Archive for the ‘Child & Family’ Category

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Childcare Reform Key to Post-Covid Economic Recovery

Sunday, April 4th, 2021

Among a suite of reforms at the federal and provincial levels, the authors recommend: The existing Child Care Expense Deduction (CCED), a regressive tax deduction that reinforces patriarchal gender roles for parents, be replaced with a more generous, progressive and more frequently paid refundable tax credit… Provinces… increase childcare spaces… a single, dedicated and permanent [federal] transfer to provinces.

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The ‘torture’ of Canadian prisoners in solitary confinement must stop immediately

Wednesday, March 31st, 2021

It is time to simply prohibit prolonged solitary confinement (15 days straight or more). Then, appoint a non-CSC expert to ensure legislative compliance. Prisoners would remain locked-up but in a manner that is Charter-compliant. This simple change would ensure taxpayers do not see another $135 million squandered on confinement that violates the Charter and offends our values.

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Finally, everyone agrees that Canada needs better child care. But what should it look like?

Sunday, March 28th, 2021

High-quality child care gives children an early, productive start on their educations and a more certain path to prosperous careers… It’s an equalizer … It increases the labour force participation of women by giving mothers more certain options to go to work… Tax incentives or fee limits to help families pay the child-care bills are a moot point if there aren’t enough spaces to go around.

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Youth ‘aging out’ of care deserve better. The Ford government needs to deliver real reform

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021

Some 12,000 children and youth live in foster homes and group homes in Ontario. About 2,000 of them turn 18 every year at which point they are usually forced to move out of their foster or group home to live independently, whether they’re ready or not. (There is financial assistance and other supports beyond 18 for some youth but it’s not universal and it’s not enough.)

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The Divorce Act has grown up, but will we?

Monday, March 15th, 2021

Over the last 25 years, non-court alternate dispute resolution processes have evolved, such as mediation and collaborative law. A major step forward was achieved with the amendments to the Divorce Act that came into effect on March 1 of this year… Mediation and collaborative law processes are almost always faster and less expensive than court. They’re also less stressful on the parties, their children and other family members. Ultimately, they are much more likely to result in a resolution that both parties find acceptable.

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Immediate Government Action Needed to Restore Access to Life-Saving, Needs-Based Mental Health Services to Kids in Ontario’s Youth Justice System

Friday, March 12th, 2021

Without consultation, MCCSS has closed and reduced youth justice facilities across the province where vulnerable youth were receiving mental health services.  Experts are clear that the rates of mental health issues in the youth justice population are as high as 90 per cent, with one quarter requiring a specialized “significant and immediate” treatment… half of the youth receiving specialized mental health treatment are Black, Indigenous and racialized… over half of these youth have attempted suicide

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Long-term-care houses of horror

Tuesday, March 9th, 2021

In Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, nearly 100% of senior respondents said “they will do everything they can to avoid moving into an LTC home.” … As of March 5, 2021, the NIA had tracked 14,596 LTC-home deaths across the country… 80% of deaths in Canada’s first wave occurred in LTC homes – “the worst record among wealthy nations for COVID-19-related deaths”

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It’s time to move ahead on a national child-care system

Sunday, February 21st, 2021

… new money for child care must support programs. That is the only way Ottawa will be able to lower parent fees and raise wages, which in turn, will attract and retain well-trained staff who are the foundation of high-quality child care. That should be the starting point as Ottawa negotiates bilateral funding agreements with provinces and territories… Provinces that are ready to sign-on should get started immediately. But under no circumstances should Ottawa ink funding deals with provinces that don’t embrace this new federal vision.

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With half measures like these, Canada is clearly not interested in gun control

Sunday, February 21st, 2021

… the scattershot handgun ban makes no sense. Legal handguns have grown like mushrooms in the dark, so much so that there are now more than one million, almost three times as many as there were in 2006. If Ottawa allows provinces to block municipalities from regulating handguns, it could mean some provinces will do it and others won’t. This is lacework regulation, and it is not the Canadian way.

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Still not the handgun ban Canada needs

Wednesday, February 17th, 2021

Canada’s gun problem is overwhelmingly a handgun problem. So if the government wants to limit gun violence in this country, it can’t just take on the multi-shot, rapid-fire weapons that are too often the instrument of death in mass shootings, it must also tackle the issue of proliferating handguns. Bill C-21 falls well short. It’s an ineffective gesture on handguns at a time when cities desperately need help to curb rising deadly gun violence.

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