From the National Council of Welfare:

Solving Poverty: Four cornerstones of a workable national strategy for Canada (PDF file - 1MB, 29 pages)
Winter 2007
"(...) When the National Council of Welfare started looking into anti-poverty strategies, it became quickly apparent to us that if there is no long-term vision, no plan, no one accountable for carrying out the plan, no resources assigned and no accepted measure of results, we will continue to be mired in poverty for generations.
The four cornerstones:
1) creating a national anti-poverty strategy with targets and timelines;
2) developing a coordinated plan of action;
3) ensuring accountability; and
4) establishing official poverty indicators.
[ Related Press Release - January 25, 2008 ]
[ related reports ]
[ media coverage of the concept of an anti-poverty strategy ]

Source:
National Anti-Poverty Strategy
- incl. links to * Recent Reports * Anti-poverty and Income Security Questionnaire * Recent Developments

The National Council of Welfare is an arm's length advisory body to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development on matters of concern to low-income Canadians.

Related links found on the Council's website:

Senate committee recommends that the federal government
develop a federal strategy to combat child poverty
April 26, 2007
(...)
Recommendation 14 : Pursuant to articles 26 and 27 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Committee recommends that the federal government develop a federal strategy to combat child poverty that should be put into effect as soon as possible, accompanied by clear goals and timetables. Among other things, such a plan should include preventative measures aimed at high-risk families and a comprehensive housing strategy.

Debate in the House of Commons on a national anti-poverty strategy
(Private Member's Bill - Tony Martin, NDP)
February 20, 2007

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From the Parliamentary Research Library:
(Government of Canada)

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MPs from all parties set to tackle poverty
Committee plans to look at Regent Park's success with education program
April 4, 2008
By Richard Brennan
OTTAWA–A parliamentary committee is setting out to establish the framework for a national poverty strategy by meeting with groups and individuals across Canada already doing their bit to help the poor. The Human Resources and Social Development Committee decided yesterday it is high time for a plan, which would ultimately require federal government approval, to tackle the growing problem.
Source:
The Toronto Star

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The federal contribution to reducing poverty in Canada:
EVIDENCE - Meeting No. 23 of the
Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
(39th PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION)
April 10, 2008

Recommended reading --- this transcript is over 40 printed pages of valuable information concerning the federal contribution to reducing poverty in Canada, including an extended discussion of the relative merits of the low-income measures in use in Canada (LICOs, LIMs and MBMs ) and elsewhere in the world.

Witnesses:

Frank Fedyk (Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy and Research, Department of Human Resources and Social Development)
Sylvie Michaud (Director, Income Statistics Division, Statistics Canada)
Garnett Picot (Director General, Socio-Economic and Business Analysis Branch, Statistics Canada)
Sheila Regehr (Director, National Council of Welfare)
Doug Murphy (Assistant Director, Economic Security Policy, Department of Human Resources and Social Development)
Shawn Tupper (Director General, Social Policy Development, Department of Human Resources and Social Development)

Source:
House of Commons Standing Committee on
Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA)
[ Parliament of Canada website ]

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Provincial Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Newfoundland and Labrador
Poverty Reduction Strategy
"The vision is of a province where poverty has been eliminated. This will be a prosperous, diverse province where all individuals are valued, can develop to their full potential and have access to the supports they need to participate fully in the social and economic benefits of Newfoundland and Labrador."
- includes * Vision for our Province *Guiding Principles * Partner Departments and Agencies PLUS links to key documents (copied below)
Source:
Human Resources, Labour and Employment

Message from the Premier

Message from the Minister

Budget 2006 - The Right Choices: Reducing Poverty; Increasing Self Reliance

Budget 2007 - A vision of opportunity with New Actions to Address Poverty

Related Documents
(including a summary of strategy development workshops held in the fall of 2005, the background report and workbook and a link to the Action Plan itself (copied immediately below).

Reducing Poverty : An Action Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador, June 2006 (PDF file - 1.6MB, 60 pages)
The final report
"The 2005 Speech from the Throne (PDF file - 266K, p. 22) affirmed Government’s Blueprint commitment to transform Newfoundland and Labrador over a ten-year period from a province with the most poverty to a province with the least poverty."

Reducing Poverty in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Background Report and Workbook (2005)

News Releases - links to over two dozen news releases on the Poverty Reduction Strategy from 2005 to 2007
Source:
Human Resources, Labour and Employment

Related links:

Newfoundland and Labrador Continues to
Invest to Lead the Country in Poverty Reduction Initiatives
The Williams Government continues to act on its commitment to alleviate, prevent and reduce poverty in the province with new measures that focus on improving earned incomes, strengthening the social safety net and supporting youth at risk. Budget 2008 provides an additional $9.6 million in new Poverty Reduction Strategy initiatives and this funding is in addition to the $2.4 million announced April 1 to index basic income support rates. That brings the total investment in the current fiscal year to $12 million and once fully implemented in 2009-10, the Provincial Government’s annual investment in poverty reduction will be more than $100 million.
Source:
News Releases - links to 11 news releases related to Budget 2008
[ Newfoundland and Labrador Budget 2008 April 29, 2008 ]

Government Increases Income Support Benefits
April 1, 2008
In accordance with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), effective today April 1, the Williams Government, as part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), is increasing basic income support benefits by $2.4 million annually. (...) The PRS is focused on reducing, alleviating and preventing poverty in the province. Over a 10-year period, Newfoundland and Labrador intends to move from the jurisdiction with the highest poverty rates to one with the lowest in Canada.

Province Supports Tax Measures and Support Trusts for People with Disabilities
News Release
March 31, 2008
The Provincial Government has amended regulations to support improvements to the tax system for individuals with low incomes, and people with disabilities and their families by exempting both the federal Working Income Tax Benefit and the Registered Disability Saving Plan from the calculation of Income Support benefits. The two exemptions are effective April 1, 2008.

Opposition Fails to Understand Poverty Reduction Strategy
June 14, 2007
News Release
The Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, said he is disappointed with claims by the Opposition that government is failing in the fight against poverty in our province.

Government Increases Basic Income Support Benefits
March 30, 2007
Effective April 1, government will fulfill another key commitment to poverty reduction by providing an additional $3 million annually to further increase basic income support. This will be accomplished by tying the basic income support rate to the provincial consumer price index (CPI) which means an increase of 1.8 per cent.

Province reaffirms commitment to poverty reduction
News Release
May 26, 2006
Paul Shelley, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, is pleased to announce the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has decided that Income Support (social assistance) payments will not be affected by the introduction of the new federal Universal Child Care Benefit. (...) The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is developing an integrated poverty reduction strategy. Budget 2006 included a significant investment to help people move ahead and break the cycle of poverty. (...) The full strategy will be released later this spring.

Increased income support rates will add up to reduced poverty: Minister*
March 29, 2006
News Release
Budget 2006 will make major investments in a broad range of programs and services that will help the working poor, youth-at-risk, and families with low incomes, says Paul Shelley, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, and the lead minister for government’s poverty reduction strategy.
[*NOTE: as part of its increased supports to people in need, the provincial govt. will start indexing welfare benefit levels as of 2007-08; rates will be tied to the Newfoundland and Labrador Consumer Price Index. Québec is the only other Canadian jurisdiction that indexes its rates every year based on the prevailing rate of inflation. This is a sound policy that prevents households receiving welfare from falling further behind because of ongoing increases in the cost of living. Congratulations, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, on this progressive social policy!]

March 30, 2006
The Right Choices: Reducing Poverty; Increasing Self Reliance
(part of Budget 2006 - March 30/06)
Departments of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, Health and Community Services and Education
- includes a backgrounder with more detailed info
"The Williams government is removing barriers to employment and providing assistance to those who need it most through a sweeping investment in initiatives designed to combat poverty, announced Paul Shelley, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, and the lead minister for government’s poverty reduction strategy. Budget 2006 outlines government’s integrated approach to poverty reduction, unveiling investments of over $30.5 million in 2006-07 and $62 million annually to support an expanded eligibility for the prescription drug program, the elimination of school fees, increases to income support programs, and enhanced Adult Basic Education (ABE) offerings. This initial phase of the poverty reduction strategy is a strong basis for meeting government’s pledge to significantly reduce poverty in Newfoundland and Labrador."

Poverty Reduction Strategies in Quebec and in Newfoundland and Labrador
26 October 2007
Source:
Parliamentary Research Library
(Government of Canada)

- Go to the Newfoundland and Labrador Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nfbkmrk.htm

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From the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services:

Government Seeks Public Input on Poverty Strategy
News Release
March 5, 2008
The province is inviting the public to share ideas on how to best tackle poverty in Nova Scotia. People are encouraged to fill out a questionnaire on what types of actions can be taken to reduce poverty. The public consultations will help government develop a long-term poverty-reduction strategy for Nova Scotia. The initiative is being co-led by the departments of Community Services and Environment and Labour, in co-operation with a poverty-reduction strategy working group. The group, made up of organizations with diverse interests, will make recommendations on strategy content and implementation.

There are three ways the public can share comments:
-- Fill out a short questionnaire at http://gov.ns.ca/coms/poverty.
-- Fill out the questionnaire at any provincial government building, Department of Community Services office or Access Nova Scotia location.
-- Request a questionnaire or share thoughts by calling, toll-free, 1-888-825-2111.

In November, the first phase of consultations was held with representatives from a diverse range of provincial organizations interested in the fight against poverty. The questionnaire is phase two of the consultations. The public's comments will be added to information gathered from consultations across government on a variety of issues that affect poverty.

The deadline to respond is March 31, 2008.

Nova Scotia Poverty Reduction Strategy:
A request for input on how to tackle poverty in Nova Scotia
[ version française ]

A message from the Honourable Judy Streatch,
Minister of Community Services

A message from the Honourable Mark Parent,
Minister of Environment and Labour

Poverty Backgrounder
Research and statistics about poverty in Nova Scotia, including:.
* How is poverty measured in Canada? * What is the low-income cut-off (LICO)? * In Nova Scotia, how many people live in low-income? What about children? * How do Nova Scotia's low-income statistics compare with the rest of Canada? * What are some characteristics of Nova Scotia's low-income population? * Where does Nova Scotia's low-income population live? * Is there any way to tell how poor low-income Nova Scotians are? * Social Trends in Nova Scotia - 2007 * Statistical Links

Related links:

Framework for a Poverty Reduction Strategy in Nova Scotia (PDF - 351K, 38 pages)
October 17, 2007
"(...) The framework includes the context, key concepts and strategies that will be necessary to reduce poverty in Nova Scotia."
Source:
Nova Scotia Poverty Reduction Strategy Coalition

- Go to the Nova Scotia Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nsbkmrk.htm

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NOTA: vous trouverez les liens ci-dessous en français sur la page de liens du Québec pour francophones:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qcbkmrk.htm

----------------------------

National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion
With its National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, under the theme, “The Will to Act, The Strength to Succeed”, the Québec government intends to progressively transform Québec, over a ten-year period, into one of the industrialized societies with the least poverty.
- incl. links to: * Summary of consultation process * Bill * Parliamentary committee * Useful links * Policy statement * Summary of policy statement * Report on government action

Source:
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale

Among its many provisions, the statute establishes two related entities: a multisectoral advisory body to oversee the implementation of the Action Plan and an "observatory" where information on poverty and social exclusion is collected and disseminated. These two entities are discussed below.

Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale
(Advisory committee in the strategy against poverty, set up under the National Strategy)
- incl. links to : Comité consultatif (About) - Initiatives to combat poverty and social exclusion - Feedback - Press releases - Publications - Useful links
---
NOTE: The Comité consultatif is a public body whose role is to advise the Québec Minister responsible for the application of the Action Plan to combat poverty and social exclusion. This mission is not unlike that of the National Council of Welfare (NCW) at the federal government level with respect to the Minister responsible for Human Resources and Social Development Canada, that is, to represent the interests of all Canadians in offering counsel to the HRSDC Minister in all matters relating to social development. Both the Comité consultatif and the NCW carry out evaluations and other studies, and they present their views and and recommendations directly to the Minister responsible and also to the public. Both groups also monitor the social policies of their respective governments with a special focus on the impacts of new policies on the incidence of poverty and social exclusion.

Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion (CEPE)
(Centre for the study of poverty and exclusion)
The Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion is an observation, research and discussion centre entrusted with providing reliable and rigourous information, notably of a statistical nature, on poverty and social exclusion issues. Created within the context of the Act to combat poverty and social exclusion, the CEPE acts under the aegis of the Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MESS) and is managed in collaboration with a steering committee composed of members working in the academic research or government sector, or working with people who are experiencing poverty or social exclusion.
- incl. links to:
* Introduction to the CEPE * Statistics * Research activities * Publications * Lexicon * Useful links

Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale (CCLP) - English page
[Consultative Committee on the Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion]
"...The primary role of this committee is to advise the Government of Québec on the actions implemented under the National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion."

More selected reports from the
Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion and the
Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale

Release of the first recommendation of the
Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale
April 3, 2008
Rates that exclude, solutions that unite
The advisory committee makes its first recommendation
Today, April 3, 2008, in Montréal, the chair of the Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l'exclusion sociale, Mr. Tommy Kulczyk, addressed the repercussions of rate increases on the living conditions of low-income individuals with the release of the advisory committee’s first recommendation. The committee illustrates how rate increases on basic commodities like heating, electricity and transportation compromise the ability of the impoverished and socially excluded to integrate society. These increases contribute to social exclusion by forcing these people to spend too much of their meagre resources on basic commodities and increasing their isolation.
The members of the advisory committee feel there is an urgent need to act on a situation that is creating a breach in the efforts made by Québec to fight poverty and social exclusion. The committee has drawn up eleven unifying recommendations comprising short-, medium- and long-term actions that are fully sustainable in approach.

L’urgence d’agir relativement aux répercussions des hausses tarifaires (PDF - 46K, 2 pages) - available in French only.
Communiqué
Montréal, le 3 avril 2008 – Le président du Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale, M. Tommy Kulczyk, a rendu public aujourd’hui le premier avis de cet organisme créé pour conseiller le ministre responsable de la mise en œuvre de la Loi visant à lutter contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale sur les actions à entreprendre pour lutter contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale. Cet avis s’intitule « Des tarifs qui excluent… Des solutions qui rassemblent ».

Les répercussions des hausses tarifaires sur les
conditions de vie des personnes à faible revenu (PDF - 1.1MB, 28 pages) - currently (April 6/08) available in French only (although a note on the inside cover page states that "this document is available in English; check the Committee's English home page to see if the English has now been posted on their site.)

Source:
Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale (CCLP) - (English home page)
[Consultative Committee on the Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion]

Related link:

Quebec poor getting poorer: report
April 3, 2008
By Kristy Rich
QUEBEC CITY - The Quebec government must do more to protect the buying power of the poor from the rising costs of living, says a government advisory commitee created to ensure the government is respecting its Anti-Poverty Law. Though the cost of electricity and public transit are increasing, committee Chair Tommy Kulcyzk says the government has not fully indexed welfare payments.(..) The report's 11 recommendations include compensating welfare recipients for the cost of increasing tariffs by comparative increases in their sales tax refund; and cutting the cost of public transit fares in half over the next decade.
Source:
CJAD (Montreal AM radio)

Recent CEPE reports:

February 7, 2008
Report on low incomes in Québec
This document describes poverty trends in recent years and the proportion of low-income family units among Quebecers, the gap between their income and low-income thresholds, the duration of their situation, and their main sociodemographic and economic characteristics. More detailed information is provided about unattached persons and last-resort financial assistance recipients.
Details and document
Press release (PDF, 94 ko) (French)

February 7, 2008
New "Other Documents" section
You can now consult the new Other Documents section, which comprises a number of documents that are considered to provide important information for understanding poverty-related phenomena.

February 7, 2008
Strategic plan for anti-poverty research and knowledge transfer
The purpose of this strategy is to increase research efforts aimed at a fuller understanding of the problem of poverty and to contribute to producing lasting solutions. The strategy insists on the importance of knowledge transfer and appropriation and the need to make research results known and easy to access.
Details and document

Related reports:

-------------------------------------

Éliminer la pauvreté : ce que peuvent faire les gouvernements (PDF - 316Ko, 9 pages)
[Available in French only]
Alain Noël, PhD
Université de Montréal
Le 17 avril 2008
« (...) Collectivement, nous devrons également garder à l'esprit que pour éradiquer la pauvreté, il ne suffit pas de miser sur la croissance économique et sur l'emploi.
Il faut aussi redistribuer le revenu. »
Source:
Petits déjeuners sur la Colline
[ Fédération canadienne des sciences humaines ]

NOTE to Anglophones:

In his April 17 presentation, Éliminer la pauvreté : ce que peuvent faire les gouvernements (What governments can do to eliminate poverty), Political Science Professor Alain Noël offers some interesting insights into poverty reduction/elimination in other countries and in Canada, with a special focus on Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador, the two provinces that already have a poverty reduction strategy in place. He also speaks about the recent resurgence of public interest in poverty reduction in Canada and on the world scene, and he suggests that the federal government needs to step up to the plate in terms of its poverty reduction efforts in areas such as Employment Insurance, income security for Canada's seniors, equalization, taxation and Aboriginal people.

Professor Noël's presentation (PDF - 316K, 9 pages) is available in French only.

Source:
Breakfast on the Hill Series (English home page)
NOTE: click the link above to access 46 presentations in the Breakfast on the Hill series, going right back to 1996.
[ Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences ]

From the Family Network
[Canadian Policy Research Networks ]

A Focus on Income Support: Implementing Quebec's Law Against Poverty and Social Exclusion
May 28, 2004
Commentary (13 pages)
by Alain Noël
"For the time being, it is probably good to praise an effort that was not expected and that appears, in many ways, well intentioned and valuable. From now on, however, the combat will have to continue, not only against poverty and social exclusion, but also against prejudices and a perennial lack of vision."
- assessment of the Charest government's action plan against poverty and social exclusion in Quebec (which was released on April 2) by Alain Noël, who prepared an essay on the original anti-poverty law late in 2002 (see the link below)
- comprehensive, detailed info on the new action plan, including welfare reforms taking effect over the coming year
[Click on the link above , then (on the next page), on the word "Download" under the author's name to open the document in PDF format]

A Law Against Poverty: Quebec’s New Approach to Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion
by Alain Noël
December 2002
Full Report (PDF file - 554 K, 11 pages)
"On December 13, 2002, the National Assembly in Quebec unanimously adopted a law to “combat poverty and social exclusion.” Bill 112 is a framework law that includes a National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, a fund to support social initiatives, an “Observatory,” and an Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Poverty and Social Exclusion. This new law is unique in North America, and it constitutes a significant political innovation, if only because it makes poverty reduction an explicit and central policy priority. The bill is also the result of a remarkable process of collective action and public deliberation."

From the Collective for a Poverty-Free Québec

The Collective is a Quebec non-governmental organization whose aim is to promote a law that would eradicate poverty in the province. Visit the Collective's site to see the draft law to eliminate poverty.
[NOTE: the French version is more complete and current]

The Quebec Government Action Plan to combat poverty
Forward, backward, sideways...
April 18, 2004
"Social activists outside Québec will have been impressed by the Action Plan and by the impact of the Act to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion that mandated its publication. How could it have ever happened without such a law that a right-wing government invests, during its first year in office, the better part of $2.5 billion in direct improvements to the revenues of people living in poverty ?"

From the Canadian Council on Social Development(CCSD):

The fight against poverty: A model law
"An excellent article by Camil Bouchard and Marie-France Raynault on Quebec’s ground-breaking anti-poverty law recently appeared in Le Devoir."
January 22, 2003

Quebec Renews Fight Against Poverty
June 2002
"On June 12, the Government of Quebec tabled a bill in the National Assembly aimed at establishing a strategy for poverty reduction in the province. This is a major step as Quebec takes the lead in putting poverty back on the public (and legislative) agenda."
- incl. links to five key documents

- Rendez-vous à la page de liens de recherche sociale au Québec: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qcbkmrk.htm

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From The Toronto Star:

Determining a deprivation index
Daily Bread Food Bank using survey to develop 'economic strain' guide for poverty in Ontario
April 19, 2008
By Laurie Monsebraaten

Defining poverty
April 19, 2008
As the province grapples with that question, the Star asked dozens of local experts. Here are their answers.

Definition of poverty stalls federal committee
April 16, 2008
By Joanna Smith
OTTAWA–The federal government should hurry up and define poverty so it can move on to doing something about it, said witnesses at a parliamentary committee laying the foundation for a national poverty strategy yesterday.

Getting together to fight poverty
April 15, 2008
A disparate coalition of more than 100 individuals and anti-poverty groups has done what many thought was impossible by agreeing on the broad strokes of a poverty reduction strategy for Ontario.

Source:
War on Poverty: Special Coverage
[ The Toronto Star ]

From the 2008 Ontario Budget (March 25, 2008):

Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy
The government’s Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction, chaired by the Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Children and Youth Services, will focus on expanding opportunities for those living in poverty. It will develop a focused poverty reduction strategy with measures, indicators and reasonable targets by the end of 2008. The Committee will review how best to organize and align the current system of supports to ensure more effective investment and more efficient administration. The government will work with communities and other governments to expand opportunity for all Ontarians and reduce poverty over the long term.
- includes info on the following early initiatives under the Poverty Reduction Strategy : * Dental Care for Low-Income Families * Student Nutrition Program * Parenting and Family Literacy Centres * Making Education More Affordable
Source:
Budget 2008 Papers, Chapter 1, Section C:
A Better Future for Families: Improving Quality of Life
- also includes info on : * Investing in Social Housing * Asset-Building Strategy for Low-Income Ontarians * Increased Support for Social Assistance * Minimum Wage * Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Grants * Ontario Property and Sales Tax Credits for Seniors * more...

Supporting Families Receiving Social Assistance (chart and descriptive text)
"(...) proposing to increase the basic adult allowance and maximum shelter allowance by two per cent in 2008–09."

Source:
Ontario Ministry of Finance

Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction
"(...) Members will work to develop poverty indicators and targets, and a focused strategy for reducing child poverty and lifting more families out of poverty. The goal of this committee is to make progress in the fight against poverty over the course of the government's four-year mandate."

Campaign for poverty reduction building momentum
April 5, 2008
By Peter Clutterbuck, Social Planning Network of Ontario
Sustaining employment. Livable Incomes. Strong and supportive communities. When it comes to tackling poverty, these are the core messages that are emerging from communities across Ontario. The Social Planning Network of Ontario is currently traversing the province to build support for a bold poverty reduction vision. Local social planning members and community partners in 12 cities are bringing together Ontarians from all walks of life to discuss the best way to move forward on an anti-poverty plan.
Source:
Social Planning Network of Ontario
The Social Planning Network of Ontario (SPNO) is a coalition of social planning councils (SPC), community development councils (CDC), resource centres, and planning committees located in various communities throughout Ontario. Each of the individual organizations has their own mandates but are connected in the cause of effecting change on social policies, conditions, and issues.
- incl. links to : * Home * News * Reports * Links * FAQs * About Us * Contact Us

Related link:

Poverty Watch Ontario - "To monitor and inform on cross-Ontario activity on the poverty reduction agenda"

MPs from all parties set to tackle poverty
Committee plans to look at Regent Park's success with education program
April 4, 2008
By Richard Brennan
OTTAWA–A parliamentary committee is setting out to establish the framework for a national poverty strategy by meeting with groups and individuals across Canada already doing their bit to help the poor. The Human Resources and Social Development Committee decided yesterday it is high time for a plan, which would ultimately require federal government approval, to tackle the growing problem.
Source:
The Toronto Star

New Measures to Tackle Poverty, Build Opportunity:
McGuinty Government Helps More Low-Income Families Get Ahead
News Release
March 17, 2008
Ontario's plan for a strong economy includes supporting low-income families so that everyone can have the opportunity to succeed in the 21st century economy.
- The government will invest $135 million over three years in a dental care plan for low-income families. (...)
- The Student Nutrition Program will be doubled with a three-year $32-million investment to expand existing services. (...)
- repairs to about 4,000 affordable housing units - another $100 million will be provided this year

Related Backgrounder:

McGuinty Government Announces
Three Priority Programs To Kickstart Poverty Reduction Strategy
March 17, 2008
- incl. more detailed info on the three new/enhanced initiatives in the news release above.

Related links:

Income Security Advocacy Centre's Response
to the Ontario Government's Poverty Announcement (PDF file - 36K, 1 page)
Press Release
March 17, 2008
Premier’s Poverty Reduction Announcement:
“A Good Start, but a Long Way to Go”
Toronto – Calling the Premier’s Poverty Reduction announcement “a good start,” Mary Marrone, Director of Advocacy & Legal Services at ISAC, said, “But they’ve got a long way to go.” The Income Security Advocacy Centre is a specialized community legal clinic with a provincial mandate to improve the income security of people living in Ontario through test case litigation, policy advocacy and community organizing. The Premier’s office announced funding for three priority programs this morning as a ‘kickstart’ to a Poverty Reduction Strategy, expected by the end of 2008.
Source:
Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC)

Transcript of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs
January 21, 2008
Pre-budget consultations, including several presentations dealing with the Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy.
- incl. submissions by : HUGH MACKENZIE * ONTARIO LONG TERM CARE ASSOCIATION * INCOME SECURITY ADVOCACY CENTRE * CANADIAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION * MYCHOICE.CA * CAMPAIGN 2000 * WELLESLEY INSTITUTE * CANADIAN FEDERATION OF STUDENTS-ONTARIO * ONTARIO NON-PROFIT HOUSING ASSOCIATION * 25 IN 5: NETWORK FOR POVERTY REDUCTION *TORONTO AND YORK REGION LABOUR COUNCIL * more...

Report of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs
PRE-BUDGET CONSULTATION 2008 (PDF - 2.4MB, 74 pages)
March 17, 2008
This report is an overview of the main issues raised by presenters during the pre-Budget consultation.

From Campaign 2000:

Media release: Campaign 2000 comments on 2008 Ontario Budget
25 Mar 08
The anti-poverty coalition Campaign 2000 is encouraged to see the Ontario 2008 budget include a number of measures that reflect the Government’s commitment to address poverty.

Media release: Poverty Reduction Missing from Budget
26 Feb 08
The federal budget passed up the chance to offer the almost 800,000 children living in poverty in Canada a shot at a better life, says Campaign 2000, the national coalition of over 120 partners working to end child and family poverty in Canada.

Media release:Time for Initial Steps in Poverty Reduction Strategy
20 Jan 08
Campaign 2000 Calls for a Down Payment on Poverty Reduction in the 2008 Budget.

A Poverty Plan for Ontario - from Ontario Campaign 2000
- includes links to Ontario Campaign 2000's pre-budget submission to the Ontario Standing Committee on Finance & Economic Affairs Pre-Budget Hearings(January 2008), the July 2007 discussion paper proposing a poverty reduction strategy for Ontario (see the link immediately below) and the 2006 Report card on child and family poverty in Ontario (plus links to child and family poverty reports for earlier years).

A poverty reduction strategy for Ontario (PDF file - 396K, 14 pages)
July 2007
"This discussion paper outlines what a Poverty Reduction Strategy for Ontario should look like, based on lessons learned from success in the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions. It identifies indicators for measuring poverty, targets and timelines for poverty reduction, and outlines the key components of an action plan."
Source:
Ontario Campaign 2000
- includes links to many more poverty reduction papers from Ontario Campaign 2000.

25-in-5: Network for Poverty Reduction
25-in-5: Network for Poverty Reduction is a multi-sectoral network comprised of more than 100 provincial and Toronto-based organizations and individuals working on eliminating poverty. We have organized ourselves around the call for a Poverty Reduction Plan with a goal to reduce poverty in Ontario by 25% in 5 years and 50% in 10 years.

25-in-5 Resources - links to websites and reports (local, provincial, national and international) on the subject of poverty reduction

Source:
Community Social Planning Council of Toronto

Time for a Fair Deal: Report of the Task Force on
Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults (PDF file - 282K, 67 pages)
May 2006
Recommended income security reforms for Canada and Ontario:
- Reform Employment Insurance to address the significant decline in coverage of the unemployed and the related decline in access to employment supports and training.
- Create a new refundable tax benefit consisting of a basic tax credit for all low-income working-age adults and a working income supplement for low-income wage earners.
- Create a new national disability income support program for persons whose disabilities are so substantial that they are unlikely to enter the paid labour force.
- Increase the National Child Benefit to an adequate level.
- Establish an independent provincial body, with representation from labour and employers, to recommend periodic increases to the minimum wage and monitor the employment and economic effects.
- Implement an integrated child benefit platform for all low-income parents with children that pays benefits outside the social assistance system.
- Provide basic health (prescription drugs and vision care) and dental coverage to low-income workers.

Source:
Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults ("MISWAA")
MISWAA was formed in the fall of 2004 by the Toronto City Summit Alliance, a broad-based coalition of civic leaders in the Toronto region, and by St. Christopher House, a multi-service neighbourhood centre that works with low-income people in Toronto. The Task Force is a diverse group made-up of over fifty experts and leaders from major employers, policy institutes, labour unions, academia, community organizations, advocacy groups, foundations and governments, as well as individuals with first-hand knowledge of income security programs.

[ More MISWAA papers ]

- Go to the Ontario Government Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk.htm

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Make Poverty History (Canada)
Here's what we want in 14 words:
* More and Better Aid
* Trade Justice
* Cancel the Debt
* End Child Poverty in Canada

Campaign 2000
Campaign 2000 is a cross-Canada public education movement to build Canadian awareness and support for the 1989 all-party House of Commons resolution to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000.

A poverty reduction strategy for Ontario (PDF file - 396K, 14 pages)
July 2007
Source:
Campaign 2000

Eradicating Poverty
The lack of anti-poverty strategies at the provincial, territorial and federal levels is a serious barrier to making progress on a major challenge for Canadian society. To reduce and eventually eliminate poverty requires sufficient investment in people including supports in income, housing, training, education, employment, childcare, disability, retirement and legal aid. NAPO is currently working to support minimum wage increases in every province and territory, to support "living wage" policies and by-laws at the municipal level, and to promote guaranteed income as a centrepiece of the solution to poverty in Canada.
Source:
National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO)
NAPO is a non-profit, non-partisan organization working for the eradication of poverty in Canada.

NAPO supports the concept of a
guaranteed annual income (PDF file - 172K, 2 pages)
February 2008

Federal Liberal Party Antipoverty Plan
+ Caledon Institute of Social Policy Response

Dion Unveils the Liberal Plan to Win the War Against Poverty
November 9, 2007
TORONTO – Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion today unveiled a comprehensive plan to dramatically reduce the number of Canadians living below the poverty line by at least 30 per cent and cut in half the number of children living in poverty in five years. Mr. Dion called it the Liberal 30-50 Plan to Reduce Poverty.
Source:
Liberal Party of Canada

Full Text of Stéphane Dion's Speech
to the Learning Enrichment Foundation
November 9, 2007

Caledon Response to Liberal Poverty Strategy (PDF file - 264K, 9 pages)
November 2007
The Caledon Institute of Social Policy applauds Liberal leader Stéphane Dion’s November 9, 2007 speech laying out his party’s poverty reduction strategy. It recognizes poverty as a serious national problem that needs political leadership and an explicit focus to achieve clear results.
Caledon offers some additional or alternative proposals, including:
* to properly set and monitor poverty reduction targets, devise a better poverty indicator than the current low income cut-offs
* rather than simply converting the non-refundable child tax credit to a refundable credit, as suggested in the Dion speech, the federal government should abolish the Universal Child Care Benefit and the child tax credit, using the savings to help build a stronger Canada Child Tax Benefit
* immediately bolster the federal Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB), but in future expand it from a federal-only to a joint federal-provincial/territorial undertaking. WITB should be made more flexible to allow each province and territory to adapt the program to its needs and circumstances, and to integrate it with its welfare system
* provide specifics and associated costs on the proposal to increase Guaranteed Income Supplement payments for the lowest income seniors
* base the income test for the clawback of Old Age Security benefits from upper-income senior couples on their combined income rather than on each spouse or partner’s individual income
* to encourage seniors and near-seniors who can and want to continue working to do so, eliminate the ‘employment test’ for receipt of a CPP retirement pension before age 65. Also, allow CPP beneficiaries receiving a retirement pension but still working to continue to contribute to the plan, with the additional earnings taken into account each year in re-calculating their pensions.
Source:
Caledon Institute of Social Policy
The Caledon Institute of Social Policy is a private, nonprofit organization with charitable status. It is supported primarily by the Maytree Foundation, located in Toronto. Caledon is an independent and critical voice that does not depend on government funding and is not affiliated with any political party.

Brief to the Senate on Urban Child Poverty (2008) (PDF - 187K, 14 pages)
In February 2008, First Call Chair Michael Goldberg presented to the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology on the topic of urban child poverty. This briefing is an overview of topics including measuring poverty; child poverty rates; and the interaction between market income, social security benefits, taxation and statutory deductions, and income tested social programs.
Source:
First Call: B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition
First Call is a coalition of individuals and organizations whose purpose is to create greater understanding of and advocacy for legislation, policy, and practice to ensure that all children and youth have the opportunities and resources required to achieve their full potential and to participate in the challenges of creating a better society.

Canada's Coalition to End Global Poverty
[ Canadian Council for International Co-operation ]
The Council is a coalition of Canadian voluntary sector organizations working globally to achieve sustainable human development. The Canadian Council for International Co-operation seeks to end global poverty, and to promote social justice and human dignity for all.

10-Point Agenda
CCIC refuses to accept the belief that poverty is inevitable.
Our 10-point agenda identifies key areas that collectively address the range of factors that create and perpetuate poverty.
1. Promoting Sustainable Development
2. Upholding Human Rights
3. Creating an Equitable Global Economic Order
4. Achieving Gender Equity
5. Improving the Lives of Children
6. Building Peace
7. Promoting Global Food Security
8. Promoting Individual and Corporate Social Responsibility
9. Reinvesting in Canada's Foreign Aid Program
10. Creating New Opportunities for Citizen Participation

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United States

Seizing the Moment: State Governments
and the New Commitment to Reduce Poverty in America
April 2008
By Jodie Levin-Epstein and Kristen Michelle Gorzelany

The three leading presidential candidates are now on record with a public commitment to address poverty and opportunity in the United States. This is in concert with growing state efforts and signals a dramatic turnaround in tackling poverty. In just the last two years, one of every five states has taken action to put poverty on the political agenda. This joint report from CLASP and Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity outlines those efforts and provides charts detailing action by policy area.

* Complete report (PDF - 540K, 53 pages)

* Overview (PDF - 138K, 14 pages)

* State-by-State Narratives (PDF - 447K, 31 pages)

* Charts Tracking State Initiatives (PDF - 131K, 11 pages)

Sources:
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) - CLASP is a nonprofit public policy and advocacy organization. We conduct research, policy analysis, technical assistance, and advocacy on issues related to economic security and family stability for low-income parents, children, and youth.

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity - "...to make sure that 2008 sets the stage for concerted action on poverty and opportunity in 2009 and beyond."

Targeting Poverty: Aim at a Bull’s Eye (PDF - 156K, 16 pages)
Updated October 2006
By Jodie Levin-Epstein and Webb Lyons
[The following summary of the paper is taken from the CLASP web site,
augmented by a sentence from the report itself, and a few clarifications for non-U.S. readers]:

Forty years after the War on Poverty and a year after [Hurricane] Katrina struck, commitments to tackle poverty are beginning to come back onto political and policy agendas [in the United States]. This report considers why poverty is reemerging as a political issue; how poverty is a “purple” rather than a red or blue state [Republican or Democratic] issue; what the picture of poverty looks like in the U.S.; and where poverty targets and related efforts are underway. The report identifies efforts around the nation to set poverty targets -- numerical goals and timelines -- for the reduction or elimination of poverty. For example: In California, a 2006 bill calls for child poverty to be eliminated by 2026; in Connecticut, state law already establishes that child poverty is to be reduced by 50 percent by 2014. Among the reasons why poverty may be gaining attention is the increasing concern among many Americans that at some point they and their families may experience poverty.
Source:
Center for Law and Social Policy

From Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity:

Campaigns to Fight Poverty and Increase Opportunity
- links to 17 American poverty reduction campaigns and projects

Recent U.S. Anti-Poverty Proposals
- links to 15 reports on various aspects of poverty reduction from a number of sources, ranging from The Cato Institute to The Brookings Institute.

More U.S. initiatives to reduce poverty:

* Catholic Charities USA’s Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America by 50% by 2020
* State-level approaches to reducing poverty in Minnesota, New Mexico, California, and Missouri
* the Economic Policy Institute’s Agenda for Shared Prosperity [with a focus broader than poverty only]
* Connecticut’s Policy to Reduce Child Poverty by 50% by 2014.

U.S. House of Representatives Embraces Poverty Goal
January 25, 2008
Last April, the Center for American Progress released the report of CAP’s Task Force on Poverty, From Poverty to Prosperity [see the link below], calling for a national goal of cutting poverty in half in 10 years. This week, the House of Representatives endorsed this goal, when on January, 22, 2008, the House passed House Concurrent Resolution 198 via voice vote without objection, declaring the sense of the Congress that the United States should set a national goal of cutting poverty in half over the next 10 years.

Related link:

From Poverty to Prosperity: A National Strategy to Cut Poverty in Half
April 25, 2007
"(...) The United States should set a national goal of cutting poverty in half over the next 10 years. A strategy to cut poverty in half should be guided by four principles:
* Promote Decent Work.
* Provide Opportunity for All.
* Ensure Economic Security.
* Help People Build Wealth.

Twelve key steps to cut poverty in half:

1. Raise and Index the Minimum Wage to Half the Average Hourly Wage
2. Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
3. Promote Unionization by Enacting the Employee Free Choice Act
4. Guarantee Child Care Assistance to Low-Income Families, and Promote Early Education
5. Create Two Million New “Opportunity” Housing Vouchers, and Promote Equitable Development in and Around Central Cities
6. Connect Disadvantaged and Disconnected Youth with School and Work
7. Simplify and Expand Pell Grants and Make Higher Education Accessible for Residents of Each State
8. Help Former Prisoners Find Stable Employment and Reintegrate into Their Communities
9. Ensure Equity for Low-Wage Workers in the Unemployment Insurance System that Helps Workers and Families
11. Reduce the High Costs of Being Poor and Increase Access to Financial Services
12. Expand and Simplify the Saver’s Credit to Encourage Saving for Education, Homeownership, and Retirement
Full report (PDF - 8.1MB, 80 pages)
Executive Summary (PDF - 3.9MB, 8 pages)

Source:
Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress is a progressive think-tank
dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through ideas and action.

Also from the Center for American Progress:

Investing in Our Children: The U.S. Can Learn From the U.K.
By Jane Waldfogel
July 30, 2007
The former and newly installed British prime ministers, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, are longstanding Labour Party rivals, yet they were able to unite in what history may one day view as their most important domestic achievement—a commitment to end child poverty in the United Kingdom.
(...)
Although most of the focus in the United Kingdom is on relative poverty, the government also tracks its progress using an absolute poverty line, similar to the one the United States uses. On this measure, the United Kingdom has reduced poverty by a stunning 50 percent since the start of its anti-poverty campaign—reducing the numbers of children in absolute poverty before housing costs from 3.4 million in 1999 to 1.6 million in 2006. From a U.S. vantage point, this is a remarkable achievement.

U.S. - A new war on poverty ? Is it time for a new war on poverty? (PDF file - 3.7MB, 34 pages)
Winter 2008
The presidential candidates and top commentators weigh in.
Source:
Stanford Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality, Stanford
Geographical area : United States

U.S. Historical Initiatives: The New Deal (1933) and the War on Poverty (1964)

F.D. Roosevelt and the New Deal (1933-1938)
According to Wikipedia, "[t]he New Deal is the title that President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave to a sequence of programs and promises he initiated between 1933 and 1938 with the goal of giving relief, reform, and recovery to the people and economy of the United States during the Great Depression. During that period, Roosevelt passed banking reform laws, emergency relief programs, work relief programs, and agricultural programs. Later, a second New Deal was to evolve; it included union protection programs, the Social Security Act, and programs to aid tenant farmers and migrant workers. Thus, the 'First New Deal' of 1933 aimed at short-term recovery programs for all groups in society, while the 'Second New Deal' (1935–36) was a more radical redistribution of power away from big business and toward coal workers, farmers, and consumers. Although the New Deal greatly improved the economy, it did not end the Great Depression. The End of the Great Depression was caused by WWII."

Lyndon B. Johnson and the War on Poverty (1964-1973)
In January 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson declared War on Poverty in his State of the Union Address. "Our chief weapons in a more pinpointed attack [against poverty]", he said, "will be better schools, and better health, and better homes, and better training, and better job opportunities to help more Americans, especially young Americans, escape from squalor and misery and unemployment rolls where other citizens help to carry them."
In short order, the federal government created programs such as Job Corps, VISTA, Community Action Program, Head Start, food stamps, work study, Medicare and Medicaid, most of which still exist today. The programs initiated under Johnson brought about real results, reducing rates of poverty and improved living standards for America's poor. The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) was the agency responsible for administering most of the War on Poverty programs; The OEO was dismantled by President Richard Nixon in 1973, though many of the agency's programs were transferred to other government agencies. If you do a Google search for "Lyndon Johnson, War on Poverty", you'll find many useful resources.

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United Nations

Poverty Reduction
Through the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals the world is addressing the many dimensions of human development, including halving by 2015 the proportion of people living in extreme poverty.
Source:
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UNDP advocates for nationally-owned solutions to reduce poverty and promote human development. We sponsor innovative pilot projects; connect countries to global good practices and resources; promote the role of women in development; and bring governments, civil society and outside funders together to coordinate their efforts.

Millennium Development Goals (U.N.)
- incl. links to:
* About the MDGs * Advocacy for the MDGs * Strategies for the MDGs * Tracking the MDGs * Regional & Country Levels

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight goals to be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world's main development challenges. The MDGs are drawn from the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations-and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000.

The 8 MDGs break down into 18 quantifiable targets that are measured by 48 indicators.

* Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
* Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
* Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
* Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
* Goal 5: Improve maternal health
* Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
* Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
* Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Millennium Declaration - September 2000

Full list of MDG Goals, Targets and Indicators

2007 MDG Annual Report
[ earlier MDG reports ]

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Europe

European Union Social Protection Social Inclusion Process
This new platform – intended to all actors involved in the field of social affairs as well as the media and the public at large – replaces the three previous websites on Social Situation and Demography, Social Protection and Social Inclusion. You will find here information on the role played by the European Union in coordinating Member States’ action to combat poverty and social exclusion, reform social protection systems and in assessing new demographic and social developments, as well as concrete examples of this endeavour.

National Action Plans Against Poverty and Social Exclusion:
National Reports on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2006-2008
- incl. Austria - Belgium - Bulgaria - Cyprus - Czech Republic - Denmark - Estonia - France - Finland - Germany - Greece - Hungary - Ireland - Italy - Latvia - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Malta - Netherlands - Poland - Portugal - Romania - Slovakia - Slovenia - Sweden -United Kingdom
Source:
Reports
[ part of Social Inclusion ]
[ part of Employment and Social Affairs ]
[ part of Europa - Gateway to the European Union ]

National Strategic Reports
Following the streamlining of the Open Method of Coordination on Social Protection and Social Inclusion, Member States are now charged with translating the common objectives into National Plans for each of the three areas of Social Inclusion, Pensions and Health and Long-Term Care. These plans, which cover a period of two years, are submitted to the Commission in the form of a National Report on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion.
- incl. links to National Strategy Reports on Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2008-2010, National Reports on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2006-2008 and updates 2007 and more

2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion
The European Commission has designated 2010 as the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The € 17 million campaign aims to reaffirm the EU's commitment to making a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty by 2010. "The fight against poverty and social exclusion is one of the EU's central objectives and our shared approach has been an important tool to guide and support action in the Member States," said Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimír Špidla.

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Ireland

National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS) Index
The Office for Social Inclusion, established in December 2002, took over the functions of NAPS unit. The Office has the overall responsibility for developing, co-ordinating and driving Ireland's National Action Plan for Social Inclusion (NAPinclusion).The new Plan was published on 21 February 2007 and covers the ten year period between 2007-2016.

National Action Plan - links to backgrounder and annual reports

Information on the Office for Social Inclusion
The Office for Social Inclusion (OSI) of the Department of Social and Family Affairs is the Irish Government Office with overall responsibility for developing, co-ordinating and driving the governments social inclusion agenda

Social Inclusion Strategy - links to a dozen papers

Source:
Department of Social and Family Affairs

European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland
EAPN Ireland is a network of groups and individuals working against poverty. It is the Irish national network of the European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN Europe), which aims to put the fight against poverty at the top of the EU, national and local agenda.

What the poor need: A strategy
Ireland dramatically reduced its poverty rate, so why can't rich Canada do the same?
September 20, 2006
By: LAURIE MONSEBRAATEN
When Ireland decided in the mid-1990s to tackle the pervasive and grinding poverty dogging the country, the national government crafted a plan and set a goal. Ten years later, the country has cut its poverty rate from 15 per cent to less than 5 per cent.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Poverty Reduction Strategies in the United Kingdom and Ireland
By Chantal Collin (Political and Social Affairs Division)
2 November 2007
HTML version
PDF version (98 Kb, 15 pages)
[ version française ]
Table of Contents:
* Introduction
The United Kingdom’s Strategy to Reduce Poverty and Social Exclusion
(...)
Ireland’s National Anti-Poverty Strategy
* A. Multi-dimensional Approach
* B. Key Targets
* C. Measuring Success
* D. What’s Next? National Action Plan for Social Inclusion
* Summary
From the Parliamentary Research Library:
(Government of Canada)

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United Kingdom

From 2008 Budget documents (HM Treasury) :

Ending child poverty: everybody's business
12 March 2008
In 1999, the Government set an ambitious target to eradicate child poverty within a generation. Child poverty doubled in the 20 years from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s, but this rise has been reversed: 600,000 children have been lifted out of relative poverty since 1997. However, a significant number of families still experience relative poverty. (...) Ending child poverty: everybody's business sets out the next steps, including the measures announced in Budget 2008, that will make further significant progress to halving child poverty by 2010. The document also sets out the Governments vision for a renewed drive on child poverty for the next decade including a number of areas of further work and approaches the Government will pilot that will help develop the strategy for 2020.

Ending child poverty: everybody's business (PDF file - 1.3MB, 87 pages)
March 2008

Source:
Budget 2008
Stability and opportunity: building a strong, sustainable future
12 March 2008

Department for Work and Pensions
"The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is here to:
* promote opportunity and independence for all
* help individuals achieve their potential through employment
* work to end poverty in all its forms."

Our Child Poverty Strategy - March 2007
* Working for Children (PDF - 721KB)
* Executive summary (PDF - 105KB)

New Joint Child Poverty Unit
On 29 October 2007 DWP and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) announced the creation of their Joint Child Poverty Unit. This Unit brings together the child poverty policy officials and analysts in the two departments, along with Neera Sharma on secondment from Barnados, to take the Government’s child poverty strategy to its next stage of development.
The role of the Unit is to:
- provide an integrated approach across Government to tackling child poverty
- build on the Child Poverty Review, by taking stock and taking forward the strategic direction to eradicate child poverty by 2020
- engage all our stakeholders, learning from their expertise
- engage those in local service delivery to take ownership to support our commitments
- undertake research and analysis to support the development of successful policies.
* Read the press release ( 29 October 2007)
* Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) website

'Working Together' – United Kingdom National Action Plan on Social Inclusion 2006-2008
Working Together' is the third UK National Action Plan (NAP) on social exclusion. It explains how people from across the UK will be co-operating from 2006 to 2008 to tackle social exclusion and make a decisive impact on poverty.
- includes links to several related reports

The Poverty Site
This site monitors what is happening to poverty and social exclusion in the UK and complements our annual monitoring reports. The material is organised around 50 statistical indicators covering all aspects of the subject, from income and work to health and education.

Poverty and social exclusion monitoring reports
- incl. links to studies and reports on the following: * UK * Ethnicity * Disability * Scotland * Wales * Northern Ireland * Rural England * Social exclusion * Low pay * Government strategy

Links
- incl. links organized under the following topics : * Income * Work * Low pay * Education * Health * Housing * Crime * Services * Social cohesion * Children * Datasets

Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2007
December 2007
The New Policy Institute has produced its tenth annual report of indicators of poverty and social exclusion in the United Kingdom, providing a comprehensive analysis of trends and differences between groups.
Complete report (PDF - 840K, 140 pages)
Findings (HTML)
[ earlier reports back to 1998 ]

Source:
New Policy Institute

Joseph Roundtree Foundation
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is one of the largest social policy research and development charities in the UK. We spend over £10 million a year on our research and development programme. For over one hundred years we have been searching out the causes of social problems, investigating solutions and seeking to influence those who can make changes.

Child Poverty Action Group: fighting the injustice of poverty (CPAG)
CPAG is the leading charity campaigning for the abolition of child poverty in the UK and for a better deal for low-income families and children.

Meeting the Government's Child Poverty Target: progress to date (PDF - 120K, 11 pages)
September 2007
CPAG briefing summarising key facts and figures from the latest issue of Households Below Average Incomes, an annual report of the Department for Work and Pensions that is the source of the data which is used to measure progress against the Government's child poverty targets, i.e., to halve child poverty by 2010/11 and eradicate it by 2020. The latest issue covers the period 1994/5 to 2005/06..

Ending child poverty: everybody's business
"Ending child poverty: everybody's business" sets out the next steps, including the measures announced in Budget 2008, that will make further significant progress to halving child poverty by 2010. The document also sets out the Government's vision for a renewed drive on child poverty for the next decade, including a number of areas of further work and approaches the Government will pilot that will help develop the strategy for 2020.
Source:
2008 Budget Documents (HTM Treasury)

Poverty Reduction Strategies in the United Kingdom and Ireland
By Chantal Collin (Political and Social Affairs Division)