BC Child Poverty Report Card Coming: Nov. 24 – Day of Action Information

On November 24, 2009, First Call will release the BC Campaign 2000 Child Poverty Report Card. BC has had the worst child poverty rate in Canada for 6 years in a row.

Join us for a day of action on November 24th to show public support for the eradication of child and family poverty, get media focused on the problem of family poverty, especially in these tough economic times, and bring attention to the actions needed from our government leaders to move toward a poverty-free Canada.In 1989, the House of Commons unanimously resolved to end child and family poverty in Canada by the year 2000. November 24 is the 20th anniversary of that commitment. We’ve made progress, we’ve
had setbacks, and the movement against poverty is achieving results. With six provincial governments now involved in poverty reduction, there’s growing momentum. Yet 1 in 7 children and their families still live in poverty in Canada, and, appallingly, 1 in 5 children living in BC are in poverty. The province of BC still does not have a plan to reduce poverty.

Suggestions for community action and advocacy on November 24:

• Circulate this information and the poster widely.
• On November 24, copy and paste this message into your Facebook status: Today is the 20th anniversary of the all-party commitment to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. Did you know that BC has had the worst child poverty rate in Canada for six years? Find out more at www.firstcallbc.org
• Contact First Call to receive business cards highlighting BC’s child poverty rate which you can distribute in your community – preview the cards here:http://www.firstcallbc.org/pdfs/child_poverty_card.pdf
• Contact your MLA and MP and let them know that the poverty rates in BC and Canada are unacceptable. Ask them to press for national and provincial poverty reduction strategies. Encourage your MP to attend the November 24th breakfast in Ottawa for a preview of the national Child Poverty Report Card. Details are here: http://www.firstcallbc.org/pdfs/MP%20invite.pdf
• Attend First Call’s Vancouver release of the BC Child Poverty Report Card. The press conference will be held at 9:15 AM on November 24 at the Plaza 500 Hotel, 500 W. 12th Ave.
• Send out a press release about the 20th anniversary of the commitment to ending child and family poverty by the year 2000. Look for a sample press release on our website closer to Nov 24th.
• Include information about the report card at any special events your agency is hosting, in your newsletter, and on your website.
• Share personal stories illustrating the impacts of poverty on children and families in your community with your local media and with your elected representatives.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper on November 25th highlighting the report card.

The report card will be available at www.firstcallbc.org on the morning of November 24. You may also wish to visit www.campaign2000.ca to view the national report card and those from other participating provinces. A poverty reduction strategy for BC is available at http://bcpovertyreduction.ca