Hard Truths: Canada’s Social Deficit

[February 5th, 2010]

Peggy Taillon, President & CEO
Canadian Council on Social Development

The Growing Gap

– Wide spread evidence that points to a progressive and relentless erosion of the social fabric of our country.

– Not caused by but exacerbated by the current recession

– Segments of Canadian society are doing better than ever ‐‐‐ this prosperity for some cloaks the struggle of those living on the margins- The average income of the wealthiest families with children increased more than twice as much (33% over the past 18 years) as family incomes for the poorest tenth of Canada’s
population (16% from 1989 to 2007)

– The slow growth of the average income of all families with children (18% over 18 years) demonstrates why middle- income families express economic insecurity

Hard Truths: Canada’s Kids

– About 1 in 10 children (637,000) and their families live in poverty (2007 LICO after tax); that’s as large as the population of Winnipeg

– This does not demonstrate the shameful situation of First Nations communities where 1 in every 4 children is growing up in poverty

– Paid work does not assure a pathway out of poverty; more than 4 in every 10 low-income children have a parent who works full-time throughout the year

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