Prince Edward Island

Île-du-Prince-Édouard

Hotlinks
The links below will take you directly to the following
PEI government and non-governmental web pages:

Government Home Page

Government Guide - (departments, agencies, publications)
Executive Council
Community and Cultural Affairs
Social Services and Seniors
Health
Attorney General
Office of the Legislative Counsel (Statutes and Regulations)
Provincial Treasury
Auditor-General
Education
Human Rights Commission
Government Telephone and E-mail Directory
Government of PEI News Releases

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Atlantic Institute for Market Studies
University of Prince Edward Island

Department responsible for welfare
Social Services and Seniors (formerly Health and Social Services)
[NOTE: The former Department of Health and Social Services split into two departments in the fall of 2005: the Department of Health and the Department of Social Services and Seniors.]
Source: Budget 2005 Backgrounder]

Name of the welfare program
Social Assistance Program
(formerly Welfare Assistance)

Legislation

Social Assistance Act (PDF file - 413K, 10 pages)
- General Regulations (PDF file - 552K, 25 pages)
Source:
Statutes and Regulations of Prince Edward Island

Policy Manual
Social Assistance Policy Manual (PDF file, 1.7MB, 265 pages)
or
InfoPEI Social Assistance Policy Manual
- same policy manual, broken up into small PDF files for each section of the manual
NOTE: this version would be more helpful if the individual files had titles (e.g., "Persons on or in Support of Strike") vs. chapter numbers (e.g., "3-8 Policy"). Click "Policy index" to see the table of contents.

Welfare statistics
Number of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K, 1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare

Welfare rates (benefits)
Pre-Added Budgets ("5-6-3 Policy") [small PDF file - 3 pages]
- updated to August 2005
NOTE: the above link is one of the sections of the InfoPei SA Policy Manual. When you read the PDF file, you'll find cross-references to other related sections of the manual --- use the InfoPei link to access the other sections.
- this is not the most user-friendly presentation...

Latest search results on Google.ca for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Prince Edward Island"
- Web search results
- News search results
- Blog search results

Related Links
2006-2007 Social Services and Seniors Annual Report (PDF - 935K, 24 pages)
2005-06 Annual Report Social Services and Seniors (PDF - 575K, 23 pages)
2003/04 Ministry of Health and Social Services Annual Report (PDF file - 1.5MB, 73 pages)
2003/04 Ministry of Health & Social Services Program Profile (PDF file - 2.5MB, 86 pages)

Prince Edward Island 2009 Budget - main budget page
April 16, 2009

Provincial Budget Address

Highlights [PDF - 535K]

Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure [PDF -5 MB]

Related link:

P.E.I. forecasts $85M deficit, announces new stroke unit
April 16, 2009
The P.E.I. government is projecting big increases in revenue in 2009-10, but even bigger increases in spending, settling on a deficit of just over $85 million.The Department of Health is the biggest beneficiary of the new spending, with an extra $28 million. The biggest announcement from that department is a new 10-bed stroke unit at Charlottetown's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Previously, specialized stroke treatment was only available out of province. Education also got a big boost, split between two departments. Innovation and Advanced Learning added $22 million to its budget, including $16 million in job training through Labour Market Development, while $5 million will be shared among the province's three post-secondary schools.
Source:
CBC Prince Edward Island

For links to other 2009 Canadian government budgets,
go to the 2009 Canadian Government Budgets Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm

Earlier budgets - this link takes you further down the page you're now reading)

Social advocate encouraged by
commitment to poverty eradication strategy
February 24, 2009
By Jim Day
Talk is cheap when poverty eradication is on the table.
Yet Mary Boyd, one of the province’s most determined social advocates, liked what she heard from those in power last week.
Premier Robert Ghiz and Health and Social Services and Seniors Minister Doug Currie made a brief appearance Thursday at a workshop held by Island organizations Poverty Bites and the MacKillop Centre for Social Justice aimed at renewing efforts for action on the seemingly insurmountable goal of eliminating poverty in P.E.I.
Ghiz urged the group to not let up on government in pushing for change.
“It is important to stay at the forefront of issues,” he told the gathering that consisted of many people Boyd described as the voice of those suffering in poverty.
Source:
The Charlottetown Guardian

Related links:

- Go to the Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm

Governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island sign an Agreement on Early Learning and Child Care
News Release
November 24, 2005— Social Development Minister Ken Dryden and Chester Gillan, Prince Edward Island’s Minister of Social Services and Seniors, announced today an historic Agreement in Principle that further supports the development of quality early learning and child care (ELCC) for young children and their families in Prince Edward Island.
Source:
Human Resources and Social Development Canada

Related Links:

Healthy Child Development - from PEI Health and Social Services

Google Web Search Results : "Prince Edward Island, early learning and child care agreement"
Google News search Results : "Prince Edward Island, early learning and child care agreement"
Source:
Google.ca

Related Links:
- Go to the Government Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd.htm

PEI Disability Support Program

The PEI Disability Support Program is a social program with a financial component. This means it is open to all Islanders with a qualifying disability, and may provide financial help. It was introduced in October 2001 and replaces the Family Support and Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities (EAPD) programs. Eligibility is determined by meeting the applicable definition of disability and by the identification of required disability-specific supports.

The program is set up to respond to individual needs. It encourages economic independence by supporting people to work and earn income. It may also offer support to children and youth who have disabilities as well as their families.

Minister Releases Evaluation of the Disability Support Program
News Release
August 22, 2003
"Health and Social Services Minister Jamie Ballem today released the Formative Evaluation and Telephone Survey reports on the Prince Edward Island Disability Support Program."
NOTE: The Disability Support Program has three components:
Child Disability Supports to assist families with extraordinary child-rearing needs directly related to their disability.
Adult Disability Supports to help people with qualifying disabilities achieve their desired level of independence.
Employment and Vocational Supports - counselling, assessment, training, skills development and pre-employment through individually-focussed programs to help the individual gain competitive, long-term employment, or supported employment.

NOTE: the three links below lead to information about the PEI Disability Support Program, which was launched in October 2001 and gradually implemented throughout the province during 2002-2003.
Disability Support Program Brochure (PDF file - 938K, 2 pages)
Disability Support Program Handbook (PDF file - 777K, 14 pages)
Disability Support Program Information (PDF file - 85K, 4 pages)
"The Disability Support Program brings client, family and staff together to identify goals and resources to assist persons with a disability to become as independent as possible.
A major new Provincial Disability Support (DSP) Program was introduced [in 2002-2003] to assist persons who have a physical or intellectual disability to overcome barriers, achieve financial independence and a satisfactory quality of life. This is the first program in Canada to remove disability supports from income support programs, thereby enabling people to work and earn income, and still qualify for the disability supports they need. Approximately 700 Islanders joined the program during its first months of operation in 2002-2003."
- for people with disabilities, this program encompasses services previously offered through the Employability Assistance Program for Persons with Disabilities (EAPD), the Family Support Program and the Financial Assistance Program.
Source:
Annual Report, Department of Health and Social Services, 2001-2002
(PDF file, 3.1MB, 115 pages)
For more info on the PEI Disability Support Program, see also:
Annual Report 2000-2001 (PDF file - 764K, 118 pages)

Healthy Child Development

New Report Indicates PEI Children Are Doing Well
News Release
July 21, 2004
"CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI -- Compared to children in other provinces, PEI children are doing very well based on national indicators of child health and well-being. According to a report released today by the Premier’s Council on Healthy Child Development, PEI leads the country in several areas of child health such as healthy birthweights, positive personal and social behaviour and low rates of hospitalization for childhood injury."
- includes a backgrounder with highlights of the report

Complete report:

Annual Report on Children 2002-2003 (PDF file - 2.6MB, 94 pages)
June 2004

Related Links:

Healthy Child Development - includes links to earlier reports

Annual Report on Children 2001-2002 (PDF file - 1.77MB, 63 pages)

Federal and provincial governments make major investment in young children and families
November 1, 2002
Health and Social Services
"Pat Binns, Premier of Prince Edward Island, and federal Solicitor General Wayne Easter, together announced a major investment of more than $3.8 million over four years to the Building on Success: Best Start Program. (...) Funding for this program is being provided by the Government of PEI who will invest $2.3 million to expand the Building on Success: Best Start Program to all areas of the province over the next four years, and the Government of Canada's National Crime Prevention Strategy's Crime Prevention Investment Fund."
Related Links:
Building on Success: Best Start Program
Healthy Child Development - [PEI Health and Social Services]
National Crime Prevention Strategy

Premier Binns Announces Partnerships for Children Funding Initiative
July 16, 2002
Premier's Office
[version française]
"CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI -- A new funding initiative to assist community-based networks that work on behalf of children, will support the work of the provincial Healthy Child Development Strategy, says Premier Pat Binns."

Early Childhood Development Report on Prince Edward Island's Baseline Expenditures (2000-2001) and Incremental Investments (PDF file - 20K, 5 pages)
May 28, 2002
- includes information about : Publicly-funded Community-based Kindergarten Program - Early Intervention Services - Healthy Child Development Strategy
[version française - fichier PDF - 18Mo, 5 pages]
Related Links:
Annual Report on Children (PDF file - 718K, 25 pages)
November 2001
News Release - "Premier's Council on Healthy Child Development Releases First Annual Report"
November 15, 2001
Source : PEI Healthy Child Development website

Premier's Council on Healthy Child Development Releases First Annual Report
News Release
Premier's Office
Thursday, November 15, 2001
CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI -- The Premier's Council on Healthy Child Development released its first annual report today which highlights baseline data on the progress of Prince Edward Island children and a summary of Prince Edward Island initiatives to improve outcomes for children.

For Our Children: A Strategy for Healthy Child Development
As a response, and in their role as a partner in Canada's National Children's Agenda, Government's Throne Speech (1999) announced the development of a five year strategy for children from prenatal to early school years. In developing this strategy, it was agreed that it would incorporate the vision, values and goals of the National Children's Agenda. For Our Children, A Strategy for Healthy Child Development is about the children of Prince Edward Island - our own children, our grandchildren, and the children in our communities. The goal is to present a strategy that will help our children to grow up in a province that values children for who they are, and that provides opportunities for children to reach their full potential.
On this page, you'll find links to the complete report (246 pages), a summary report (64 pages) and a statistical profile of Island children (25 pages of social indicators)- all are in PDF format, and all are also available en français.

NOTE: for similar (early childhood) programs elsewhere in Canada, go to the Canadian Social Research Links Early Learning and Child Care page.

Department of Health
The following divisions will be responsible for programs and services:
- The Community Hospitals and Continuing Care Division will be responsible for long term care, home care, dialysis services, palliative care and the five community hospitals.
- The Provincial Acute Care Division will be responsible for the operations of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Prince County Hospital and Hillsborough Hospital.
- The Primary Care Division will be responsible for community mental health, inpatient and outpatient addictions services, family health centres, public health nursing, chronic disease management, reproductive care, primary health care policy, speech language pathology and audiology services.
- The Medical Programs Division will be responsible for Medicare services planning, physician resource planning, physician recruitment, medical education, Medicare program administration, out of province liaison, medical technology assessment and ambulance services.
- The Population Health Division will be responsible for the current functions of the Chief Health Officer, which include administration and enforcement of the Public Health Act and regulations, immunization and communicable diseases. It is also responsible for epidemiology, health inspection services, environmental health, emergency health, community care and private nursing homes and inspection services.
- The Corporate Services Division will be responsible for human resources, communications, FOIPP, policy and administration, records information management, results measurement, quality and risk utilization, French language services, legislation processes, policy and evaluation, and Federal Provincial Territorial health matters.
- The Finance Division will be be responsible for budgeting, forecasting and analysis, auditing, payroll functions, materials management and financial planning.
- The Health Informatics Division will continue to support the Department of Health and the new Department of Social Services and Seniors in the short term.

Source:
Backgrounder: Health and Social Services
(specific measures in the 2005 budget concerning health and social services)
- includes : Program Highlights 2004-2005 - Budget 2005 Highlights
NOTE: the Dept. of Social Services and Health split in two : Dept. of Health and Dept. of Social Services and Seniors - in the fall of 2005
Source:
2005 Prince Edward Island Provincial Budget