Projects
Current Projects
Cost of Raising Children Project (CRC)
Project update: September 26, 2017
Campaign 2000 is proud to release the final version of the report Estimating the Cost of Raising Children: Setting the Agenda for Canada. An earlier version of the paper was presented in March 2017 for feedback at a breakfast for MPs and Senators on Parliament Hill and at an Ottawa Symposium for invited community and academic experts. Following further targeted consultation with academic and other subject matter experts, the paper has been revised and finalized.
Campaign 2000 undertook this project because 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 in Canada. This report 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 the Cost of Raising Children infographic.
We are thankful to the Muttart Foundation and Canadian Home Economics Foundation for project and symposium funding.
Background
In early March 2017, C2000 released the first draft of the research paper, Estimating the Cost of Raising Children: Setting the Agenda for Canada . On the same day, C2000 hosted in Ottawa a national Community Symposium: Estimating the Cost of Raising Children – Setting the Agenda for Canada. The paper release and its new findings attracted wide media interest and were reported in various media across the country.
To learn more read the following documents which were part of the symposium proceedings:
- Symposium Agenda/Programme (for March 7, 2017)
- Campaign 2000 slide presentation as well as presentations from three keynote speakers (Laurel Rothman, Kathy Vandergrift and Lisa Wolff)
- Summary notes of table discussions
If you need further information, please contact Campaign 2000 by phone 416-595-9230, ext. 244 or by email at: [email protected]
Project goals
The Cost of Raising Children Project involves members of Campaign 2000 and the Childcare Resource and Research Unit. The project aims to contribute to the ongoing policy dialogue related to the determination of the cost of raising children in Canada and to shift the dialogue towards mobilization of available knowledge to enhance the validity of estimates of this cost.
Past Projects
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 Project
Family Service Toronto & Campaign 2000 worked with a group of energetic and creative youth volunteers aged 13-24 who were interested in learning more about poverty through Digital Storytelling and Design. This phase of the project ran from mid-July to the end of August 2015 as part of the Youth Mobilizing to End Poverty project. More activities to highlight child and family poverty from youth perspectives are in the planning especially related to social media and the Oct. federal election.
The Gallery and Video Launch held on August 31st at the Intergalactic Travel Authority showcased the final art projects from the youth volunteers. The event brought together family and friends, staff, and the Project’s Youth Advisory Council together in celebrating the hard work of our youth volunteers in creating digital short videos and posters.
About the Project
This project reflects on the passage of 25 years since the House of Commons voted unanimously to end child poverty by the year 2000. With funding from the Laidlaw Foundation, it is a project to engage youth born around the year of the vote (1989) through various artistic forms to reflect on what current federal politicians can do to address poverty, especially during the 2015 federal election. Reflections will be shared through the creation of digital stories and other artistic media.
Past Projects
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%).