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PROGRESS

BUILDING ON THE FOUNDATION

In 2011, we have continued to build on the initiatives launched during years one and two of the strategy. This report briefly summarizes the key steps we have taken during year three to help lift children and their families out of poverty and create opportunity for all Ontarians.

• Stronger, healthier kids and families
• Opportunity for all
• Stronger foundations in our communities

Stronger, Healthier Kids and Families

In order to lift children and their families out of poverty, we have to ensure that all children have what they need for the best possible start in life. A child's early development is a strong predictor of success in school and in later life. The investments we make now in children and their families will be repaid many times over, across many generations, and contribute to a stronger economic and social future for all Ontarians.

Year three highlights

Full-Day Kindergarten: Many studies have shown that full-day learning programs for four- and five-year-olds have a positive impact on academic, social and emotional development. This gives children a better chance of finishing high school, going on to postsecondary education and getting a good job. In fact, research indicates that every dollar invested in early learning repays a seven-to-one return on investment. In 2011, Full-Day Kindergarten expanded to reach approximately 50,000 four- and five year olds in nearly 800 schools. This will further expand to 120,000 students in 2012–13, and the program will be fully implemented by September 2014, benefiting 250,000 students. Full-Day Kindergarten saves working parents up to $6,500 a year per child on child care and allows for greater employment opportunities.

Best Start Child and Family Centres: Throughout the winter of 2010, the Minister of Children and Youth Services along with Early Learning Advisor Dr. Charles Pascal consulted with parents, service providers and experts on developing an integrated child and family services system through the Ontario Best Start initiative. The goal is to provide seamless, accessible family-centred programs and services in Ontario communities. Important next steps include learning from communities that have successfully integrated services through community action research, monitoring the seven speech and language services demonstration sites to evaluate different integrated service delivery models, and developing an outcomes index to monitor and measure outcomes effectively.

Mental Health and Addictions Strategy: A cross-government Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy was introduced in June 2011. The strategy, focusing on children and youth in the first three years, will provide fast access to high-quality service, identify and intervene in kids' mental health issues early, and close critical service gaps for vulnerable kids and those in remote communities. These steps help put kids back on track, leading to better health outcomes, improved school attendance and achievement, enhanced participation in the workforce and cost savings to the health and social services systems. Ontario's investments will benefit more than 50,000 kids and their families each year, and will grow to $93 million a year by 2013–14.

Pathways to Education: We know that kids who drop out of school are at higher risk of poor outcomes. In June 2011, the government announced new funding of $28.5 million over three years for Pathways to Education Canada to expand educational success programs for students from low-income communities in Ottawa, Kitchener, Hamilton, Kingston and Toronto. By providing mentoring, tutoring and financial support to students in Grades 9 through 12, Pathways has already achieved significant results for students. For example, in Toronto's Regent Park, the high school graduation rate rose to 81 per cent in the first year of the program, as compared with 20 per cent the previous year, and dropout rates have decreased by 70 per cent.

Helping More Kids Find Permanent Homes: The Building Families and Supporting Youth To Be Successful Act, 2011 removes barriers so that more kids in the care of children's aid societies can find permanent families. Children and youth in permanent homes are more likely to graduate and hold a job and less likely to rely on social services or be in conflict with the law. Older youth whose care ended at ages 16 or 17 are now able to return to their children's aid societies and receive financial and other supports until age 21. More than 10,000 children and youth in care also benefit from the Ontario Child Benefit Equivalent initiative.

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“Improving mental health supports for children and youth represents our best chance to make a life-changing difference – now and for years to come.”

Dr. Ian Manion,
Executive Director,
Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and
Youth Mental Health

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Additional 2011 milestones

High-quality early learning and child care:

Safe, high-quality and affordable child care is critically important to the well-being of low-income families. Ontario's investments help parents access child care, allowing them to play an active role in the labour force while giving their kids the essential skills they need for success in school.

• The responsibility for child care is transferred to the Ministry of Education to provide a more integrated approach to the continuum of child care, early learning and education. Since 2003, Ontario's commitment to child care funding has increased from $532.4 million to $869 million, an increase of 63 per cent. Additionally, in 2010, Ontario committed to permanently fill the gap left by the federal government with an investment of $63.5 million per year. Through Ontario's investments, nearly 43,000 more children are receiving fee subsidies every year. Licensed child care capacity has grown by nearly 80,000 spaces since 2003. We are committed to working with our partners to modernize Ontario's child care system.
• In the 2010–11 school year, 475,000 child visits are made to Parenting and Family Literacy Centres in elementary schools. The program, focusing on optimal child development and early literacy and numeracy skills, expands to 10 additional sites in fall 2011, bringing the total to 155 centres in 17 school boards.

Opportunities for educational achievement and success in later life:

In today's knowledge economy, high school graduation and further postsecondary education or training are more essential than ever for success in later life. Having an educated workforce is also a key driver of Ontario's economic prosperity. It is essential that we provide students and parents with strong and targeted supports to help ensure equitable access to educational opportunities and improved chances for graduation and educational achievement.

• To ensure equitable access to educational opportunities, a guideline for student fees is established to ensure that all students have a right to access the learning materials or activities required for a particular grade or course, regardless of their parents' financial situation.
• In 2011, 113 priority schools receive Parents Reaching Out (PRO) grants to improve and support parent engagement. Student achievement improves when parents play an active role in their children's education, and good schools become even better schools when parents are involved.
• Enrolment in career-oriented Specialist High Skills Major secondary school programs grows to 34,000 students participating in more than 1,300 programs in 630 schools, and is contributing to the continued increase in provincial graduation rates and preparing more students for success after high school.
• The After School Program reaches 18,000 children and youth at 327 sites across Ontario, offering access to safe, healthy and positive after-school activities that improve opportunities for children and youth to be more physically active, learn about healthy living, develop resiliency skills and lead healthier lives.
• The Focus on Youth program continues to provide high-quality summer program opportunities for more than 26,000 children and youth in four inner-city areas across Ontario. Youth from these communities benefit from learning, leadership, resiliency, self-confidence and employment opportunities.
• A Summer Literacy Pilot Program for elementary children, including many from low-income communities, is conducted in the summer to help inform how best to support students with limited literacy skills and lessen the effects of learning loss during the summer.
• Funding for the Access to Opportunities Strategy supports new programming to reduce the achievement gap and help under-represented groups succeed in postsecondary education.
• An evaluation of the Youth Challenge Fund shows positive change among participating at-risk youth. Funding for 17 long-term legacy initiatives will continue until 2013 so that targeted youth gain valuable training and work experience and contribute in positive ways to their communities.

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“All of these investments will have the effect of helping lift children out of poverty, which in turn will dramatically improve their chances of living longer, and in better health.”

2010 Annual Report of the
Chief Medical Officer of Health of Ontario

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• Crown Ward Education Championship Teams, which help those in the care of children's aid societies succeed in high school and pursue postsecondary education and training, achieve provincewide coverage in 2011.
• The Aboriginal Postsecondary Education and Training Policy Framework supports Aboriginal learners so they can access, participate in and complete postsecondary education and training opportunities.
• More than 4,300 job placements are made available during the summer of 2011 to youth in 33 Ontario communities through the Summer Jobs for Youth Program and Youth in Policing initiative, which provide youth with positive work experiences and essential life skills to prepare them for success in later life.

Resources for families so they can support their children's well-being:

The care that children receive at home, along with the influence the family has on child development and educational success, are key determinants of their children's future. Supports like the Ontario Child Benefit, a cornerstone of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, enable low-income families to support their children and help them reach their highest potential, while easing the transition from social assistance to employment. These investments are essential if we are to close the achievement gap and break the intergenerational cycle of poverty.

• The Eye See Eye Learn program is providing free glasses for Junior Kindergarten students with vision problems in 14 pilot school boards, as of September 2011, so that these children can benefit fully from their educational experience.
• Healthy Smiles Ontario provides dental care for children and youth from low-income families provincewide through 36 Public Health Units. This will benefit 130,000 children and youth through improved dental health and parents will save over $400 annually in dental costs.
• The Children In Need Of Treatment (CINOT) program provides emergency dental care to 43,484 children and youth in 2010–11 to improve their dental health and overall wellness.

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“My son has always thought just getting by was okay; that getting 50 per cent was okay. He never had any aspirations for furthering his education. Though we always encouraged him and tried to build his self-confidence, it was not until he was in the Specialist High Skills Major program that changes happened. The program has given him something that other school courses could not. It gave him a realization that he could excel at something and love doing it!”

Ursula Russo, Parent of a
Specialist High Skills Major Student

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• The Student Nutrition Program provides over 660,000 students with nutritious breakfasts, snacks and lunches in 2010–11 to contribute to their overall health and readiness to learn and succeed in school.
• The Aboriginal Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Child Nutrition Program serves approximately 26,000 clients, with a focus on supporting student success through healthy nutrition, assisting women in having healthy pregnancies and supporting Aboriginal families in raising healthy children.

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Opportunity for all

In order to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, we are continuing our work to address the needs of low-income Ontarians to help ensure that families have a clear path out of poverty. Our focus has been on removing barriers to success through a number of connected strategies: ensuring that basic needs such as safe and affordable housing are being met, providing access to jobs and job training, ensuring that wages and working conditions are fair and equitable, and providing tax relief and effective social assistance supports to those in greatest need. By focusing our investments strategically in the short term, we are helping more Ontarians in the long term by reducing their reliance on social services, and getting them into the workforce to build a stronger economy.

Year three highlights

Social Assistance Review: Ontario is undertaking the first major review of social assistance in over 20 years. Ensuring that Ontario's social assistance programs are effective, coordinated and easy to understand will help low-income families support the success of their children, while helping parents and other adults find a path to employment so they can be self-sufficient and contribute to Ontario's economy. A sustainable system is also important so that we can ensure that those individuals who are unable to work receive reliable supports.

A Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario is being led by two Commissioners, the Honourable Frances Lankin, P.C., United Way Toronto's past president and CEO, and Dr. Munir Sheikh, Canada's former chief statistician. The work of the Commission will help Ontario develop an action plan that will make social assistance:

• more effective at getting people into jobs
• easier to understand
• work better with other federal, provincial and municipal income security programs, such as Employment Insurance
• financially sustainable.

In June 2011, the Commission released its public discussion paper and workbook. The Commission will integrate input from community conversations, stakeholder meetings and numerous submissions with its research findings into a second paper to be released this winter. A final report will be submitted to the government in June 2012.

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“In a rapidly changing economy, people need the right supports to get through difficult times. The social assistance system we have now is not doing the job we want. The broad scope of this review will get us where we need to go to really extend opportunity to everyone.”

Gail Nyberg, Executive Director,
Daily Bread Food Bank

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Affordable Housing: Safe and affordable housing is fundamental for Ontarians striving to build a strong future for their families and their communities. Through our Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy, Ontario is working to improve access to adequate, suitable and affordable housing, so that families have a solid foundation on which to secure employment, raise their children and build strong communities. In November 2011, the provincial and federal governments announced a combined investment of $481 million through a new affordable housing agreement. The Investment in Affordable Housing for Ontario (IAH) program will build 1,000 new affordable housing units, renovate over 6,000 units and create more than 5,000 jobs. The IAH program builds on the government's record of providing more funding for affordable housing than any previous government – $2.5 billion for building and repairing more than 270,000 units and providing 35,000 rent supplements.

Support for Renters: Low-income families cannot support the success of their children or fulfil their working responsibilities in the absence of stable housing. In December 2011, the government introduced amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, that, if passed, would ensure that the Rent Increase Guideline will never be higher than 2.5 per cent. For tenants this means that rents are more affordable and stable. Funding for the Provincial Rent Bank program was stabilized in 2009 at $5 million per year and reaches a total of $39.1 million in program funding as of 2011 to help prevent the eviction of tenants who have experienced short-term rent arrears.

Postsecondary Opportunities: To keep postsecondary education within the reach of all Ontarians and build a strong educated workforce, starting in 2012, we will reduce the average tuition by 30 per cent for full-time undergraduate students enrolled in Ontario's public colleges and universities whose families earn less than $160,000 per year. The new grant will save families $1,600 per student in a university or college degree program and $730 per student in a college diploma or certificate program each year and will be available for up to four years of a full-time undergraduate program. In 2010–11, about 200,000 more students, including 60,000 more apprentices, were learning than in 2002–03. College and university enrolment has increased by 35 per cent since 2003.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act: People with disabilities are among the lowest income demographics in Ontario. This represents considerable loss of human potential for Ontario's economy. Four out of five accessibility standards have been implemented in the province under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, which aims to achieve an accessible Ontario by 2025. These standards will break down barriers and allow persons with disabilities to more fully participate in employment and community life. For example, accessible transportation will allow independent travel; accessible employment recruitment practices will enable access to jobs; and accessible information will allow more independence in daily activities. There has been a 35 per cent increase in the number of students with disabilities accessing postsecondary education since 2003. As well, a report by the Martin Prosperity Institute found that accessibility standards may help increase employment income by $618 million over the next five years.

Support for newcomers: We know that helping our newcomers get settled and find jobs is not only crucial for their own well-being, but is an economic imperative for Ontario. We have increased our support to the Newcomer Settlement Program which helps over 80,000 newcomers each year get settled and connected with community services, housing, language, employment and job training. To ensure that newcomers have the language skills they need for the workplace, we are providing language training to 120,000 newcomers this year alone through school boards across the province. Additionally, our Bridge Training Programs help newcomers gain the skills they need to find jobs in their field instead of in low-wage jobs that do not match their international training and expertise. Since 2003, Ontario has invested more than $183 million in over 240 bridge training programs to help more than 50,000 skilled newcomers get licensed and find jobs in their field of expertise.

Additional 2011 milestones

Tax relief and reform:

Ontario's Tax Plan for Jobs and Growth, announced in 2009, provides the province with a strong foundation to grow our economy and create jobs. Achieving our poverty reduction goals requires that we reduce the economic burden on low-income Ontarians so that they can provide for their families with more money in their pockets and successfully participate in the workforce. Tax relief measures for people and businesses are helping to make Ontario's tax system more competitive, attract investment and create jobs.

• Ninety-three per cent of Ontarians received a permanent tax cut in 2010, averaging $355 per family, and 90,000 Ontarians were removed from the tax rolls altogether.
• Permanent refundable credits provide a total of $2.4 billion in annual assistance to millions of low- to moderate-income Ontarians. The government announced in its 2011 budget that low- to moderateincome families and individuals will be better served by a more streamlined and consistent tax credit that combines the payments of three quarterly tax credits into a single monthly payment. The new Ontario Trillium Benefit, which takes effect in July 2012, combines the payments of:
  • Ontario Sales Tax Credit — up to $265 annually in sales tax relief for each adult and child.
  • Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit — individuals and families can get up to $917 annually in relief for the sales tax on energy and property taxes. Seniors can get up to $1,044 each year.
  • Northern Ontario Energy Credit — northern residents can get up to $132 a year for an individual or up to $204 annually for a family to help with the higher energy costs.
• The Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant, introduced in 2009, provides grants of up to $500 a year to help low- to moderate-income senior homeowners pay their property taxes. Over five years, the grant is expected to provide about $1 billion in property tax relief to more than 600,000 seniors.
• Children's Activity Tax Credit — for 2011, parents who have children enrolled in eligible extracurricular activities can get up to $51 for each child under age 16. They can receive up to $102 for each child with a disability under age 18. This credit is expected to provide about $75 million in assistance to Ontario families each year.
• The Ontario Clean Energy Benefit (OCEB) provides over four million Ontarians with a 10 per cent reduction on their hydro bills every month for the next five years. The OCEB took effect on January 1, 2011.

• The new online Ontario Benefits Directory provides a simple, easy and convenient point of access to many provincial benefit and tax credit programs. Please visit www.Ontario.ca/BenefitsDirectory for more information.

Access to jobs and a path out of unemployment:

Through targeted investments, the Poverty Reduction Strategy is helping individuals affected by the economic downturn return to the workforce so they can provide for their families. Our investments are breaking down financial barriers for Ontarians so they can further their education or training and help build a stronger economy.

• Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) enhancements announced in 2010 continue to reduce financial barriers to postsecondary education, making a university or college education more accessible. The number of students qualifying for OSAP has increased 66 per cent since 2003.
• A new Life After High School pilot program for secondary school students is launched to remove barriers and increase the number of students who pursue postsecondary education and training.
• More than 51,000 Ontarians have benefited from the Second Career program from 2008 to 2011, which helps laid-off workers retraining for a new career in high demand sectors in Ontario.
• The Ontario Bridging Participant Assistance Program helps more than 700 participants cover education costs such as tuition, books and equipment so that new immigrants to Ontario with low incomes can access the training they need to contribute fully to the workforce.
• More than 287 women participate in Women in Skilled Trades and Information Technology Training Programs to help them acquire the training and skills they need to secure high-demand jobs with better pay, creating a better future for themselves and their families.
• 427 women participate in the Employment Training Program for Abused and At-Risk Women, improving their chances for successful employment and increasing their economic independence.
• Launched in 2010, Employment Ontario's Employment Service assists 73,900 clients in its first year so that more Ontarians can find employment.

Fair minimum wages and working conditions:

Wages and working conditions are critical employment factors for low-income Ontarians who depend on a fair minimum wage and who are among the most vulnerable to unfair or unsafe working conditions, as well as unfair recruitment practices. Moving low-income Ontarians from social assistance to employment depends on our ability to ensure that all workers – including temporary workers and foreign nationals – enjoy the benefits of fair employment standards, and that Ontario's workplaces observe and uphold those standards for all employees.

• In 2011, Ontario's minimum wage is the highest among all the provinces in Canada. The minimum wage was $6.85 per hour in 2003 and was increased to $10.25 per hour in 2010, representing an increase of 50 per cent. Going forward, our government will be taking advice on the minimum wage from a committee representing both business and workers. Now that we have made Ontario's minimum wage the highest of the Canadian provinces, we think it is important to consider the best advice from business, labour leaders and workers on future decisions.
• Over 27,000 claims are resolved in 2010–11 by Employment Standards Officers – cases are initiated sooner, helping to eliminate the backlog of claims. Not only has this given Ontario workers the money that is owed them in a timely fashion, but it also eliminates the uncertainty and anxiety of waiting for months before these issues are resolved.
• Ontario commits to performing at least 1,800 workplace inspections (including temporary help agencies) in 2011–12, to ensure that vulnerable workers enjoy the same rights as other employees. Since 2004 we have recovered more than $80 million for Ontario workers through our inspections, claims and collections. We have also added 80 new inspectors since 2009.
• Over 40 inspections are completed under the Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act, to ensure that foreign nationals employed as live-in caregivers are properly protected under Ontario law.
• In summer 2011, the Ministry of Labour launched a pilot program that resulted in an increase in proactive inspections in sectors where there are vulnerable workers.

Ontario General Minimum Wage Increases Since 2003

Source: Ontario Ministry of Labour.

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“The Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy articulates the Province's recognition of the importance of strong partnership and collaboration with municipalities in the area of housing. We look forward to continuing to work with the Province on all the elements that will make this strategy – including the groundbreaking move to begin to consolidate housing and homelessness programs to better serve Ontarians – a success.”

David Rennie,
Immediate Past President,
Ontario Municipal Social Services Association

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Stronger Foundations in Our Communities

We recognize that children, families and individuals living in poverty are most effectively served by strong communities, unified community-based services, and a vibrant not-for-profit sector operating at the community level. This ensures that services are delivered close to home and in a way that is appropriate to the specific local needs of Ontarians in communities across the province.

Year three highlights

Partnership Project: The Partnership Project is the government's strategy to strengthen its partnership with the not-for-profit sector and help not-for-profit organizations focus their resources on serving Ontarians. Since the strategy's release in March 2011, the government has moved to strengthen the sector, provide a central contact point within government, reduce the administrative burden, reinvigorate Ontario's volunteering tradition and invest in social innovation. Ontario's notfor- profit organizations provide important services to families and help drive our economy, contributing close to $50 billion annually and over one million jobs across the province. A Partnership Grants Program was launched to help strengthen the collaborative capacity of the not-forprofit sector, and grants have been awarded to networks and partnerships that will help not-for-profit organizations provide services to our communities. The Next 10: The Future of Volunteerism in Ontario conference was held in December 2011 to devise new ways to support volunteerism, as well as to mark the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers.

Social Venture Exchange (SVX): The province provided support for a SiG@MaRS feasibility study and pilot project for the new social venture exchange or SVX. The SVX is a regulated financial market designed to assess and attract sustainable financing or investment capital for firms with a social mission, including enterprising not-for-profit organizations. The launch of the SVX is scheduled to take place in early 2012, and will help strengthen Ontario's social enterprise sector. The SVX has the potential to channel new financial capital into initiatives with social and environmental benefits, further helping to achieve the aims of the Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Social Innovation Summit: The social enterprise sector has significant potential to help the province tackle key issues, including poverty reduction. Sponsored by the Ontario government in partnership with SiG@MaRS, the Social Innovation Summit was held in May 2011, and brought together over 200 businesses, government officials, academics and community leaders to identify better ways to unleash the potential of the social innovation sector. After the summit, the Ontario Social Innovation Wiki was launched to engage social innovation experts and practitioners in creating a social innovation policy framework. As a result, a social innovation policy paper was developed in July 2011 to support further discussions about social innovation solutions for Ontario.

Additional 2011 milestones

Strong communities and community-based services:

Services are delivered most effectively when they are tailored to community needs and offered close to home. By supporting community-based organizations, we are helping to ensure that low-income families get the help they need where and when they need it and in a way that will most directly support our key priority of raising children out of poverty.

• The Community Use of Schools – Priority Schools initiative, expands in 2011 to enable
  not-for-profit groups to offer more affordable programming in 220 schools in high-need communities.
• School boards begin implementing Facility Partnerships policies based on the guideline released in 2010 to support collaborative school and community partnerships.
• In July 2011, Infrastructure Ontario's Loan Program expands to include community health and social services hubs, Aboriginal Health Access Centres and not-for-profit sports and recreation organizations in Ontario.
• Seven Community Health Centres receive ministry approval to expand their facilities, which will help reduce barriers to health and health services created by poverty, language, geography and culture.

A not-for-profit sector that is valued and supported:

The not-for-profit sector has always played, and continues to play, a vital role in helping our most vulnerable population find a path out of poverty. We are taking significant steps to remove barriers to success for social enterprises and to build partnerships that will support and enhance their important work.

• Preparation gets underway for the Not-For-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 which will come into force in 2012 and benefit a wide variety of organizations including those that provide services and resources for the needy, such as food, housing and employment assistance.
• Funding for the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) is announced to support 12 to 15 collaborative projects involving industry, not-for-profit organizations and academia in areas such as poverty reduction, health improvement and environmental sustainability. The OCE drives the commercialization of leading-edge research across strategic market sectors to build the economy of tomorrow and secure Ontario's and Canada's global competitiveness.
• An OCE Social Innovation Student Competition is announced to generate innovative ideas to solve social and environmental problems and potentially result in the launching of new social enterprises.

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Breaking the Cycle: The Third Progress report

• 2011 Report Home
• Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy
• 2011 Annual Report Highlights
• Minister's Message
• Introduction: The First Three Years
• Progress: Building on the Foundation
• Measures: Indicators and Outcomes
• Outlook: for 2012