Children & youth

Yes, let’s lower the voting age in Canada.

Jan 31, 2016

I was very pleased to see that MP Don Davies introduced a private member’s bill this past week calling for the voting age to be lowered to age 16. I know private member’s bills usually never make it, but this one is well worth other MPs’ backing. I’ve long been of the view that youth… View Article

Can the federal parties’ child care proposals pay for the $10 a Day Plan?

Oct 14, 2015

By Iglika Ivanova

We’ve been glad to see child care emerge as a key issue in this federal election, with three major parties (Greens, Liberals and NDP) vying to tackle the problems with the status quo: inadequate spaces, unaffordability and inconsistent quality. We analyzed the party platforms on child care in more detail in a previous post. Now… View Article

Child care and the federal election: where have the parties landed?

Oct 9, 2015

By Iglika Ivanova

By Lynell Anderson and Iglika Ivanova Canada is one of the few advanced countries that doesn’t yet have a national child care system. We invest less in early childhood programs than any of our peer countries and fall far short of meeting the minimum public investment benchmarks recommended by UNICEF and the OECD. There’s no… View Article

One year after the BC teachers’ strike, what’s happening for kids with special needs?

Sep 7, 2015

By Seth Klein

by Seth Klein and Tyson Schoeber It’s been a year since the longest strike in the history of BC’s public school system. A key outcome of that dispute was increased understanding of the phrase “class size and composition.” During the strike, the public came to appreciate that teachers were fighting not just for better wages,… View Article

$10 a day child care: smart public policy whose time has come

Jul 14, 2015

By Iglika Ivanova

Imagine if the BC government put as much energy and effort into solving BC’s child care crisis as it does in promoting LNG. This week, our Premier recalled the legislature from its regular summer break to pass special laws paving the way for one potential LNG project (more about why this is a bad deal here and here). What if… View Article

Why the Metro Vancouver living wage is not enough for single parents and how to fix it

Apr 29, 2015

By Iglika Ivanova

The living wage calculation is based on the needs of two-parent families with young children, but the idea behind it is that this wage would also support different types of families throughout the life cycle so that young adults are not discouraged from having children and older workers have some extra income as they age. In… View Article

Parents want to reduce their car use, so let’s invest in transit, walking and cycling infrastructure

Apr 2, 2015

By Arlene McLaren

There’s a popular belief that parents chauffeur their young children everywhere. And certainly parents have many reasons for preferring cars over other modes of transportation: Children get easily tired. Parents need to pack things like food, diapers, etc. Parents want to keep their children comfortable and safe. Parents have busy and complicated schedules and taking… View Article

BC Budget 2015 confirms it: we can afford the $10aDay Child Care Plan

Feb 26, 2015

By Lynell Anderson

Budget 2015 clearly shows that BC can afford to start implementing the $10aDay Child Care Plan now – and it can choose to do so without raising taxes, without cutting vital programs and services, and without going into deficit. A short and simple analysis, summarized below, provides one example of how investment in child care… View Article

Child care is a human right

Dec 11, 2014

By Lynell Anderson

By Lynell and Melanie Anderson Our understanding of rights evolves along with society, yet the required and corresponding evolution in government policy in BC is stagnant. Re-establishing the Human Rights Commission, as recommended in a new report, could change this reality. We’re passionate about women’s and children’s rights, and concerned about the rights of mothers… View Article

An effective poverty reduction plan is not just a piece of paper

Dec 2, 2014

By Kendra Milne

Last week, First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition published its annual report card on child poverty in BC. As in past years, the results were sobering. Based on 2012 data, 20.6% of children, or one of five, live in poverty in BC. Nearly half of children living in single parent families live below… View Article

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A progressive take on BC issues

A progressive take on BC issues

Children & youth

Yes, let’s lower the voting age in Canada.

Can the federal parties’ child care proposals pay for the $10 a Day Plan?

Child care and the federal election: where have the parties landed?

One year after the BC teachers’ strike, what’s happening for kids with special needs?

$10 a day child care: smart public policy whose time has come

Why the Metro Vancouver living wage is not enough for single parents and how to fix it

Parents want to reduce their car use, so let’s invest in transit, walking and cycling infrastructure

BC Budget 2015 confirms it: we can afford the $10aDay Child Care Plan

Child care is a human right

An effective poverty reduction plan is not just a piece of paper