Canadian Social Research Newsletter
March 22, 2009

Welcome to the weekly Canadian Social Research Newsletter,
a listing of the new links added to the Canadian Social Research Links website in the past week.

The e-mail version of this week's issue of the newsletter is going out to 1996 subscribers.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Canadian content

1. [Ontario] McGuinty Government To Increase Ontario Child Benefit And Invest In Affordable Housing - March 20
2. Alberta announces $3.2b plan to end homelessness - March 16
3. What's new in The Toronto Star:
--- Recession's bite swells welfare rolls - March 20
--- What Ontario has to do to fix the hole in welfare - March 18
--- Poverty strategy belongs in budget - March 17
--- Poverty fight must continue - March 17
4. Homelessness in Canada: Past, Present, Future (David Hulchanski, University of Toronto)
5. Québec Budget 2009-2010 - March 19
6. Recent releases from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives:
--- Income Inequality and the Pursuit of Prosperity - March 10
--- BC's Growing Gap: Family Income Inequality, 1976-2006 - March 2009
--- CCPA-Nova Scotia's Response to the Minimum Wage Review Committee Report - March 9
--- The Lead-Up : BC Election Commentary from the CCPA
--- The Trouble with Housing for Low-Income People - March 5
7. Saskatchewan Budget 2009-10 - March 18, 2009
8. Province of New Brunswick 2009-2010 Budget - March 17, 2009
9. [Ontario] Economic crisis could stall poverty plan, minister says (Toronto Star) - March 13
10. What's new in The Daily (Statistics Canada)
11. What's new from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (Toronto) - March 18

International  content

12. Poverty Dispatch: U.S. media coverage of social issues and programs (Institute for Research on Poverty - University of Wisconsin-Madison)
13. Australian Policy Online Weekly Briefing - selected recent content
14. CRINMAIL (March 2009) - (Child Rights Information Network - CRIN)

Gilles

************************
Gilles Séguin
Canadian Social Research Links
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net

From the Government of Ontario:

Helping Families In Need:
McGuinty Government To Increase Ontario Child Benefit And Invest In Affordable Housing
March 20, 2009
Ontario is doing more to support low income families facing challenging economic times. The government is proposing to increase the Ontario Child Benefit this July, from $600 to a maximum of $1,100 per child per year. The Ontario Child Benefit helps 1.3 million children by giving moms and dads monthly support. Ontario is also planning to increase its investment in social and affordable housing to create short-term jobs in construction and renovation while improving the lives of people with low-incomes. Working with the federal government, Ontario would renovate 50,000 social housing units and build 4,500 new affordable housing units through a joint investment of $1.2 billion.
Source:
Newsroom - Ontario.ca

Ontario Child Benefit (OCB)*
The Ontario Child Benefit is financial support that low-income families can receive to help provide for their children. It’s also the centrepiece of Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. About 465,000 families with 960,000 children receive a monthly Ontario Child Benefit payment each month. That’s up to $50 per child each month, increasing to up to $67 per child each month as of July 2009.
*NOTE: as at March 22, the information on this page has not been updated to reflect the increase in the OCB that was announced March 20.
Source:
Ministry of Children and Youth Services

Ontario Child Benefit*
- from the government's poverty reduction website, includes a brief description of the OCB and three charts showing the impact of the OCB on family incomes.
*NOTE: as at March 22, the information on this page has not been updated to reflect the increase in the OCB that was announced March 20.
Source:
Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy

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Related links:
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Ontario doubles payout for low-income children
Child benefit increases to $1,100 yearly to ease the economic fallout
March 21, 2009
By Tanya Talaga
The Ontario child benefit available to low-income families will nearly double to $1,100 a year beginning in July, Premier Dalton McGuinty said yesterday. The Liberals had planned on increasing the monthly child benefit by 2011 as part of their anti-poverty reduction strategy, but accelerated the payout to help families during the economic downturn, he told a news conference at the Cabbagetown Youth Centre. The government promised four months ago to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent in five years, but said that federal funding and a strong economy were required to reach the target. Anti-poverty advocates have been watching closely to see whether the Liberals, facing a projected $18 billion deficit over two years, will deliver. Yesterday's announcement increases the maximum child benefit to $92 from $50 per child, per month. About 465,000 families with a total of 960,000 children receive a monthly payment, with the maximum annual benefit currently $600. The maximum benefit is available to families earning less than $20,000 a year.
Source:
The Toronto Star

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Poverty investments a good first start: 25 in 5
March 20, 2009
Commitments made by Premier Dalton McGuinty today to invest in two important poverty reduction initiatives bode well for all Ontarians, says the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction.
NOTE: the following links are copied from the above blog posting:
Media and community responses
to the Ontario Government announcement:
* Low-income Ontarians, and provincial economy get welcome boost from new investments - The Wellesley Institute
* Ontario budget to boost child benefit, social housing funds - CBC.ca
* Affordable housing to get $1.2B boost - Toronto Star
* Ont. speeds up increase in child benefit to July 1 - CTV.ca
* Municipalities Welcome $1.2 Billion Investment in Social Housing - Association of Municipalities of Ontario
Source:
25 in 5 Network
for Poverty Reduction

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Ontario makes substantial
down payment on new provincial housing plan
March 20, 2009
By Michael Shapcott
Ontario has made a substantial down payment to meet the housing needs of tens of thousands of people who are precariously housed or homeless. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and housing minister Jim Watson have announced plans today to invest $624.5 million over the next two years in affordable housing initiatives. When combined with matching federal dollars, it amounts to more than $1.2 billion. (...) Today’s provincial housing announcement meets the first priority set out by the Wellesley Institute in our 2009 budget recommendations to the Government of Ontario, which was to fully match federal affordable housing dollars. But provincial housing investments still lag behind the deep and persistent need across the province, and Ontario is lagging behind provides such as Alberta [see below] in making commitments for urgently needed new housing investments.
Source:
Wellesley Institute Blog
[ Wellesley Institute ]

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

Alberta announces $3.2b plan to end homelessness
March 16, 2009
By Michael Shapcott
The Alberta government has today released a dramatic plan to end homelessness in 10 years by committing $1.2 billion in capital investments and $2 billion in operating funding. The plan – based on the “housing first” approach (which provides immediate housing and then offers supports as required) – will lead to the creation of 11,000 new homes by 2012, according to the provincial government. Full details, including funding and implementation lines, will be released in next month’s provincial budget.

The Alberta Plan:

A Plan For Alberta : Ending Homelessness in 10 years (PDF - 1.8MB, 48 pages)
October 2008
Prepared By:
The Alberta Secretariat
For Action On Homelessness
[ Alberta Housing and Urban Affairs ]

- Go to the Alberta Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/abkmrk.htm
- Go to the Homelessness and Housing Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/homeless.htm

What's new in The Toronto Star:

Recession's bite swells welfare rolls
March 20, 2009
By Tanya Talaga
"(...) As of last month, there were 214,363 Ontario Works cases in total – a number not seen since 2000, when the caseload rose to 215,618 one month, the Ministry of Community and Social Services says. (...) A single welfare recipient in this province receives $572 monthly, although that amount may vary based on a number of factors. For instance, those living in subsidized housing may receive less. Experts say that what Ontario is now seeing is the delayed effect of massive job losses experienced last year as people run out of severance pay, savings or employment insurance. Job losses in the manufacturing and auto sectors have left Ontario with an 8.7 per cent unemployment rate – higher than the national average of 7.7 per cent."

What Ontario has to do to fix the hole in welfare
March 18, 2009
By Don Drummond (Chief Economist, TD Bank Financial Group)
and John Stapleton (Metcalf Foundation Fellow)
Our welfare system provides Ontarians with a false sense of security. Many assume it has been designed to offer temporary protection to individuals who are ineligible for Employment Insurance, or no longer able to participate in this program. But this so-called safety net has some large holes. It does not catch all those it should. And the ones it does catch often become entangled in the web, finding it difficult to get back out. In short, it has a way of keeping the destitute down. (...) We have argued that the asset limits for welfare eligibility need to be raised substantially. A particular aspect of this is to exempt certain amounts in Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and the new Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs). The Ontario government has an opportunity to do this in its March 26 budget. It would be an important step forward in its poverty reduction strategy. (...) The end game is to provide temporary support for individuals who lose their job and then help them get back into the labour market as soon as possible, when the economy turns around. Under present welfare rules we are destined to repeat the patterns of the past when too few are protected and those who are become entangled. By creating a better future for those who need it most, the government can help make sure we don’t repeat history.

Poverty strategy belongs in budget
Editorial
March 17, 2009
When Premier Dalton McGuinty committed to reduce poverty, just four months ago, his plan spoke passionately about alleviating the suffering of families living in poverty and, in doing so, improving the economic future for all Ontarians. The need is even greater now. Yet, just days before the provincial budget that could elevate the plan from nice words to concrete action, there are troubling signs that the government is backing off...

Poverty fight must continue
Timely investments will reduce poverty but also stimulate local economies
March 17, 2009
By Sarah Blackstock, Pat Capponi and Janet Gasparini
"(...)These are challenging economic times and, historically, it has been during such dark moments that previous governments did the most for the poor and the jobless. Abandoning the poor during an economic downturn is not the kind of leadership Ontarians envision for their government. Now is not a time for cold feet. It is a time for bold action.Now, more than ever, we turn to our government to meet its commitment."
(Sarah Blackstock is a policy analyst with the Income Security Advocacy Centre. Pat Capponi is facilitator of Voices From the Street. Janet Gasparini is chair of the Social Planning Network of Ontario.)

Source:
The Toronto Star

[ See also : 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction ]

- Go to the Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm
- Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (D-W) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk3.htm

Homelessness in Canada: Past, Present, Future (PDF - 101K, 13 pages)
February 18, 2009
David Hulchanski of the Cities Centre and Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto looks at the evolution of the set of social problems we now call homelessness and the efforts of governments and communities to address them.
[ Conference keynote address, Growing Home: Housing and Homelessness in Canada, University of Calgary ]
Source:
David Hulchanski
Cities Centre, University of Toronto

- Go to the Homelessness and Housing Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/homeless.htm

Québec Budget 2009-2010 - Main Budget page
March 19, 2009
[ version française ]
- includes links to all budget papers (some of which appear below)

2009-2010 Budget: Protecting jobs and preparing for recovery (PDF - 40K, 3 pages)
News Release
[ more press releases - 6 in all ]

* Budget Speech (40 pages, 672 Kb)

* 2009-2010 Budget Plan (434 pages, 2.2 Mb)
Section A - The Government's Economic and Fiscal Policy Directions
Section B - The Québec Economy: Recent Developments and Outlook for 2009 and 2010
Section C - The Government’s Financial Framework
Section D - Debt, Financing and Debt Management
Section E - Supporting Families and the Well-being of Quebecers
Section F - Supporting Jobs and Preparing for Economic Recovery
Section G - Update on Federal Transfers
Section H - Report on the Application of the Balanced Budget Act and on the Act to establish a budgetary surplus reserve fund
Section I - Report on the Application of the Act to reduce the debt and establish the Generations Fund
Section I - Additional Information – Historical Data

Additional Information on the Budgetary Measures (PDF - 132 pages, 1 Mb)
Section A - Revenue Measures
Section B - Expenditure Measures
Section C - Financial Impact of Fiscal and Budgetary Measures

The Budget at a Glance (PDF - 12 pages, 680 Kb)
1. Tackling the recession and preparing for recovery
2. Ensuring social development
3. Maintaining sound public finances

Selected Budget papers:

Status Report on Québec's Family Policy (PDF - 48 pages, 716 Kb)
Québec has gradually implemented a family policy that is now considered one of the most generous in the world. This policy is starting to yield results: the birth rate is up, the demographic trends of the 1990s have been reversed, the employment rate of women is improving, and Québec has one of the lowest child poverty rates in Canada. (...) Québec’s family policy has three components: financial support for parents, child care and parental leave. The government wants to provide a status report on the main programs under each component, using concrete examples to demonstrate the substantial support available to Québec families.

Quebecers' Income: The Progress Achieved (PDF - 60 pages, 752 Kb)
Since 2003 the government has undertaken major tax initiatives to raise Quebecers’ income. The measures taken have made it possible to increase the real disposable income of households, and have contributed to improving the purchasing power of citizens. This document is intended to provide an update on the impact of these various initiatives benefiting individuals introduced by the government.
Contents:
Section 1 : An overview of these tax measures and the impact they have had on the tax situation of Quebecers in relation to the rest of North America and elswehere in the world
Section 2 :The most recent data on Quebecers’ income, how it has changed over time, and how it compares with income in other provinces.
Section 3 : factors in the level of the cost of living and changes over time to provide an instrument for measuring Quebecers’ purchasing power.

Related links:

Quebec budget predicts 4 years of deficits
Tax and user-fee increases part of plan to get province out of the red
March 19, 2009
The Quebec Liberal government on Thursday tabled a budget with a $3.9-billion deficit, suspending its own balanced-budget law in an attempt to protect the province's economy from slipping too far into a recession. Finance Minister Monique Jérôme-Forget presented a $66-billion budget for 2009-2010, adding Quebec to the growing list of provinces that are borrowing money to pay for basic services and economic stimulus measures.
Source:
CBC Montreal

A province in the red
Sales tax, fees to rise as Quebec enters deficit. Liberals lay on rhetoric in return to bad old days
March 20, 2009
Source:
The Gazette - Montreal

- Go to the 2009 Canadian Government Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm
- Go to the Québec Links (English) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qce.htm
- Rendez-vous à la page de liens de recherche sociale au Québec: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qcbkmrk.htm

Recent releases from the
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives:

Walter Gordon Massey Symposium:
Income Inequality and the Pursuit of Prosperity (PDF - 110K, 5 pages)
March 10, 2009
By Armine Yalnizyan
"(...) Income inequality matters. If only the top get ahead, the middle are stagnant and the poor are losing ground, it becomes harder to define shared objectives, or pursue goals that benefit the majority. Public policy becomes increasingly mired in negotiated deals with the most effective lobbyists."

[ more research & publications by Armine Yalnizyan ]

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BC's Growing Gap: Family Income Inequality, 1976-2006
March 2009
By Iglika Ivanova
* Complete report (PDF - 1MB, 48 pages)
* Summary (PDF - 338K, 8 pages)

Press Release:
Majority of BC families can't get ahead: study reveals 30-year decline in incomes for all but the richest
March 10, 2009
(Vancouver) A new study reveals that BC’s poor and middle class families are in worse financial shape than their parents’ generation. The study, released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, finds that fully 60% of families with children are earning less than their counterparts in the late 1970s, while incomes for the wealthiest 10% have increased dramatically. The result is a widening gap between the rich and the rest of the population.
A key finding of the study: Between 1976 and 2006, real earnings (before taxes and transfers) decreased for the bottom 60% of BC families with children — the worst performance in Canada along with Newfoundland.

[ more CCPA reports on inequality and poverty ]

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Of special interest to minimum wage researchers:

CCPA-Nova Scotia's Response to the Minimum Wage Review Committee Report
March 9, 2009

Related link:
Nova Scotia Minimum Wage Review Committee Report (PDF - 115K, 21 pages)
January 27, 2009
Source:
Government of Nova Scotia

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The Lead-Up : BC Election Commentary from the CCPA
Recent Posts:
* Well, now that Alberta is doing it …
* BC’s minimum wage soon tied for Canada’s lowest
* Social assistance caseload way up
* The wrong kind of stimulus
* Beggar-thy-neighbour politics in Metro Vancouver

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The Trouble with Housing for Low-Income People (PDF - 270K, 4 pages)
March 5, 2009
"(...) we need a national housing strategy – Canada is one of the very few countries in the industrialized world without one – led by the federal government, with important roles played by provincial and municipal governments and non-profit housing providers, and with a commitment to a significant annual increase in the supply of low-income rental housing."

Saskatchewan Budget 2009-10 - Main Budget page
March 18, 2009
- includes all budget papers (some of which appear below)

Balanced budget will keep Saskatchewan's economy strong and steady
Budget Delivers Largest Education Property Tax Cut in Saskatchewan History
March 18, 2009
News Release
The Provincial Government today delivered the largest property tax reduction in Saskatchewan history as part of the 2009-10 Budget.

Focus on Child Welfare in provincial budget
March 18, 2009
News Release
Ensuring Saskatchewan is a healthy, safe place to live for all of our children, including those at risk, is a priority of the 2009-10 Budget. Nearly $25 million has been dedicated to improving the province's child welfare system over the next year.

* Budget Address

* Estimates (PDF - 3.3MB, 191 pages)

* Summary Book (PDF - 1.2MB, 95 pages)

* Highlights Card

* Backgrounder - Facts and Figures

Related links:

Saskatchewan budget cuts property tax, increases spending on children
NDP critic says budget is 'short-term gain for long-term pain'
March 18, 2009
Bolstered by anticipated potash revenues of nearly $2 billion, the Saskatchewan Party government’s budget promises to reduce the education portion of property tax, boost spending to the child welfare system and provide cash for initiatives such as the long-proposed children’s hospital in Saskatoon.
Source:
The StarPhoenix

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Reaction to the 2009-10 provincial budget
March 18, 2009
- includes feedback on the 2009-10 budget from over a dozen sources from the usual sectors
Source:
The Leader-Post

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Big property tax cut highlights Saskatchewan budget
Opposition says $10B spending plan is unsustainable
March 18, 2009
Saskatchewan will cut education property taxes by 14 per cent and boost spending by more than $1 billion, according to a provincial budget that shows few signs of the economic storm battering the rest of Canada. While other provinces are looking at hefty deficits amid the economic slowdown, Saskatchewan will take in $400 million more than it spends in 2009-2010, according to the budget released by Finance Minister Rod Gantefoer on Wednesday.
Source:
CBC Saskatchewan News

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Saskatchewan fits stimulus spending into surplus budget
March 18, 2009
The prairie tiger's roar softened to a purr Wednesday as Saskatchewan's government tabled a budget that promises tax cuts, stimulus spending and a surplus well short of the $2.3-billion that flooded provincial coffers last year. Finance Minister Rod Gantefoer forecast a $425-million surplus for the coming year, even while the economy absorbs a 12-per-cent spending increase, a massive property tax reduction and roller-coaster commodity prices.
Source:
The Globe and Mail

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More news coverage of the 2009-10 Saskatchewan Budget
- search results from Google.ca

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- Go to the 2009 Canadian Government Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm
- Go to the Saskatchewan Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/skbkmrk.htm

Province of New Brunswick 2009-2010 Budget (Main budget page)
March 17, 2009

Province provides leadership for stronger economy with 2009-10 budget
March 17, 2009
News Release
FREDERICTON (CNB) - The largest one-time tax reduction package ever introduced in New Brunswick is a major part of the province's 2009-10 budget, Leadership for a Stronger Economy, along with measures to maintain and create jobs, a commitment to return to balanced budgets, and strict controls on government expenditures. Delivered today by Finance Minister Victor Boudreau, the budget also features focused investments in priorities such as health care and education, and $1.2 billion for infrastructure projects.
- includes detailed budget highlights

* Budget Speech (PDF - 835K, 36 pages)

* NB Economy (PDF - 942K, 28 pages)

* Main Estimates (PDF - 1MB, 307 pages)

* The Plan to Lower Taxes in New Brunswick (PDF - 389K, 24 pages)

Related links:

From CBC New Brunswick:

N.B. budget cuts hundreds of millions in taxes
March 17, 2009The New Brunswick government is unleashing a series of personal and corporate tax cuts in its 2009-10 budget as it attempts to provide a jolt to the province's faltering economy. Finance Minister Victor Boudreau announced Tuesday a four-year plan that will merge the province's four tax brackets into two with lower rates and cut corporate taxes to the lowest in the country. Under the plan, there would be tax cuts totalling $143.5 million in 2009-10; this would increase to tax cuts totalling $380.2 million in 2012-13.
[ NOTE: see "In depth: 2009-10 New Brunswick Budget" in the right-hand margin for links to over a dozen related articles ]

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[ More news coverage of the 2009-10 NB Provincial Budget ]
- search results from Google.ca

- Go to the 2009 Canadian Government Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm

Economic crisis could stall poverty plan, minister says
March 13, 2009
By Joanna Smith
OTTAWA–The economic crisis could disrupt an Ontario government strategy to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent over the next five years, provincial Children and Youth Services Minister Deb Matthew's said yesterday. (...) The provincial government released its anti-poverty blueprint – which aims to lift 90,000 Ontario children above the poverty line by 2014 – last December. Matthew's says she has always been upfront about its dependence on economic growth and co-operation from all three levels of government. Matthew's said worsened economic conditions could result in an interruption in implementing the strategy but insisted the government can still succeed. "I am optimistic we can achieve it and I can assure you that kids will be better off as a result of this strategy regardless of the economy," she said.
Source:
The Toronto Star

- Go to the Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm
- Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (D-W) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk3.htm

What's New in The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

When I clicked on The Daily link on Sunday (March 22),
here's the message that popped up:

"We're sorry! We are currently performing website maintenance.
The site will be unavailable between Saturday, March 21, 2009 and Sunday, March 22, 2009.
Please visit the census home page for a comprehensive collection of census publications.
We apologize for any inconvenience."

Translation:
"We're sorry we have to work on the weekend, even though it's at time-and-a-half. We are currently upgrading our website to comply with the new Common Look and Feel standards ("CLF v.2") for all federal government websites - at least until the implementation of CLF v.3. Instead of ensuring ongoing visitor access to the site by doing the upgrade on a local server and then uploading the revised pages to the Web, we're shutting down the whole site, just because we can. Please visit the Census home page for a comprehensive collection of census publications, even though what you're looking for has diddley-squat to do with the Census. We apologize, yada, yada, yada.

By the time most folks try to access The Daily early in the workweek, the site will be back online. It *is* frustrating, though, for researchers working on the weekend, especially when it's possible for all of the "website maintenance" to be done on a mirror site without any inconvenience to site visitors. Click the archives link below to see last week's (or last month's) Daily content.

The Daily Archives - select a year and month from the drop-down menu to view releases in chronological order
[ Statistics Canada ]

- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Fisheries and Oceans to Veterans Affairs) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk2.htm

Subscribe to the CRRU email announcements list
Sign up to receive email notices of updates and new postings on the CRRU website which will inform you of policy developments in early childhood care and education, new research and resources for policy, newly released CRRU publications, and upcoming events of interest to the child care and broader community.

Links to child care sites in Canada and elsewhere

CRRU Publications - briefing notes, factsheets, occasional papers and other publications
ISSUE files - theme pages, each filled with contextual information and links to further info

Source:
Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU)

- Go to the Non-Governmental Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd2.htm

Poverty Dispatch (U.S). ===> the content of this link changes twice a week
IRP compiles and distributes Poverty Dispatches twice a week. Each issue of the dispatch provides links to U.S. web-based news items dealing with topics such as poverty, welfare reform, child welfare, education, health, hunger, Medicare and Medicaid, etc.
Each Dispatch lists links to current news in popular print media.

March 19, 2009
* States and Homelessness Rates
* State Budget Cuts and Social Services
* Economic Stimulus and Jobless Benefits
* Jobless Claims and Unemployment Rates
* Food Stamp Programs - Oklahoma, Idaho, Ohio
* U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Rate
* Report: Charter Schools and Academic Achievement
* Child Care Subsidies - Pennsylvania
* Home Foreclosures and Renters
* Affordable Housing Development - California

March 16, 2009
* Homelessness and Housing
* Joblessness and Unemployment
* People Living in Poverty - Louisiana
* Child Hunger and Malnutrition - India
* Recession and the World's Poor
* Child Care Subsidies - Arizona, Alabama
* States and Grocery Sales Taxes
* States and Health Care Coverage and Costs
* School Voucher Program - Washington, D.C.
* News Media and Coverage of the Poor
* The Newly Poor and Food Assistance
* Neighborhoods and Access to Healthy Foods - Los Angeles, CA
* UC Berkeley Minor, 'Global Poverty and Practice'
* Home Foreclosures and Renters
* U.S. Army and GED Assistance

Past Poverty Dispatches
- links to two dispatches a week back to June 2006

Search Poverty Dispatches

If you wish to receive Poverty Dispatches by e-mail,
please send a request to rsnell@ssc.wisc.edu

Source:
Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)
[ University of Wisconsin-Madison ]

- Go to the Links to American Government Social Research page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (A-J) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us2.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (M-Z) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us3.htm
- Go to the Poverty Measures - International Resources page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty2.htm

APO Weekly Briefing
The content of this page changes each week, and it includes links to a few book/report reviews, about two dozen new reports, a few job ads and 60 events (mostly conferences) of interest to social researchers...
Source:
Australian Policy Online (APO) - home page
With nearly 120 member centres and institutes, Australian Policy Online offers easy access to much of the best Australian social, economic, cultural and political research available online.

NOTE: the APO home page includes links to the five most popular reports on the APO website, and this list is updated each week.
TOP FIVE for 12 - 18 March 2009:
1. What evidence should social policymakers use? / Andrew Leigh
2. Child care: where we came from and where we're going / Peter Clarke and Deborah Brennan
3. Culture and wellbeing: the case of Indigenous Australians / Michael Dockery
4. Measuring the 'real' cost of children: A net wealth approach / Michael Dockery
5. What job, which house? Simple solutions to complex problems in Indigenous affairs / Mark Moran
( Follow the the APO link to access any of these five reports.)

APO Archive
The APO archive is grouped into 23 subject areas, with entries appearing in reverse chronological order.
* Ageing *Asia and the pacific * Citizenship and the law * Disability * Economics and trade * Education * Employment and workplace relations * The environment * Foreign policy and defence * Gender and sexuality * Health * Housing * Families and households * Immigration and refugees * Income, poverty and wealth * Indigenous * Media, communications and cultural policy * Politics and government * Population, multiculturalism and ethnicity * Religion and faith * Rural and regional * Science and technology * Social policy * Urban and regional planning * Youth

- Go to the Social Research Links in Other Countries (Non-Government) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/internatngo.htm

From the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN):

19 March 2009 - CRINMAIL 1068
* SRI LANKA: Conflict is taking the lives of children, says UNICEF [news]
* BANGALDESH: Are judges experts in determining age? [publication]
* DISABILITY: The meaning of inclusion [publication]
* ASIA: Trafficking in children in South Asia [publication]
* GLOBAL: Small grants programme for deaf children
* EMPLOYMENT: Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (voluntary)
* QUESTIONNAIRE: Online child pornography
**NEWS IN BRIEF**
**QUIZ**

17 March 2009 - CRINMAIL 1067
* REPORT: Perception of Children on Parenting Practices [publication]
* NEW ZEALAND: School safety: An inquiry into the safety of students at school [publication]
* OPT: Child rights situation analysis 2008 [publication]
* BRAZIL: Child Rape Case Revives Debate on Abortion [news]
* HANDBOOK: Education in Emergencies: Including everyone [publication]
* CRIN REVIEW 22: Children's Right to the City - now available in Arabic
* BAHRAIN: Effective Strategies for the Prevention of Child Online Pornography, Trafficking, and Abuse [event]
* EMPLOYMENT: Save the Children Sweden
**NEWS IN BRIEF**

Earlier issues of CRINMAIL
- links to 300+ earlier weekly issues, many of which are special editions focusing on special themes, such as the 45th Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Source:
CRINMAIL(incl. subscription info)
[ Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) ]

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Disclaimer/Privacy Statement

Both Canadian Social Research Links (the site) and this Canadian Social Research Newsletter belong solely to me, Gilles Séguin.

I am solely accountable for the choice of links presented therein and for the occasional editorial comment - it's my time, my home computer, my experience, my biases, my Rogers Internet account and my web hosting service.

I administer the mailing list and distribute the weekly newsletter using software on the web server of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Thanks, CUPE!

If you wish to subscribe to the e-mail version of newsletter, go to the Canadian Social Research Newsletter Online Subscription page:
http://lists.cupe.ca/mailman/listinfo/csrl-news

You can unsubscribe by going to the same page or by sending me an e-mail message [ gilseg@rogers.com ]

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The e-mail version of this newsletter is available only in plain text (no graphics, no hyperlinks, no fancy bolding or italics, etc.) to avoid security problems with government departments, universities and other networks with firewalls. The text-only version is also friendlier for people using older or lower-end technology.

Privacy Policy:
The Canadian Social Research Newsletter mailing list is not used for any purpose except to distribute each weekly issue.
I promise not share any information on this list, nor to send you any junk mail.

Links presented in the Canadian Social Research Newsletter point to different views about social policy and social programs.
There are some that I don't agree with, so don't get on my case, eh...

To access earlier online HTML issues of the Canadian Social Research Newsletter, go to the Newsletter page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/news.htm

Please feel free to distribute this newsletter as widely as you wish, but please remember to mention Canadian Social Research Links when you do.

Cheers!
Gilles

E-MAIL:
gilseg@rogers.com

25 Health Tips and Warnings

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1. Licking a wound actually does promote healing. Saliva helps disinfect wounds and kills bacteria.

2. What you do during the first few hours after you've sprained your ankle or pulled a muscle can determine whether you're back to your normal routine quickly or still hobbling a week later.
The key is ICE, applied as soon as possible.
(...in a glass of good single malt Scotch, preferably...)

3. It may be impossible for many people to attain a flat stomach. Even if you're very thin, your internal organs are inside your abdomen. The flatness of your stomach in many cases depends on your genes.

4. Don't use home tooth-bleaching kits. These contain ingredients that can injure gums and other soft tissue of the mouth. They also can make you sick if you swallow them.

5. To minimize crying while slicing onions, put a piece of bread in your mouth! This may absorb some of the fumes.
(OR  peel your onions next to a running cold water tap in the kitchen - but save the running water in a large container  for other uses later)

6. Smoking does NOT keep people thin, according to a study of 4,000 people ages 18 to 30. Weight gain was common (averaging 2 pounds per year), whether the person smokes or not!

7. Alcohol can be a double whammy for hip fractures in older people; not only does excessive drinking increase the risk of falls, but it also decreases bone density.

8. If you're taking a daily low-dose aspirin for heart protection, you should take a full-sized 325mg (or 4X8mg) aspirin twice a month. This additional dose further reduces the risk of clots.

9. It's estimated that 10 to 15 million Americans are allergic to cockroaches. Skin irritation, hay fever symptoms, or asthma are some of the problems associated with cockroach allergy.

10. If you occasionally feel faint when standing up, try raising your arms over your head before you get up.

11. American men who turn 65 this year can expect to live another 16 years. Women, another 19 years.

12. Chocolate may be a more effective cough remedy than cough medicine, according to a study at Imperial College London.

13. Ounce for ounce, green peppers have three times more Vitamin C than oranges.

14. Corn, tomatoes and carrots actually have more nutrients after being canned than when raw.

15. Caffeine boosts the analgesic effect of aspirin or ibuprofen (Motrin). That's why it is added to some products (like Excedrin). But you can simply take a pain reliever with a caffeinated beverage such as coffee, tea or cola to get the same effect!

16. Both green and black tea have enough flouride to fight tooth decay. Some studies show that tea, if you drink it daily over a lifetime, may also prevent heart disease and cancer.

17. Do you know why eyes often turn red in a photograph? Blood. Really. The little black dot in the middle of your eye is not black. It’s clear, it only looks black because there’s no light coming from behind it for illumination. However, when a flash goes off, the light enters the eye and reflects off of what it finds. It finds blood vessels, blood is red, and that’s what reflects.

18. 90% of the calories in cream cheese come from fat. It's the most fattening cheese.

19. Measure your waist to find out if you are at risk for weight-related health problems. For women, a waist measurement of 34 1/2 inches signals a serious risk. For men, the cutoff point is 40 inches.

20. Grapefruit juice can greatly boost the concentration of certain drugs in the bloodstream. These include some popular cholesterol-lowering drugs, calcium channel-blockers, tranquilizers and some antihistamines.

21. An easy way to tell about your sun protection in the summer: if your shadow is shorter than your height, it's sunburn time. In most parts of the country, that's between 10 am and 4 pm

22. If you take chewable Vitamin C tablets, make sure you brush your teeth afterwards, or at least rinse your mouth out. The tablets make your mouth acidic enough to start dissolving tooth enamel.

23. Don't expect pounds shed in a commercial weight loss program to stay off - they almost always come back. The strongest predictor of maintaining weight loss is regular exercise. The best predictor of weight regain: frequent television viewing!

24. Walkers and hikers who apply an aluminum-containing antiperspirant to their feet daily for at least three days before a long hike can reduce the risk of blisters!

25. If you have symptoms of a heart attack, such as chest pain, chew and swallow one adult aspirin tablet (325 mg) immediately, while you seek medical help. If you have only baby aspirin at home, chew four of them.

Source:
http://www.funny2.com/health.htm
(Click the link for several dozen more tips)

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And, in closing...