New Report on the Cost of Raising Children Sets Agenda for Canada
March 7, 2017
State-of-the-art estimates of the cost of raising children are the missing link for social policies and programs meant to support low income and middle class families, says Campaign 2000. Released today, Campaign 2000’s new report, “Estimating the Cost of Raising Children: Setting the Agenda for Canada,” outlines the need for official estimates to guide public policy and assist parents across Canada with planning. Read the full report in English or French and check out the infographic summary.
Media releases are also available in French or English.
In “Estimating the Cost of Raising Children: Setting the Agenda for Canada,” authors Dr. Dana Bazarkulova, Dr. Karen Duncan and Dr. Sid Frankel provide a comprehensive overview of the importance and history of the topic and present the advantages and disadvantages of various methods used to calculate the costs. Accurate estimates of the cost of raising children are dependent on comprehensive measurement of the costs families face. Further, costs can differ based on ethno-cultural practices, geographic location, disability and health status of children and such variation requires recognition. The report highlights that different types of estimates are best used for different purposes.
“Right now, we don’t have official estimates of what it costs to raise children,” says Anita Khanna, Campaign 2000 national coordinator. “Calculating the real cost of raising children is central to crafting evidence-based child poverty reduction policies that support the healthy development of children. With federal consultations for the Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy underway for the first time in Canada’s history, it is time to fill this gap in public knowledge. We must ensure the realities of families’ real-time expenses, such as food, housing, childcare, transit, schools fees and even saving for post-secondary education, inform policy directions and to help level the uneven playing field for families.”
In the News:
Toronto Star: Canada urged to calculate how much it costs to raise children
Globe and Mail: Study says no firm estimate on costs to raise a family a problem for government