BREAKING THE CYCLE
THE SECOND PROGRESS REPORT:
Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy 2010 Annual Report Highlights
Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy aims to reduce the number of children living in poverty by 25 per cent over five years.
Ontario is working to break the cycle of poverty by removing barriers and creating opportunities to help Ontarians achieve their full potential and contribute to a prosperous and healthy Ontario.
Our key initiatives this year to help low-income families and their children include:
- Starting Full-Day Kindergarten for four- and five-year olds
- Monthly financial support through the Ontario Child Benefit, providing low-income families up to $1,100 annually per child
- Budget investments in child care, career retraining, new employment officers and increasing access to postsecondary education
- Tax reform, including personal income tax cuts and special benefits and credits for the HST, property taxes and energy
- Announcing a review of social assistance with the goal of improving employment outcomes, reducing complexity, improving fairness, and removing barriers.
- Releasing a Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy
- The new Healthy Smiles Ontario initiative, delivering free preventative dental care to kids in low-income families
- Increasing the minimum hourly wage to $10.25
- The Student Nutrition Program, providing nutritious meals and snacks so students are ready to learn
- The Youth Opportunities Strategy, giving youth in 32 underserved communities summer job opportunities and supports they need to succeed
- Introducing the Open Ontario Plan to strengthen our economy and create more jobs
"Ontario Campaign 2000 commends the Ontario government for taking leadership by developing a Poverty Reduction Strategy. The recession's impact on poverty rates would be greater, were it not for steps taken to date by the Ontario government: introducing the Ontario Child Benefit, investing in affordable housing, saving subsidized child care spaces, and bringing in full-day kindergarten."
- Jacquie Maund, Campaign 2000
"The introduction of Full-Day Kindergarten, the stabilization of child care funding and the continuing efforts to strengthen early learning programs in Ontario signal that this government understands the tremendous return on investment that is possible when we invest in the early years."
- Paul Johnson, Chair,
Hamilton Best Start Network
We are proud of our accomplishments this year. Here are some of them:
- 35,000 kids began Full-Day Kindergarten in 600 schools in September 2010
- 1 million children and their families received the Ontario Child Benefit
- 8,500 licensed child care spaces and 1,000 child care jobs were maintained through new funding
- 93 per cent of Ontarians received personal income tax cuts and 90,000 lower-income taxpayers no longer pay personal income tax
- 130,000 low-income children and youth are expected to receive free preventative dental care through the new Healthy Smiles Ontario initiative
- 50,000 low-income children and youth received free emergency dental care through the Children in Need of Treatment Program
- 520,000 kids received healthy snacks and meals through the Student Nutrition Program
- 4,700 youth from priority communities gained valuable summer work experience through the Youth Opportunities Strategy
- $81 million in financial support for college and university students included increased flexibility for Ontario student loans
- Training programs helped 6,000 skilled newcomers find jobs
- 400 Employment Ontario Service Network Centres helped Ontarians access employment and training programs
Download and read Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy.