Past Projects
Localizing Canada’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
Localizing Canada’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals is a national initiative focused on advancing Goal #1: No Poverty, which aims to end poverty in all its forms everywhere by 2030. The goal recognizes that poverty is not just about income—it includes access to housing, healthcare, education, and basic human rights. It calls for targeted, community-informed strategies that support those most affected by systemic inequality.
Led by Campaign 2000 in collaboration with Canada Without Poverty and Citizens for Public Justice, the project engaged communities across the country through community-based research and dialogue. It supported the development of locally informed poverty indicators rooted in lived experience, with a focus on centring Indigenous and local knowledge. By placing community voices at the heart of the work, the initiative aimed to ensure that Canada’s approach to poverty reduction and SDG implementation reflects the realities and priorities of those most impacted.
Cost of Raising Children (CRC)
Campaign 2000’s Cost of Raising Children Project set out to fill a critical gap in Canadian public policy: the lack of up-to-date, official estimates for the cost of raising children. Recognizing how essential this data is for informing social programs that support low- and middle-income families, Campaign 2000 worked in collaboration with the Childcare Resource and Research Unit to produce a national report titled Estimating the Cost of Raising Children: Setting the Agenda for Canada.
The project launched with the release of a draft paper in March 2017, which was presented at a national symposium in Ottawa attended by MPs, Senators, and community and academic experts. Following extensive consultation and feedback, a finalized version of the report was published in September 2017, along with an infographic to support public understanding.
Through research, expert engagement, and knowledge mobilization, the project aims to elevate policy conversations around child and family supports and advocate for evidence-based approaches to measuring and addressing the true cost of raising children in Canada.
Funding support was provided by the Muttart Foundation and the Canadian Home Economics Foundation.
Keep the Promise
Keep the Promise was a two-year campaign, launched in 2013, to reignite the commitment of Canadians and their governments to end child poverty for good. This effort was inspired by June Callwood, and supported by many individuals and organizations listed on this website, and by schools from across Canada.
While the campaign has concluded, the effort is ongoing and promising, thanks in large part to our two primary partners, the Canadian Teachers Federation and Campaign 2000 & End Child and Family Poverty in Canada. Visit Keep the Promise for the archived website.
Youth Mobilizing to End Poverty
The Youth Mobilizing to End Poverty project, led by Family Service Toronto and Campaign 2000, engaged youth aged 13–24 in a creative exploration of poverty in Canada. Running from July to August 2015, the project focused on digital storytelling and design as tools for youth to reflect on and express their perspectives on poverty, especially in the lead-up to the 2015 federal election.
Supported by the Laidlaw Foundation, the initiative marked 25 years since Parliament’s unanimous 1989 pledge to end child poverty by 2000. It invited a generation of young people born around that time to reflect—through art, video, and posters—on what progress has (or hasn’t) been made, and what actions are still needed from current policymakers.
The project culminated in a Gallery and Video Launch event on August 31, where youth participants shared their final creations with friends, family, staff, and the Youth Advisory Council. Additional youth-led activities, especially through social media, were also planned to continue amplifying youth voices on child and family poverty in Canada.
Home-Based Childcare Project: More than a Home
A convening project to engage parents, childcare providers and others in proposing practical solutions
High-quality childcare services are prerequisites for parental participation in training, education and paid employment of all types. Without childcare, parents and most often mothers of preschool-age children face major obstacles in participating in the labour force.
Childcare is key to poverty eradication. It’s one of the main social policies that Campaign 2000 advocates for, in addition to income support, good jobs, affordable housing, etc.
Visit Campaign 2000 for more information on ending child and family poverty and finding practical solutions.
The goal of this project is to develop recommendations to improve the safety, security and quality of childcare in homes that are unregulated. The outcomes of the recommendations would be to improve the situation both for the children and their families as well as for the home-based childcare providers.
Witnesses to Poverty Youth Volunteer Project
“When you see an injustice, you have the responsibility to act.” June Callwood
We have finished recruiting volunteers for our Summer 2013 Witness to poverty Project. Our youth volunteers are earning their community hours by working on their poverty-themed art projects, which will be presented at the end of this summer in Toronto. Please continue to check back for further details on the location.
The C2000/FST Witnesses to Poverty project offers youth an opportunity to learn about and reflect on key poverty issues and to contribute creative artwork to a multi-media display. Under the guidance of Campaign 2000 and Family Service Toronto staff, youth volunteers will be able to apply and develop their artistic and creative skills to create reflections on poverty in Toronto. Participants will also learn what they can do to influence positive social change to address poverty through art and other actions. Art pieces from the project may be put on display at Family Service Toronto (FST) and/or other public events. Photographs, videos and art submissions may be used in future Campaign 2000 work. For more details, please contact us at: 416-595-9230, ext. 226/244.
Falling Fortunes
Addressing the Falling Fortunes of Young Children and their Families: A Community Building Approach is a two-year national project (January 2006 through March 2008) which aims to identify strategies to improve the income and wages, including the living wage, of young families and their children.
Youth Action Committee
The Youth Action Committee of Campaign 2000 is a youth driven and motivated group focusing on work to end child and family poverty. We want to work together to make change in our communities and in the lives of all Canadians.
Project on Strengthening Cross Canada Linkages on Social Inclusion: Focus on Child and Family Poverty
The Project proposes to consolidate and expand cross-Canada partnerships working on child & family poverty and to enhance knowledge on social inclusion for vulnerable families in Canada. Major project activities will include a series of regional forums and one national forum and the development of policy briefs and web tools for dissemination of information.
High Tuition Fees- Barrier to Education
The Youth in Transition Survey shows that he most common barrier for dropping out or leaving school was financial & about two-thirds of those reporting facing barriers to going as far in school as they would like cited financial barriers.
The percentages citing financial barriers were similar for post-secondary leavers (71.4%), high school graduates with no post secondary education (70.7%), post-secondary graduates (70.4%), and post-secondary continuers (68.9%).