CERB

• At first glance, Canada ranks among the top third of countries for its work in addressing child poverty.
• Based on current rates of and overall progress in reducing child poverty, the latest UNICEF report card ranks Canada 11th out of 39 of the world’s wealthiest countries.
• Initially, it seems Canada is doing well; between 2012 and 2021, child poverty fell by 23 per cent.
• Canada is presently experiencing rising inflation and interest rates, both driving the cost of living crisis and the increase in child poverty rates.

Building a solid foundation for the future

• Child poverty is a pernicious childhood adversity that has detrimental long-term impacts on children’s health, development and well-being throughout life.
• Children living in poverty have lower academic outcomes, including school readiness and academic achievement, than financially better-off children.
• Poverty reduction has the potential to initiate a beneficial cascade that would improve the lives of children and youth.

Balancing today’s needs with tomorrow’s

• In 2016, the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) was introduced as a monthly tax-free supplement for eligible families to support the cost of raising children.
• The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program provided additional temporary relief for eligible individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Furthermore, the CERB, provided during the pandemic, has now been discontinued, increasing the hardship among Canadian families.

Long-term payoffs of addressing child poverty

• Addressing child poverty has long-term payoffs.
• This is why addressing child poverty needs to remain a priority for all Canadians.

Some are more at risk than others

• In its report card, UNICEF identified single-parent families, families living in Indigenous communities, and families with racialized or disabled children as being at higher risk of poverty.
• As we saw before the pandemic, it is possible to reduce child poverty in Canada.

• Nicole Racine receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the University of Ottawa, and holds a Chair in Child and Youth Mental Health at the Children's Hospital of Easter Ontario Research Institute.
• Shainur Premji receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.