THE FIRST YEAR
ACHIEVEMENTS AND SUCCESS INDICATORS
Bold steps have been taken during 2009 to support the vision and goals of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, including passage of the Poverty Reduction Act, landmark legislation that establishes poverty reduction as a permanent provincial commitment. During this first year, our approach has been strategic and our efforts have been directed to two primary goals: supporting children and youth, with a particular focus on providing quality educational experiences, and helping low-income families as they further their education and employment opportunities and move toward breaking the cycle of poverty for themselves and their children.
Stronger, Healthier Kids and Families
What have we done so far?
Parenting and Family Literacy Centres
The number of Parenting and Family Literacy Centres is being expanded in high-needs communities across the province. Parents/caregivers and children, from birth to six years of age, visit these centres together and participate in play-based learning activities that give children a head start on learning and development, including early math and language skills. In June 2009, we announced the opening of 21 new centres, bringing the total to 144 centres in 15 school boards across Ontario, another step toward our goal of 300.
Student Nutrition Program
An added investment of $32 million over three years will expand the Student Nutrition Program, which helps children and youth, particularly those in high-needs neighbourhoods, get a healthy breakfast or snack so they are ready to learn in school. As of June 30, 2009, the total number of children and youth served in the 2008-09 school year was over 500,000. As a result of this funding increase, approximately 100,000 more students were served through the Student Nutrition Program in 2008-09 than in 2007-08.
Measuring Our Progress
Indicator 1: School Readiness
Children have a better chance to succeed as students when they come to school ready to learn. They need to be healthy. They need social and emotional competencies. They need language, thinking and communications skills, and the general knowledge to participate in, and benefit from, their educational experiences.
The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a population-based measure of children’s readiness to learn at school implemented for children from across the province. Administered in Senior Kindergarten, it measures children’s readiness to learn at school in five domains: physical health and well being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and general knowledge and communication skills.
In 2007-09, 71.5 per cent of children showed no vulnerabilities in any of the five key areas of readiness to learn at school.
Making a Difference
“I can see the students have more energy when they eat breakfast. They can focus and they can concentrate. We feed their stomachs but we also look after their hearts and minds too.”
- Jessica, George Harvey Collegiate
In their own words
“Ontario’s After-School Initiative is definitely a step in the right direction. By supporting structured afterschool activities in high-needs communities, the Ontario government is making an important move toward giving youth opportunities to have a better future.”
- Alvin Curling, Co-author of the Review of the Roots of Youth Violence Report
After School Initiative
The $10 million annual investment in the After-School Initiative provides opportunities for children and youth from low-income families across the province to participate in after-school programs that foster healthy active living including:
- more opportunities to be physically active
- more opportunities to learn about healthy eating and healthy living, which helps to prevent obesity and chronic disease
- more opportunities to develop positive self-esteem, confidence and resiliency.
Measuring Our Progress
Indicator 3: Educational Progress
Province-wide assessment is one important measure of children’s progress in literacy and numeracy, and enables us to pinpoint areas for improvement. The measure provides critically important information on planning for student achievement.
The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) score is based on a provincial assessment of student achievement against curriculum expectations. The indicator reflects scores on the Grade 3 and 6 reading, writing and math assessments.
For the 2008-09 assessment year, 61 per cent of the Grade 3 students in reading, 68 per cent in writing and 70 per cent in math were at or above the provincial standard on EQAO Assessments.
For the 2008-09 assessment year, 70 per cent of the Grade 6 students in reading, 68 per cent in writing and 63 per cent in math were at or above the provincial standard on EQAO Assessments.
Ontario’s After-School Initiative is benefiting more than 15,500 children and youth in grades one to 12, at more than 277 sites across the province. This provides 10,700 new spaces for children and youth receiving new afterschool services. Of these, 4,800 are children and youth receiving additional/expanded after-school services. Almost 60 per cent of sites are located in schools, while others are in community housing, health access centres and recreation centres.
In the next year, approximately $500,000 in funding will be available for on-reserve after-school programs to First Nations children and youth.
Low-Income Dental Care
Ontario’s Low-Income Dental Program will begin delivering prevention and treatment services to children from low-income families in 2010. An announcement will be made in early 2010 laying out the details of this program, which has been delayed by recent unexpected pressure on local health agencies. In addition, the Children In Need Of Treatment (CINOT) program, which provides urgent dental care to children in low-income families, was expanded in January 2009 to include children up to the age of 17 and general anaesthesia services for children aged five to 17 years.
Measuring Our Progress
Indicator 4: Birth Weights
Healthy children have more opportunity to succeed in virtually every aspect of life – and throughout their lives – from early childhood to adulthood. The health of newborns is an important indicator of our success in ensuring that all children have a healthy head start in life. This indicator measures the percentage of newborns born at a healthy weight for their gestational age.
Eighty per cent of Ontario-born babies were born at a healthy weight from 2007 to 2009.
The first stage of the low-income dental program will include Public Health Units working with community partners to develop local dental infrastructure to enable communities to provide access to program services. Potential partners include, but are not limited to, Community Health Centres, Aboriginal Health Access Centres, community dentistry and dental schools at universities.
Parents Reaching Out Grants
Parents Reaching Out grants support school-based, and regional and provincial initiatives to reach parents who face barriers to becoming involved in their child’s education. A portion of this funding is being re-focused for the 2009-10 school year to help parents in highneeds areas participate in their child’s education. There was a 163 per cent increase in the number of applications received for 2009-10 due to increased outreach efforts: 84 Priority Schools applied for a school council Parents Reaching Out grant compared with 32 of these schools last year.
Making a Difference
“I gave the mechanic shop a call, came in, loved it. So with the [Summer Jobs or Youth] program, and how it paid for my placement I think that encouraged me... to actually see what the real world is like.”
- Bobbie-Lynn, Summer Jobs for Youth participant
Youth Opportunities Strategy
The Youth Opportunities Strategy is being expanded to give youth facing challenges improved access to jobs and skills training programs. In summer 2009, the Youth Opportunities Strategy doubled the number of jobs available through the program with some support from the federal government – bringing the total to approximately 4,000 across the province. This past summer, youth held jobs with a variety of employers – some worked in mechanics shops, radio stations and libraries, while others worked in retail stores, spas and with local police services across the province.
What is next on our agenda?
Mental Health and Addictions Strategy
The province’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, scheduled for release in 2010, will make recommendations to improve health and social outcomes for people with mental illness, substance use issues, and gambling problems.
Changing lives…changing futures
Parents in high-needs communities may need support to take an active role in their children’s education. Today, parents and their children can attend Parenting and Family Literacy Centres across Ontario so that children are better prepared for school entry, and parents are prepared to be engaged in their children’s learning, and in their school communities. In addition, Parents Reaching Out grants continue to fund school-based and regional/provincial projects that reach out to parents who face barriers to involvement in their child’s education or school.
Learning Opportunities Grant
The Learning Opportunities Grant is used by school boards to support programs such as remedial reading, breakfast and lunch programs, tutors, mentoring, summer school, literacy and numeracy programs and homework clubs. The Ministry of Education is exploring how best to align this funding with the number of students in high needs areas.
Activity Fees
The Ministry of Education is working with school boards, parents and students to determine how best to support students participating in school activities regardless of their parents’ financial situation. The ministry plans to release new guidelines to inform school board fee policies in 2010.
Crown Wards Success Strategy
We remain committed to further enhancing our Crown Wards Success Strategy with the goal of improving educational outcomes for Crown wards and smoothing their transition to adulthood. The Ministry of Children and Youth Services continues to explore policy options in this area. The government remains committed to the additional $19 million investment over the life of the Poverty Reduction Strategy. The number of Crown Wards Education Championship Teams has been expanded from four to 14 since the introduction of the Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Stronger, Healthier Communities
What have we done so far?
Community Use of Schools
The Community Use of Schools Initiative helps students, parents, seniors and other members of the community to be more active in a safe and healthy environment. Funding is provided to all school boards to make school space more affordable for use after hours, and to hire Outreach Coordinators who work with schools and community groups and eliminate barriers to the community use of schools. In 2009-10, as part of the Community Use of Schools Initiative, the government provided funding to allow free after-hours access to school space for not-forprofit groups located in communities that need it most. There are 150 of these ‘Priority Schools’ within 27 school boards across Ontario. In 2009-10, the government is investing $38.5 million in the Community Use of Schools program.
What is next on our agenda?
Community Opportunities Fund
The government has initiated discussions with interested parties who have expertise in supporting local poverty reduction initiatives and is looking closely at approaches that foster innovative community collaboration to effect change.
Community Hubs
The government is creating an action plan to support community hubs across Ontario. As a first step, the Ministry of Education has a draft Facility Partnerships Policy, which will encourage school boards to work with their community partners to optimize the use of public assets owned by school boards. The policy focuses on opportunities to share facilities with community partners when building new schools, undertaking significant renovations and considering the use of unoccupied space in schools.
Opportunity for All
What have we done so far?
Minimum Wage Increase
The minimum wage increased in 2009 to $9.50 per hour from $8.75 per hour. It will increase to $10.25 per hour in 2010, an increase of almost 50 per cent since 2003. It is currently the highest of any province in Canada.
Employment Standards Compliance
In the 2009 Budget, the government invested an additional $4.5 million annually to increase the number of employment standards officers in the province. This initiative will help reduce the backlog of employment standards claims, and improve the protection of Ontario employees through more proactive enforcement.
Temporary Help Agency Employment
The Employment Standards Act, 2000 was amended in 2009 to ensure that temporary help agency employees, many of whom are low-income workers, are treated fairly and have better opportunities to move to sustainable employment.
Did you know?
In June 2009, the Ontario government signed an affordable housing agreement with the federal government to deliver new affordable housing to Ontarians. Through this agreement, the government is investing more than $600 million to match the funding announced in the federal government’s 2009 budget, for a combined $1.2 billion housing investment. This initiative will rehabilitate 50,000 social housing units and build 4,500 new affordable housing units, while creating 23,000 jobs in construction and rehabilitation over the course of this program.
Second Career Program
Ontario’s Second Career Program exceeded its threeyear goal of helping 20,000 laid-off workers after only 16 months. Second Career is a retraining program for workers laid off since 2005, with a grant of up to $28,000 to help pay for tuition fees, books and living expenses. Ontario’s Second Career and other training programs are expected to help an additional 8,000 laid-off workers retrain for new careers in high-demand occupations by spring 2010.
Measuring Our Progress
Indicator 5: Low Income Measure
The Poverty Reduction Strategy uses Statistics Canada’s Low Income Measure (LIM) to assess progress in reducing child poverty. The LIM will be fixed to a baseline of 2008 and adjusted for inflation in future years. Data for the 2008 baseline is scheduled to be released in 2010. The immediate goal of the poverty strategy is to reduce the number of children living in poverty by 25 per cent in five years.
This measure is defined as the percentage of children under 18 living in a family with an income less than 50 per cent of the median adjusted family income in 2008, also known as LIM50. LIM50 for one adult with one child, for example, is $22,435. After increasing in the early part of this decade, poverty rates have been decreasing in recent years. The percentage of children in families under the LIM decreased from 13.0 per cent in 2005 to 11.7 per cent in 2007. Strong real income growth among families in the bottom 20 per cent of the income distribution helped these poverty rates to decline.
The average incomes of these families increased by 12 per cent, in real terms, from 2005 to 2007. About two-thirds of the improvement (66 per cent) came from earnings. The Ontario government’s minimum wage increases in 2007 are reflected in the earnings. The rest of the improvement (34 per cent) was due to increases in government transfers. The introduction of the Ontario Child Benefit is an example of such an increase. Federal government programs such as the National Child Benefit and the Working Income Tax Benefit are also considered part of the increase in government transfers, which highlights the important role the federal government has as a partner in reducing poverty.
Changing lives…changing futures
Many low-income Ontarians working for temporary help agencies have not enjoyed all of the same work standards as other employees, and have faced barriers to finding permanent jobs. Amendments to Ontario’s employment standards now mean these individuals have the same public holiday rights as other Ontarians. The government also intends to make a regulation providing them with notice of termination and severance pay rights. In addition, recently passed legislation means that they will not be unfairly prevented from accepting jobs when employers want to hire them from agencies. Steps have also been taken to ensure these employees have improved access to help when their employers do not follow Ontario’s employment standards.
Measuring Our Progress
Indicator 6: Depth of Poverty
Families living in deep poverty are disadvantaged across many dimensions of life, and face severe challenges in building brighter futures for their children and breaking the cycle of poverty. This indicator tells us how Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy is improving the well-being of those who are most disadvantaged in our society.
Low Income Measure (40 per cent): The percentage of children under 18 living in a family with an income less than 40 per cent of the median adjusted family income in 2008. LIM 40 for one adult with one child, for example, is $17,948.
Affordable Housing Program
Together with the federal government, the province has dedicated more than $360 million to the creation of affordable housing units for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities. The Ontario and federal governments have also committed $175 million over the next two years to extend the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program, which is creating new homes for lowincome families, senior citizens, persons living with mental illness and victims of domestic violence. This initiative will help to lift low-income families out of poverty by reducing the costs of housing and freeing up income to pay for other family needs.
Provincial Rent Bank Program
As part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, the government committed to provide annual funding of more than $5 million for the Provincial Rent Bank Program. This funding was announced in our 2009 Budget. This program helps tenants who are at risk of eviction avoid homelessness by providing short-term financial support. Since its inception, the program has helped more than 21,500 families stay in their homes.
What is next on our agenda?
Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy
The government is developing a new, Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy to make it easier for Ontario families to find and maintain affordable housing. Consultations conducted across the province will guide the development of the strategy, which will provide a framework for affordable housing in Ontario over the next 10 years. We expect the strategy to be completed in 2010.
In their own words
“The Ontario Rent Bank Program has been one of the most successful tools in helping families avoid eviction. With the current rate of market rent in the province and the recent economic downturn, many low income families may face difficulties in providing for the basic necessities, such as rent, utilities or food to put on the table – and that can put their housing at risk.”
- Perry Rowe, Chair of the Alliance to End Homeless, Ottawa
Measuring Our Progress
Indicator 7: Standard of Living
Fighting poverty means looking beyond income and examining the realities of life for our most disadvantaged families and children. The Ontario Deprivation Index is a new measure that tells us how the Poverty Reduction Strategy is ensuring more families can afford a standard of living that many Ontarians take for granted.
The Ontario Deprivation Index determines the number and percentage of Ontario families and children with access to an acceptable standard of living. The measure identifies a family as having a poverty level standard of living if it is not able to afford two or more items out of a list of ten. These items are not a comprehensive list of basic necessities. Rather, they are items we would expect to find in most Ontario homes, but that those who are poor are unlikely to have. The list was developed by Daily Bread Food Bank and the Caledon Institute of Social Policy through surveys and focus groups. For more information, please see “Developing a Deprivation Index: The Research Process”, available at www.dailybread.ca and www.caledoninst.org.
The following list of items is used in the Ontario Deprivation Index.
- Do you eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day?
- Are you able to get dental care if needed?
- Do you eat meat, fish or a vegetarian equivalent at least every other day?
- Are you able to replace or repair broken or damaged appliances such as a vacuum or a toaster?
- Do you have appropriate clothes for job interviews?
- Are you able to get around your community, either by having a car or by taking the bus or an equivalent mode of transportation?
- Are you able to have friends or family over for a meal at least once a month?
- Is your house or apartment free of pests, such as cockroaches?
- Are you able to buy some small gifts for family or friends at least once a year?
- Do you have a hobby or leisure activity?
This new measure puts Ontario at the forefront of measuring poverty and is believed to be the first of its kind in North America. Other countries have developed and reported similar measures of deprivation, including Ireland, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Data has been collected and processed by Statistics Canada with the support of the Ontario government, through the 2009 Labour Force Survey.
For 2009, 12.5 per cent of Ontario children were lacking two or more items. The first release was based on a survey conducted in March and April of 2009. For future years, data for the Deprivation Index will be collected through Statistics Canada’s Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics. As with the income indicators, data will be available with an 18 to 24 month lag.
Smarter Government
What have we done so far?
Social Assistance Rule Changes
To help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty, we have made three changes to social assistance rules which became effective in spring 2009.
- Earnings Rule Change
We have exempted as income the earnings of social assistance recipients attending full-time post-secondary education. This means people on social assistance who are in college or university can also work and save money for school without affecting their social assistance or that of their parents. This will help students on social assistance achieve their educational goals and give them a solid foundation to succeed. - Child Care Rule Change
We have improved child care benefits for people on social assistance by extending the Up-Front Child Care Benefit to participants who need it so they can continue to work or pursue employment assistance activities. This will help low-income families to make the transition from social assistance to work. - Internal Review Rule Change
We have also extended from 10 days to 30 days the time period for people to ask for an internal review on a decision about their social assistance. Because some people may face barriers – such as language skills or a medical condition – this will help ensure that people have fair access to the review and appeals process.
Social Business Website
Social Innovation Generation at MaRS (SiG@MaRS) has developed an online Social Venture Registry which provides an on-line form for social entrepreneurs to register their organizations and share information about their mission, products, services, and benefits they are generating in the province. Over the coming year, SiG@ MaRS will encourage the social venture community to:
- share information through the registry
- encourage collaboration among leading social entrepreneurs and organizations interested in purchasing products and services from social ventures
- invite potential funders and investors to view information about Ontario’s emerging social venture asset class of social enterprises and social-purpose businesses.
Changing lives... changing futures
The youth of inner-city communities often need help in accessing positive summer programming. Through the Focus on Youth program, inner-city youth in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton and Windsor now have access to learning, leadership and employment opportunities every summer.
What is next on our agenda?
Social Assistance Review
A review of our social assistance system will be undertaken with the goal of removing barriers and increasing opportunity for those who require this assistance. In particular, the review will focus on people making the transition from social assistance to employment. The review will seek to better align social assistance with other supports that clients may access, to better communicate program rules and to ensure that programs work collectively to increase opportunity for individuals. The government is currently working with its partners in the poverty reduction community to develop the scope of the social assistance review, which will be announced in 2010.
Person-Centred Review
We will review our programs with a person-centred approach to give us an improved understanding of how to better align our programs so they address the issues of those they are designed to help.
Social Policy Institute
The government has initiated discussions on the idea of this institute with experts and other interested parties, and we are currently looking at best practices from around the world on how to develop this initiative further.
Social Procurement
Social procurement, which supports social enterprises in competing for government contracts, will be an integral part of the government’s Sustainable Procurement Strategy. In 2010, the government will increase the social and economic benefits that can be achieved through public procurement opportunities, and ensure the government is leading by example and serving as a model for Ontario’s broader public sector and consumer markets.
Feasibility Study on Social Investment Exchange
Led by the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB), the Social Venture Exchange (formerly the Social Investment Exchange) is currently being developed. SiG@MaRS is funding a co-ordinator and has engaged policy students from the University of Toronto to work with the OAFB and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) on this innovative idea.
Explore the Community Interest Corporation Model
SiG@MaRS has also begun an exploration of innovative legal structures that would encourage social enterprises. SiG will release a white paper on this issue in the coming months and has also worked on of the certification of Canada’s first B Corporation – BetterTheWorld.com, a new initiative in the United States that SiG has helped bring to Ontario.
Measuring Our Progress
Indicator 8: Ontario Housing Measure
Children have better chances to thrive and grow – emotionally, mentally and academically – when they live in safe, stable housing. This measure tells us how many low-income families with children have housing costs that are disproportionate to family income, a factor that can affect children’s ability to thrive and grow in a supportive environment.
The new Ontario Housing Measure lays out the percentage of families with children under 18 with incomes below 40 per cent of the median family income (LIM40) who pay more than 40 per cent of their income on housing.
Breaking the Cycle: The First Year
- Minister's Message
- Introduction: Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy
- The First Year: Achievements and Success Indicators
- Moving Forward: Continuing Our Progress
Download une version imprimable (PDF).
Download and read Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy.