Jean has cancer and can’t afford to eat properly. Many people want to help. But does individual charity mask the poverty of our welfare policy?
Jean has cancer. She is my age. She knows what the future holds. She shrugs.
It’s coming to us all.
You remember that her disability cheques cover her rent, her phone, her television, and not much else; for all her other needs, including food, she has maybe a hundred bucks a month.
In addition to her disability cheque, she gets a few crumbs of money as part of the special diet allowance, because she has hypertension and high cholesterol.
But she has not been getting a particular portion of the special diet allowance — the portion meant for those who have cancer — because of this cruel qualifier: she has the illness, but she is not losing weight.
Oh, well, then.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In this, the second annual report of the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction, we continue to track the progress of the Ontario government in meeting its poverty reduction commitments.
Poverty reduction is a commitment we make to each other, to ensuring that individuals and families across Ontario are able to recover from economic and social misfortunes. It is also a commitment that all parties in the legislature made to all Ontarians.
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