25in5.ca » Poverty in the Media

$45M dental-care boost protects poorest children

jen — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:16:18 +0000

Ontario is expanding free dental services for poor children to include preventative care such as check-ups, cleanings, X-rays and fillings, the Star has learned.

Health Minister Deb Matthews will announce Friday that the “healthy smiles” program — costing taxpayers $45 million annually — is designed to help 130,000 kids aged 17 and under.

Big bang for full-day learning buck

jen — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:28:34 +0000

Ontario is missing out on a significant economic payoff by offering a scaled-down version of full-day learning this fall, says a report being released Monday. A new economic analysis of the initiative outlined by the premier’s early learning adviser last spring shows an immediate return of $2.02 for every dollar invested in operations and $1.47 for every dollar spent on new classrooms, says the report, obtained by the Star.

Funding shortages for home services are staggering

jen — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:24:49 +0000

ARCH Disability Law Centre, dedicated to advancing the rights of people with disabilities, says its campaign was prompted by “an alarming and growing trend of adults with intellectual disabilities being unable to afford vital supports that would facilitate their development, independence and participation in the community. “This crisis is growing and we need your help,” ARCH says.

Radical change for Ont. mental health urged

jen — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:33:39 +0000

A new report says a “radical transformation” of mental health and addiction care is needed in Ontario if people are to receive the help they need.

Windsor area food bank use spikes, paycheques shrink, report finds

jen — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:36:45 +0000

One in 10 Windsor-Essex families live in poverty, causing a huge jump in demand at local food banks and lineups for social assistance, according to a new United Way report.

Don’t slash food assistance

jen — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:32:35 +0000

In March, the province announced that it intended to replace a food supplement program for eligible welfare recipients because it was “not sustainable” and “not achieving the intended results.” Now, Ontario’s most needy are waiting to see what the new program will look like when it is introduced as early as next month.

Groups want input on Ontario’s new nutrition supplement

jen — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:29:01 +0000

Health and social advocates say they are still waiting for promised Ontario government consultation on the design of a program to replace the special diet allowance that helps about 165,000 people on social assistance.

A quick way to ease poverty

jen — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:41:19 +0000

Urging people to get jobs and then stripping them of the financial benefits that come with work makes little sense. But that is just what Ontario’s welfare system does.

Fix welfare rules, panel urges province

jen — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:39:28 +0000

The government’s treatment of loans to people on welfare is among 13 short-term changes a government-appointed panel of poverty experts recommended for quick action in a confidential report last February. Now the panel is making that confidential report public Monday to turn up the heat.

The real housing issue

jen — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 18:43:55 +0000

Indeed, the real problem that needs fixing is not who should be given priority on waiting lists that routinely stretch to a decade or more. Rather, it is the dreadful shortage of affordable housing for all the Ontarians who need it.

Ministers meet for pension crisis talks – thestar.com

Christopher — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:08:22 +0000

The recession has exposed the fragility of the pension situation. About two-thirds of workers in Canada lack a workplace pension program and 1.6 million Canadian seniors at the low end of the wealth scale are trying to eke out an existence on less than $15,000 a year.

Job training funded for older workers – CBC News

Christopher — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:07:54 +0000

A new joint initiative by the federal and Ontario governments will help unemployed older workers develop new skills that will help them find jobs.

New payday loan limits don’t protect consumers: advocates – CBC News

Christopher — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:05:54 +0000

Some Ontario consumers could be caught in a never-ending cycle of borrowing from payday loan companies despite a new cap on loan fees and interest that came into effect Tuesday, warns an Ottawa-based public watchdog.

Goar: Punished for working too diligently – thestar.com

Christopher — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:05:17 +0000

Premier Dalton McGuinty is aware of the problem. "Unwittingly, we have developed a policy that stomps you into the ground," he told Ontarians who rely on social assistance last spring.

Quebec targets homelessness in $60.5M plan – CBC News

Christopher — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:03:14 +0000

Quebec has unveiled a new $60.5 million, three-year plan to fight homelessness, including measures to improve mid- and long-term housing options for people on the street.

In From the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness

Christopher — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:36:59 +0000

A major Senate report tabled today is declaring that Canada’s system for lifting people out of poverty is substantially broken and must be overhauled.

Where are you on the Deprivation Index? – thestar.com

Christopher — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:35:07 +0000

Families not able to afford two or more items from a list of 10 indicators on the Ontario Deprivation Index are considered as "having a poverty level standard of living," the McGuinty government says in its first annual report on Ontario's poverty reduction strategy.

Report calls for stronger anti-poverty measures – thestar.com

Christopher — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:34:38 +0000

A year after Ontario released a landmark plan to fight poverty in the midst of a global economic meltdown, activists are calling for "visionary leadership and unwavering political commitment" from Queen's Park to ensure everyone reaps the benefits of recovery.

The road to good intentions | rabble.ca

Christopher — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:35:37 +0000

Today, 20 years after a unanimous federal government motion to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000, which it failed to make good on, Parliament has unanimously agreed to try again.

Advisers aim to fix Ontario’s welfare ‘quagmire’ – thestar.com

Christopher — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:35:22 +0000

Ontario has appointed the head of Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank to head a panel of anti-poverty advocates to advise the government on a long-awaited review of its welfare system, the Star has learned.