Newsbrief: Rural Nova Scotia one big child care desert
A new interactive map shows that residents of rural Nova Scotia are having a hard time finding a child care spot. You can zoom in, zoom out, or plug in your postal code.
CCPA
News brief: CCPA Nova Scotia launches its 2018 Budget for the People
This morning’s launch of the Alternative Budget at Province House shows austerity isn’t the only way to run a province. In fact, it is the worst way.
Report puts child poverty in Halifax under the microscope
A new CCPA report takes a very close look at the sad picture of child poverty in Halifax. It contains information you likely didn’t know about your community or neighborhood. For instance, Spryfield has a child poverty rate of 40%, and in rural Nova Scotia North Preston (40%), East Preston (38.9), and Sheet Harbour (26.1%) lead the pack. Meanwhile, Fall RIver has a child poverty rate of a mere 3.9%.
Op-ed: Child poverty is felt in our province and it’s time for change
Recent changes to the Child and Family Service Act have made the fight against child poverty even more difficult, writes Alec Stratford, executive director of the NS College of Social Workers. Shortened judicial timelines, the expansion of the definition of neglect and the overall lack of resources have amounted to greater penalization of families struggling to afford the cost of housing, food, childcare, clothing and transportation.
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Time for a new social contract to eradicate child and family poverty in Nova Scotia
In Nova Scotia over one in five children under the age of 18 live in poverty. For children under the age of six it’s more like one in three. Dr. Lesley Frank and Dr. Christine Saulnier, authors of this year’s Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Nova Scotia reflect on some of the reports disturbing findings, and offer their thoughts on what should be done.
News brief: As of October 1 Nova Scotia has lowest minimum wage in the country
On October 1st Nova Scotia became the province with the lowest minimum wage in Canada. That milestone event caused Christine Saulnier of the Nova Scotia office of the Canadian Centre of Policy Alternatives (CCPA) to pull out the calculator and draw some shocking conclusions. Read the Coles version here, or better yet, check out Christine’s entire article on the CCPA website.
Building a successful Early Learning and Child Care System in Nova Scotia
The provincial government’s recent announcement of a new free pre-primary program for children turning four is good news for parents, write Christine Saulnier and Tammy Findlay. But its implementation seems rushed and is occurring without meaningful consultation, and that is dangerous. We need a funded transition plan to a full system for all children in Nova Scotia.
The politics of anti-poverty policies in Nova Scotia
Christine Saulnier, Nova Scotia Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, looks at the different ways politicians propose to address poverty in Nova Scotia during this election: wage increases, social programs, tax-based incentives, or a job.
The Liberal plan to cut taxes will not benefit the very poor, while the money could have been used to raise the income assistance rates or reduce the clawbacks, she writes, while simply saying that “the best social program is still a job” ignores the many people who simply are unable to work. Meanwhile, the NDP proposal to raise minimum wage to $15 definitely helps people who are struggling to make ends meet.
A living wage for Halifax and Antigonish
The living wage in Halifax went down in 2016, a new CCPA report suggests. But there is a good and instructive reason for that. Also in the report, a living wage for Antigonish town and municipality.
Banks push poor people towards predatory loan sharks, report suggests
A new report suggests that people on low incomes use payday loans and other predatory companies, because banks aren’t there for them. We look at the report and talk to Jonethan Brigley of ACORN Nova Scotia.