Ontario Pre-Budget Submission, Fall 2020
October 22, 2020
Seven months into the pandemic, it is clear that not everyone in Ontario is experiencing the same challenges and day to day realities. Though far from perfect, federal and provincial emergency interventions intended to flatten the curve earlier in the pandemic have shown that another world is possible. It should not have taken an international health crisis to unlock policy changes and additional financial supports for caregivers, low wage workers, and people receiving social assistance. The Ontario government should build on the temporary, supportive policies introduced during the pandemic to ensure that children and families living in poverty in Ontario do not face worsening hardships. We cannot stop the fight to end child poverty, even in a pandemic.
Ontario Campaign 2000 provides the following recommendations for a provincial budget designed to support vulnerable children and families: Make Policy and Funding Decisions Based on Ensuring the Needs of the Most Vulnerable are Met; Improve Income Security for the Long Term; Ensure Equitable Access to the Public Education System and Safe High Quality, Affordable Childcare; Implement Labour Reforms to Keep Workers and their Families Safe; and Support Tenants and Precariously Housed People. Read the whole Ontario Fall 2020 Budget submission.