According to research presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, "poverty in early childhood poisons the brain." According to the research, children growing up in very poor families experience an unhealthy level of stress hormones that impair neural development. Read more in a article in the New York Times, "Poverty is Poison."

PIVOT Legal Society has released a report, Broken Promises: Parents Speak out About B.C.’s Child Welfare System (in PDF), that finds children are all too often apprehended as the first form of intervention, even when there are safe alternatives. Based on interviews and affidavits from service providers, social workers, lawyers and, in particular, parents whose children are or have been involved with the child protection system, the report depicts a short-sighted, crisis driven child protection system.

As the new fiscal year approaches the BC Liberal Government must decide where they will put their surplus. The moment of truth approaches - will the take the easy way out and put the money into tax cuts and other popular programs, or will they be courageous and spend their surplus in ways which would substantively reduce poverty. For more information read the article in The Tyee.

Vancouver Island CBC Radio has a three part series on young women who are pregnant and homeless. The series talks to young women, service providers and others about the obstacles women face dealing with addictions, homelessness, poverty and pregnancy. Listen to Pregnant and Homeless (audio) on the CBC website.

The Ontario Campaign 2000, a campaign to reduce child poverty has released a report called: A Poverty Reduction Strategy for Ontario (in PDF) that calls on all Ontario political parties to committ to poverty reduction. Canadian Social Research Links has a couple of links to articles on the strategy for Ontario.

The American National Gay and Lesbian Task Force released a report about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender homeless youth. Of the estimated 1.6 million homeless American youth, between 20 and 40 percent identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Why do LGBT youth become homeless? In one study, 26 percent of gay teens who came out to their parents/guardians were told they must leave home; LGBT youth also leave home due to physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Homeless LGBT youth are more likely to: use drugs, participate in sex work, and attempt suicide. Also, LGBT youth report they are threatened, belittled and abused at shelters by staff as well as other residents.

The Ontario government promised that the 2007 Ontario Budget would tackle child poverty. This budget introduces the new Ontario Child Benefit which is suppose to help Ontario families with lower incomes provide for their children, whether the parents work or receive social assistance. The program delivers a non-taxable, one-time payment for 2007 of up to $250 per dependent child under age 18. Beginning in July 2008, OCB benefits will provide approximately 465,000 families with payments of up to $600 per child annually. In 2003 the Liberal government promised to end the child tax benefit clawback from families on social assistance. According to an article on Rabble, "No end to Ontario's child tax benefit clawback," the new Ontario Child Benefit program still does not address the clawback.

A report by Campaign 2000, Child poverty in Ontario: Promises to keep (available on the site in PDF in English and in French), has found one in six children in Ontario live in poverty. Read more in a CBC article, "1 in 6 Ontario children live in poverty: report" and a Campaign 2000 press release.

Code Blue for Child Care, a national campaign to protect child care is accusing the Conservative government of abandoning child care. Code Blue has issued Harper and his government an "F" in three areas: providing universal child care, helping parents balance work and family, and honouring agreements. Instead of going forward with a national universal child care program, the Tories are giving parents a taxable $100 per a month towards covering their child care fees. Read more in the CBC article, "Child-care coalition gives Harper failing grade, calls for real plan." Across BC, child care advocates, labour groups and parents held rallies for child care to protest the provincial government's cuts to monthly child-care subsidies by about $40 per child.

The BC Association of Social Workers has called on the BC Government to respect a court ruling on youth with disabilities. The Appeal Court decision means that cutting off services to youth at age 19, who have a lifelong disability but whose IQ exceeds 70, is now legally invalid and must stop.

The Tyee has an interesting article, "Child Poverty is Down. No, it's Up," about two reports issued in the last couple months about child poverty. One report issued by the Fraser Institute claims that less than six per cent of Canadian children live in poverty; the other report issued by Campaign 2000 said the poverty rate for Canadian children was more than three times that, over 17 per cent. The Fraser Institute and Campaign 2000 define poverty very differently. The Fraser Institute includes the cost of only subsistence levels of food, clothing, housing and a few other necessities, while Campaign 2000 uses Stats Canada low income cutoffs below which families would find themselves living in "straitened circumstances."

The Hands Off Campaign has been working to stop the clawback of child benefits for those on social assistance. In Ontario, the provincial government clawbacks the majority of the federal tax benefit of those families who are on social assistance. An article, "Children bear scars of clawback," talks about why the federal and provincial governments need to stop the clawback.

From September 26-29, a National Youth Homelessness Conference will be taking place in St. John's. The title of the conference is Beyond the Street: Youth and Communities Taking Action on Homelessness and is hosted by the St. John's Community Advisory Committee on Homelessness.

A report provides evidence of Ontario children being humiliated if unable to pay their school fees. The report argues that these fees are not only difficult on low income families, but are also illegal and result from the underfunding of the Education system by the Ontario government. For more information read a CBC article, "Students from poor families 'shamed' by school fees."

Aboriginal children, on and off reserves are not doing nearly as well as non-Aboriginal children. Over half of Aboriginal children live in poverty. Twice as many Aboriginal babies will be born prematurely, underweight or die within the first year of life. Three or four times as many babies will die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Three to four times as many children will die by injury, poisoning or violence. Five times as many of Aboriginal young people will commit suicide. The National Children's Alliance Policy Statement (in PDF) addresses this sharp divide in quality of life.

A series of 10 fact sheets from First Call BC (in PDF) outlines child poverty in Canada. From the definition to the distribution of poverty as it relates to children.

Child poverty in Nova Scotia has increased for the fourth year running and now stands at 20.7 percent, according to a report released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Read the CCPA's press release or the entire 20 page CCPA report (in PDF).

In 2003, the incidence of child poverty in Canada was 17.6 percent. In Saskatchewan, 18.3 percent or 40,000 children lived in poverty. Read the Social Policy Research Unit Faculty of Social Work University of Regina's 12 page report (in PDF).

Child poverty continues to be a problem in Canada. Immigrant families, in particular, are living in poverty, due largely to the failure of the Canadian government to recognize their credentials. Not only immigrants struggle to find jobs, there are also many other Canadians who struggle to find well paying or full time work. Read the CBC article addressing Canadian Child Poverty.

The National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO) has launched a Youth Poverty Initiative that seeks to engage youth in doing research, telling their stories through theatre, video and interactive web site, developing popular education and campaign resources and taking action on youth poverty.