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Targets and Measures

A central component of this strategy is a target towards which to drive, and a series of indicators against which to measure our progress. The target and indicators outlined below will make Ontario an international leader in measuring success in poverty reduction.

“25 in 5” – A Bold But Achievable Target

The target for Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy – consistent with the strategy’s initial focus on children – is to reduce the number of kids living in poverty by 25 per cent over the next 5 years. This strategy will improve the standard of living for all children and families living in poverty across the province, and will lift 90,000 Ontario children out of poverty.

This target is bold, but achievable, and will have benefits for all Ontarians.

This target shows bold leadership in the fight against poverty in Ontario. As a government, as communities, and as individuals, Ontario will do its part to meet this goal. But we cannot do it alone. The federal government must play a significant role, through the various levers it has at its disposal, in achieving the target. Meeting this target will also depend on a growing economy. Specifically, we are asking the federal government to work with us by taking the following actions:

• Double the amount of the Working Income Tax Benefit, a refundable tax credit available to low-income individuals or families, to $2,000 a year per family.
• Increase the National Child Benefit Supplement by $1,200 per child.

The Indicators

A long-term plan to reduce poverty requires a comprehensive set of indicators against which to measure our progress. In the short-term, the strategy will focus on putting money in families’ pockets, making work pay and changing the way that government works. Progress on these initiatives is easier to measure – it’s either happening, or it’s not.

Breaking the cycle of poverty, by its very nature, is a long-term goal requiring a thoughtful, comprehensive plan, and measuring progress on this requires a broad, multi-pronged approach. This is why we have chosen a set of eight indicators against which to measure our progress, which, when measured together, will show whether or not we are moving closer to the goal of breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

We know that the best tool for breaking the cycle is education. This is why we are making significant investments in this area – and why we will measure our progress in ensuring that kids are ready to learn, able to learn and graduating. In addition, our remaining indicators will reflect the other key components influencing the capacity for kids to reach their potential – adequate housing, good health and sufficient incomes for their families. Taken together, these measures will paint a clear picture of how Ontario is doing at breaking the cycle. It will show where progress is being made, and point out where more work is needed.

Child and Youth Opportunity Wheel

Note: The Ontario Housing Measure and the Standard of Living indicators are under development and therefore do not yet have a baseline.

The approach shown in the diagram – the Child and Youth Opportunity Wheel – presents a simple and accessible visual presentation of where the province finds itself at any given time in the future, in terms of its progress on the eight indicators. As the availability and quality of indicators and other measurement tools increases, new indicators can be added to the wheel, improving its comprehensiveness and reliability.

These indicators will measure how the strategy is working. The inside circle is where we are right now for each of the indicators on the wheel. It represents our ‘baseline data’.

The spokes going out from the centre will measure our progress each year. Where a spoke extends past the inner circle, this means outcomes have improved. The further from the circle, the larger the improvement. Where a spoke falls inside the circle, outcomes have deteriorated. These spokes are just an illustration for now. Next year we will have new data so we can compare and see how we’ve done.