sole authority over the care of their children.

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Home care reforms don’t address poor working conditions

Saturday, December 16th, 2023

The almost entirely female – and, in Toronto, mostly racialized – home care personal support workers expect more of the same: low wages, irregular work, few benefits, and almost no pensions. Recent reforms to home care will not resolve chronic problems of poor working conditions, fragmentation of services, and an inefficient delivery model…

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Program at Hamilton Public Library shows how libraries can expand the social services they provide

Wednesday, December 13th, 2023

Library social workers aim to remove systemic barriers… by offering preventative support… and by helping people access services that offer longer-term solutions to their problems… they are trained and able to support trauma, mental-health issues, challenges and complex needs in a way that meets the person where they are at emotionally, physically and/or cognitively.

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Ontario needs to remove barriers to child-care subsidies for low-income families

Friday, October 20th, 2023

Ontario’s current implementation plan for child-care and early-learning agreements runs the risk of leaving disadvantaged families further behind, rather than closing gaps in opportunities and outcomes for their children. To prevent this, Ontario, and indeed all provinces, need to double down on removing barriers to child-care subsidies for low-income families.

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From ‘tough on crime’ to a new transformative vision for Canada’s justice system

Friday, September 29th, 2023

… compassionate, evidence-based policies… make us safer at a fraction of the cost of ineffective “tough on crime” approaches. We don’t have to let fear win. We don’t have to tolerate an ineffective status quo. There’s a better way and it involves a new transformative justice vision: to transform the trauma in our society, rather than continue to transmit it.

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Shortcomings in Seniors’ Care: How Canada Compares to its Peers and the Paths to Improvement

Thursday, September 28th, 2023

Overall, Canada ranks 8th out of 11 countries included in the survey… While Canada generally performs well in the care process category, it performs poorly in terms of access to care and equity, with no provinces reaching the international average in either category. Addressing access challenges for seniors through improved continuity of care, affordability and reducing wait times would improve Canada’s rank.

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Mental health and prison: a tragic cycle that repeats itself

Saturday, September 16th, 2023

… when offenders are released, they often return to the same circumstances — homelessness, unemployment, drug use, lack of mental health care — that led to their offending in the first place.
Post-release treatment must therefore be just one part of a more comprehensive community effort, one that attends to the health, housing and employment needs of offenders.

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Ontario needs to remove barriers to child-care subsidies for low-income families

Saturday, September 16th, 2023

Ontario’s current implementation plan for child care and early learning agreements runs the risk of leaving disadvantaged families further behind… Inclusivity is explicitly stated as an important goal of the federal government’s Canada-wide early learning and child care initiative… The ultimate solution is publicly funded child care with enough spaces for everyone.

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Canada Child Benefit payments to increase this month for many families. Here’s how much it’s going up

Thursday, July 13th, 2023

Introduced in 2016, the CCB replaced the taxable Universal Child Care Benefit… The CCB is intended to provide increased support to low- and middle-income families with children. Families with an adjusted net income under $34,863 will receive the maximum amount for each child… The federal government indexed the CCB to ensure benefits keep up with inflation.

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