The Unofficial Social Union /
National Child Benefit Page

La page officieuse de l'Union sociale et
de la Prestation nationale pour enfants

Updated November 25, 2005
Page révisée le 25 novembre 2005

[ Go to Canadian Social Research Links Home Page ]

Related Canadian Social Research Links pages:
- Unofficial Provincial/Territorial Social Union Links Page
- Children, Families and Youth - Canadian Government Links
- Children, Families and Youth - Canadian NGO Links
- Children, Families and Youth - International Links
- Children's Rights Links page - incl. Canada’s National Plan of Action for Children, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the work of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (Special Session on the Rights of the Child), and related sites.
- Early Learning and Child Care in Canada - Canadian NGO Links
- Early Learning and Child Care in Canada - Canadian Govt. Links

The (Official) Social Union Home Page

The Official National Child Benefit Website

Social Union Framework Agreement Review
[this link takes you lower down on this page]

April 4, 2009
NOTE: This page hasn't been updated in several years, and many of the links are dead.
BUT if you do find a dead link, select and copy the title of the report or other file you're seeking and paste the title into the Google.ca search engine.
It works suprisingly often, in my experience...
I'm keeping this page alive (accesible) mostly for archive purposes.
Gilles

Related Canadian Social Research Links page: Council of the Federation

This page is organized in reverse chronological order (more or less...), starting with the links I've added most recently. What you'll find here are links that didn't make it to the Social Union or National Child Benefit websites - an eclectic mix of speeches, press releases, background papers, articles from online journals, and more, going back to early 1996. There's a separate section lower down on this page where you'll find links of interest in the area of Persons with Disabilities.

Ministers Responsible for Social Services Release the Sixth National Child Benefit Progress Report
[version française]
News Release
November 25, 2005
"Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services are pleased to release to Canadians the sixth report on the progress of the National Child Benefit1. The National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2004 shows that the National Child Benefit is improving the economic well-being of families with children. 'We know that our actions are having an impact in reducing child poverty,' said Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development and federal co-chair of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services. 'The National Child Benefit is a joint federal, provincial and territorial initiative. It has been directly responsible for reducing the number of children and their families living in low income.' The report shows that the National Child Benefit prevented 106,000 children in 45,900 families from living in low income in 2002."

Complete report:

The NCB Progress Report: 2004
HTML version - [version française]
PDF version (2.5MB, 110 pages)[version française]
Table of Contents:
Message from Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services
Executive Summary
Chapter 1: What is the National Child Benefit Initiative?
Chapter 2: The National Child Benefit Supplement
Chapter 3: Components of the National Child Benefit Initiative
Chapter 4: First Nations and the National Child Benefit
Chapter 5: Monitoring Progress - Societal Level Indicators
Chapter 6: Assessing the Direct Impact of the National Child Benefit
Chapter 7: The Way Ahead|
Appendix 1: Glossary
Appendix 2: Provincial, Territorial and First Nations NCB Reinvestments and Investments
Appendix 3: Results of the SLID Analysis
Appendix 4: Additional Statistical Information
Pamphlet (PDF file - 526K, 4 pages) - [version française]

National Child Benefit Clawback Misconception

The Misconception:
"The federal government should take measures to make sure that provinces don't claw back the federal increase in the Canada Child Tax Benefit from families' social assistance benefits."

The Fact: The clawback is actually part of the NCB design, by agreement of the governments of all provinces and territories (except Quebec) and the federal government.
Read the excerpt below from the Second Report on Social Policy Renewal:

Progress Report to Premiers - No. 2 (PDF file - 72K, 18 pages)
July 1997
Excerpt (page 8)
"Federal/provincial/territorial governments have agreed on a joint NCB approach that involves three simultaneous steps.
First, the federal government will increase its benefits for low-income families with children through an increase in the Canada Child Tax Benefit.
Second, provinces and territories will make corresponding decreases in their social assistance payments for families with children while ensuring these families receive at least the same level of income support from governments.
Third, provinces and territories will reinvest these newly-available funds in complementary programs targeted at benefits and services for low income families with children."

News Release:
Social Policy Renewal
August 8, 1997
From the 38th Annual Premiers' Conference
St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick

See also:

Fiscal Imbalance - Quick Guide
~ 80 links to sites and site content concerning federal-provincial-territorial fiscal relations
- incl. links to International content for the following countries : United States - Germany - Switzerland - Australia - Belgium - Spain - France - Italy - United Kingdom
Source: Centre for Research and Information on Canada

Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers responsible for Social Services Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
August 26, 2003 – Today, Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services met in Yellowknife and reviewed their accomplishments and progress towards common priorities in the areas of persons with disabilities, early childhood development, quality child care and child poverty.

Related Links from the Assembly of First Nations:

AFN National Chief Participates in Meeting of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers
on the Social Union Framework Agreement in Yellowknife, NWT
"OTTAWA, Aug. 25 /CNW/ - Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine was in Yellowknife, NWT today to participate in a meeting with federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Social Services to discuss the report on the three-year review of the Social Union Framework Agreement (SUFA). The National Chief told the Ministers that First Nations governments must be more substantively and meaningfully involved in SUFA and any other forums that may affect First Nations governments."

Speaking Notes For National Chief Phil Fontaine
Meeting with FPT Ministers of Social Services
August 25, 2003
More links related to the Social Union Framework Agreement Review (lower down on this page)

Child Benefits Levels in 2003 and Beyond: Australia, Canada, the UK and the US
Michael Mendelson
April 2003
Abstract
"Australia, Canada, the UK and the US all have programs providing cash benefits to families with children. This study is a detailed comparison of current child benefit rates in the four countries, for a representative lone parent family with one child and a two-parent family with two children. It also compares Canada’s child benefits in 2007, when all announced increases are implemented, to those in Australia, the UK and the US. The paper calculates the changes that would be needed to replicate UK child benefits in Canada, and analyzes the implications of these changes."
Full Document (PDF file - 75K, 13 pages)
Source : Caledon Institute of Social Policy

TIP : Click "Publications Search" on the Caledon Institute home page and enter "child benefit" to see 147 results - commentaries, analyses and discussion papers about child benefits in Canada written by Ken Battle, Sherrie Torjman and others for the Caledon Institute.

Remarks by The Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada,
on The 'Why', 'How' and 'What' of Social Policy Development in Canada at The Empire Club
Toronto
March 27 , 2003
This speech provides an overview of the mandate, themes, programs and clientele of Jane Stewart's Department, including : HRDC budget (Seventy billion dollars) - Canadian pension programs - the marriage of social and economic policy - a children's agenda for Canada - sustainability - social research and development - parental benefits - Canadians with disabilities, Aboriginal people, new immigrants - lifelong learning, active/passive balance in the development of good social policy - partnerships - responsiveness - early learning and childcare - child poverty - National Children's Agenda - National Child Benefit (including a reference to the NCBS clawback) - pulling down the welfare wall - and much more...
Source : Social Development Canada
[NOTE: At the time Jane Stewart was Minister, the Department was called Human Resources Development Canada.]

Early childhood education and care in Canada 2001
- table of contents with links to individual chapters (all in PDF files) for Canada and each province and territory, plus 37 tables of statistics (e.g., Early Childhood Development Initiative funds spent on regulated child care by province/ territory, 2000-2001 (Table 14) - National Child Benefit reinvestment strategy funds spent on regulated child care by province/ territory, 2000-2001 (Table 15).
This 200-page report includes extensive data on kindergarten and child care programs in each province/territory, Aboriginal programs, quality, contextual and demographic data, historical and recent policy and program developments. The research was funded by Human Resources Development Canada.
News Release (PDF file - 93K, 1 page)
February 10, 2003
Source : Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) (University of Toronto)
NOTE: Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Early Learning and Child Care Links Page for more info on day care or early childhood development information

Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services: Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities
"MONCTON, November 22, 2002 – Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers responsible for Social Services met today and continued to make progress on their work in support of children, families, and persons with disabilities."

La ministre d'Etat à la Solidarité sociale, à la Famille et à l'Enfance invite le gouvernement fédéral à respecter le choix des Québécoises et des Québécois
Le 21 novembre 2002
"La ministre d'Etat à la Solidarité sociale, à la Famille et à l'Enfance, madame Linda Goupil, ne comprend pas l'attitude du fédéral qui sans consulter le Québec, improvise une "offre d'initiative fédérale-provinciale-territoriale" pour favoriser l'accès à des services de garde de qualité."
Source : Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale

Social Union Framework Agreement (SUFA) Accountability: Three-year Pilot Project
December 2001
" Treasury Board Secretariat is using a pilot approach to ensure that the federal government is meeting its accountability commitments under the Social Union Framework Agreement (SUFA). Over the past two years the three main social departments - Human Resources Development Canada(HRDC), Health Canada, and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada have been reviewing their programs through a SUFA accountability lens. A comprehensive template reflecting the accountability provisions of the Agreement was developed for this purpose."
- "...a number of areas that could be improved to strengthen current accountability practices. These include: engaging Canadians in the development of social priorities; developing
comparable indicators for intergovernmental initiatives; using third parties to assess progress; and establishing mechanisms for Canadians to appeal unfair administrative practices."
Source : Treasury Board Results-Based Management (RBM)
RBM is the TBS policy centre for results-based management and reporting
- More documents and links on government accountability from the Treasury Board website
- More info on SUFA

What's a SUFA?
A Framework to Improve the Social Union for Canadians : An Agreement between
the Government of Canada and the Governments of the Provinces and Territories
February 4, 1999

Links to All SUFA Initiatives in 2002 - detailed information on all departmental, interdepartmental and inter-jurisdictional initiatives from the three lead federal departments in 2002.
- incl. links to descriptions of programs ranging from the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy to Youth Service Canada
- also includes links (in the left sidebar) to the 2001 initiatives
Below are links to just two of the informative files in this collection:
- National Child Benefit
- Early Childhood Development

Federal Government Accountability Initiatives - incl. : Annual Report to Parliament (Canada’s Performance 2001) - Departmental Performance Reports (2001) - Evaluation Policy (2000) - Centre for Excellence in Evaluation (2001) - Policy on Transfer Payments (2000) - Modern Comptrollership (2001) - Horizontal Results Seminar Series (2001).

Social Union Framework Agreement Reports - from the Social Union website

Social Union Framework Agreement Third-Year Review Website*
[version française]
"The Government of Canada and the Provincial and Territorial Governments Are Reviewing the Agreement that Guides Intergovernmental Cooperation in Areas such as Post-secondary Education, Training, Health and Social Services, as well as Social Assistance"
The Social Union Framework Agreement was signed by the Prime Minister and Canada's Premiers (except for the Premier of Québec) on February 4, 1999. After three years, Canadian governments are jointly undertaking a full review of the Agreement and its implementation to make adjustments to the Framework as required.
More on SUFA - this is where you'll find links to federal, provincial and territorial SUFA reports, along with over a dozen related documents
Chronological* Index of Submissions - links to 72 full-text submissions from individuals and groups, including a few that offer a distinctly québécois perspective of the SUFA. (Quebec was not a signatory to the agreement)

NOTE:

The Social Union Framework Agreement was all about accountability.
The Third Year SUFA Review website was launched in the summer of 2002 as a forum for groups and individuals to voice their opinions on the relative success of SUFA.
The site has since shut down, and all 72 submissions appear to have vanished; a search of the Treasury Board Secretariat website proved futile...
Accountability, eh?
At least the three year review final report is still accessible (immediately below) - but you have to go to the BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat website to read it.

.................................................................................................................................................

Social Union Framework Agreement (SUFA) ThreeYear Review Final Report
Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministerial Council on Social Policy Renewal
June 2003
Three Year Review Report (PDF file - 186K, 20 pages)
Appendix A: Reports on the outcomes of the public consultations
- Rapporteur's Report on the Social Union Framework Agreement Roundtables (Sept. 23-30, 2002) - PDF file (179K, 21 pages)
- Saskatoon - Moncton - Ottawa
- Web Site Submissions Summary (PDF file - 247K, 18 pages)
Appendix B: Reports of the National Aboriginal Organizations
- SUFA Recommendations made by National Aboriginal Organizations (PDF file - 110K, 7 pages)
[the SUFA report page includes links to individual reports by five First Nations groups]
Appendix C: Correspondence confirming the Canada Health Act
Source : BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat
NOTE : the SUFA final report page also includes links to BC's Social Union Framework Agreement Mobility Reports for 2000, 2001 and 2001

Released Oct. 25/02 by Finance Canada :

The Impact of the Canada Child Tax Benefit on the Incomes of Families With Children
Fifteen-page study of the CCTB and its effect on family incomes in 1996, 1999 and 2004 - a number-cruncher's delight...
Source:
Tax Expenditures and Evaluations 2002
"...provides estimates and projections for broadly defined tax expenditures as well as evaluations and descriptive papers addressing specific tax measures. This year’s edition includes two papers, 'The Impact of the Canada Child Tax Benefit on the Incomes of Families With Children'* and 'Special Federal Tax Assistance for Charitable Donations of Publicly Traded Securities,'which provide additional information on these two tax measures."
- incl. links to : Estimates and Projections of Tax Expenditures - What’s New in the 2002 Report - Description of New Tax Expenditures - The Tax Expenditures (Personal and Corporate Income Tax Expenditures, GST Tax Expenditures).
- the above link takes you to the table of contents with links to the whole report in HTML and PDF formats

News Release
October 25
"(...) The report provides estimates and projections of the revenue consequences of all tax expenditures. Tax expenditures, which take the form of exemptions, deductions, rate reductions, rebates, deferrals, credits and carry-overs, reduce federal tax payable and provide benefits to individuals and businesses on the basis of economic, social or other tax policy objectives. (...) Since this year’s projections extend to 2004, the calculations account for the full effect of the general corporate tax rate reduction that was legislated in June 2001 as part of the government’s five-year $100-billion tax reduction plan. This plan provides for a reduction in the corporate rate from 28 per cent to 21 per cent in 2004."

The Framing of Poverty as "Child Poverty" and Its Implications for Women
Wanda Wiegers
June 2002
- incl. links to the Table of Contents, the Abstract and the Executive Summary
Complete Document (PDF file - 860K, 141 pages)
- includes extensive discussion of the federal Child Support Guidelines, the National Child Benefit and the Early Childhood Development Initiative under the National Children’s Agenda
Excerpts:
On the NCB Supplement:
"Because there are no legally binding standards or protocols attached to the federal Supplement, reinvestments are neither mandatory nor subject to uniform standards."
On the ECD Initiative:
"...the Early Childhood Development Initiative of the National Children’s Agenda is potentially positive but one which can, depending on the structure of the programming undertaken, also stigmatize and segregate low-income children, increase burdens and invasions of privacy for low-income mothers, and reinforce individualistic conceptions of poverty."
Source : Status of Women Canada

National Child Benefit Reduces Child Poverty
News Release
Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers responsible for Social Services
Toronto, Ontario
May 31, 2002
NOTE: This is the official news release from the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers responsible for Social Services. Notwithstanding the headline of the news release, the Ministers also released the EAPD National Report during their Toronto meeting; you'll find a reference to the EAPD report in the lower portion of the release....
"... information on how the National Child Benefit is improving the situation for low-income families and taking children out of poverty.
The report indicates that in 1999, as a direct result of the NCB:
- a total of 1.2 million families with 2.1 million children benefited from an increase in income,
- low-income families saw an average increase of $775, and
- the low-income gap was reduced by 6.5 percent.
With investments in the NCB doubling by 2001, the percentage of low-income families will continue to drop."
Source : Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat

Child and Family Benefits Page
- Information about the Canada Child Tax Benefit and the National Child Benefit.
- Also includes information concerning related provincial and territorial programs administered by the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency: Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit - BC Family Bonus - New Brunswick Child Tax Benefit - Newfoundland and Labrador Child Benefit - Northwest Territories Child Benefit - Nova Scotia Child Benefit - Nunavut Child Benefit - Saskatchewan Child Benefit - Yukon Child Benefit.
Source : Canada Revenue Agency

Your Canada Child Tax Benefit for the period from July 2005 to June 2006 (PDF file - 192K, 28 pages)
(including related provincial and territorial child benefits and credits)

This Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) guide to the federal Child Tax Benefit (CTB) includes information (in simple question-and-answer format) about eligibility conditions, benefits and related CTB issues. It also includes similar information on the following child benefits and credits launched under the Federal-Provincial-Territorial National Child Benefit initiative:
- Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit
- BC Family Bonus
- New Brunswick Child Tax Benefit
- Newfoundland and Labrador Child Benefit
- Northwest Territories Child Benefit
- Nova Scotia Child Benefit
- Nunavut Child Benefit
- Saskatchewan Child Benefit
- Yukon Child Benefit

Canada Child Tax Benefit FAQs : Calculation and payment information

Related Links:

Is Child Poverty Declining? (PDF file - 58K, 2 pages) - "The federal Human Resources Minister has credited the National Child Benefit with reducing child poverty. Her claim should not be taken seriously."
Source : July 2002 Fraser Forum - [Fraser Institute - "Competitive Market Solutions for Public Policy Problems"]

High Rates of Child Poverty Persist Despite Child Benefits
Campaign 2000 (Non-Governmental Organization)
May 31, 2002
Campaign 2000 and its partners call for an enhanced child benefit that reaches all lower income families, saying that it is key to substantially reducing child and family poverty in Canada, following the release of the federal Progress Report on the National Child Benefit (NCB 2001).
Source : Campaign 2000

The Government’s Efforts to Reduce Child Poverty
May 7, 2002
"A generation ago, Canadians took up the challenge of eliminating poverty among seniors. Ensuring that no Canadian child suffers from the debilitating effects of poverty is a top priority of our government."
Source : Prime Minister's website

The Paradox of the Social Union Framework Agreement (PDF file - 58K, 11 pages)
Backgrounder
March 2002
"The agreement is worth preserving for a further three years with the aim of strengthening its provincial principles. If it ends up providing cover for major unilateral federal spending in provincial areas, however, the agreement should be scrapped."
Source : C.D. Howe Institute

From the Childcare Resource and Research Unit
March 15, 2002

New Addition to the BRIEFing Notes Series:
- Is this as good as it gets? Child care as a test case for assessing the Social Union Framework Agreement (Now available as a handy four page BRIEFing NOTE)

New Addition to the Online Issues Page
- The Social Union Framework Agreement: Issues in Canadian policy making

IRPP Study: Child Tax Benefit Ineffective in Addressing Child Poverty
June 10, 2003
"An exhaustive examination of Canada’s family policy concludes that recent federal and provincial government initiatives are misguided and have not efficiently addressed the problems of child poverty. 'The Child Tax Benefit is a dead end'assert Pierre Lefebvre and Philip Merrigan in 'Assessing Family Policy in Canada: A New Deal for Families and Children,' released today by the Institute for Research on Public Policy."
News Release (small PDF file)
Summary (small PDF file)
Assessing Family Policy in Canada: A New Deal for Families and Children (PDF file - 395K, 100 pages)
Source : Institute for Research on Public Policy

From IRPP Policy Matters : (you'll find links to the summary and complete text of each of the studies by clicking "Social Union" on the Policy Matters page)
• Restoring the Federal Principle: The Place of Quebec in the Canadian Social Union
Christian Dufour (January 2002)
• Le modèle québécois de politiques sociales et ses interfaces avec l’union sociale canadienne (PDF file - 497K, 52 pages)
(contains a summary of the report in English)
Yves Vaillancourt (January 2002)
• SUFA and Citizen Engagement: Fake or Genuine Masterpiece?
Susan D. Phillips (December 2001)
• Power and Purpose in Intergovernmental Relations
Alain Noël (November 2001)
• Shifting Sands: Exploring the Political Foundations of SUFA
Roger Gibbins (July 2001)
• Without Quebec: Collaborative Federalism With a Footnote?
Alain Noël (March 2000)
Source : Institute for Research on Public Policy

Is this as good as it gets? Child care as a test case for assessing the Social Union Framework Agreement
Martha Friendly
January 10, 2002
This article in the Canadian Review of Social Policy (Spring 2001) uses child care as a test case for assessing the Social Union Framework Agreement.
Complete report (PDF file - 25K, 7 pages)
Source : Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) - University of Toronto

The Canadian Social Union : Questions about the Division of Powers and Fiscal Federalism (18 pages)
Political and Social Affairs Division
Parliamentary Research Branch
18 January 2001
"... Although it suggests that an increasingly collaborative federalism might be practised, the federal-provincial-territorial agreement of 4 February 1999 has not managed to solve the vertical and horizontal fiscal imbalance problems. In political terms, the agreement has contributed to widening the gulf between the federal government and the Government of Quebec, and in large measure to legitimizing the practice of an increasingly asymmetrical federalism."
- incl. A Brief History of the Social Union - The Division of Powers in Relation to Social Programs ( federal spending power, the 1982 Charter, national standards) - The Social Union and Fiscal Federalism (CHST, Equalization, Vertical and Horizontal Imbalance) - Conclusion - Bibliography
Related Link :
A Framework to Improve the Social Union for Canadians
An Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Governments of the Provinces and Territories
February 4, 1999

National Standards and Social Programs:
What the Federal Government can do
September 1997
Political and Social Affairs Division

Excellent 44-page reference document dealing with various aspects of the federal government's involvement in provincial-territorial social programs
Historical Background:
- includes a brief historical overview of social programs since WWI, with special focus on the programs and standards as of the early seventies and developments since then, as well as analysis of he EPF Arrangements of 1977, the Canada Health Act, the Canada Health and Social Transfer, fiscal trends and a comparative analysis of current standards with historical ones
The Jurisdictional Basis:
- incl. Education - Health - Income Support (Social Assistance, Social Insurance)
Intergovernmental Processes:
A. Major Mechanisms (Taxation: National Standards through the Back Door, The Federal Spending Power: National Standards C.O.D., Shared or Divided Policy Fields: National Standards by Gamesmanship, Charter Rights and Affirmations: National Standards through Constitutional Politics, and Intergovernmental Agreements: National Standards through Executive Federalism
B. Alternatives to Unilateralism: The Orchestration of Standards ( National Standards by Public Demand: The Power of Persuasion, National Standards and the "Information Age", National Standards by Interprovincial Consensus
Two Practical Considerations:
A. Political Will (Intergovernmental Pressures - Public Opinion)
B. Money (The Provincial Capacity Argument - The Effectiveness of Penalties - The "Political Loop" - A Concluding Note)
General Observations and Conclusions
Conclusion
Bibliography
Appendix I: Federal Caps and Cuts, 1972-1995

NOTE: "Responding to the combined impact of fiscal, intergovernmental and other pressures, the federal government has, since at least the mid-seventies, been engaged in what has been widely portrayed as a retreat from the social policy role established during the immediate post-war period."
Appendix I presents major milestones in this development from 1972 to 1996.
- This section of the report alone is worth the download - but you have to download the entire report to read it.
It's a concise chronology of federal government caps and cuts in funding to provinces and territories under a number of social transfer programs, including Established Programs Funding, Equalization, the Canada Assistance Plan, the Canada Health Act, even includes projected cuts under the Canada Health and Social Transfer

Appendix II : Further Poll Results

Source:
Parliamentary Library

- See the list of over 200 free online Parliamentary Research Branch Publications

Government of Canada is helping children get a good start in life
News Release
November 20, 2001
"(...) in keeping with providing Canadians with the latest information on the National Child Benefit (NCB), federal, provincial and territorial governments today also launched the National Child Benefit Web site. Canadians wanting to know more about the NCB can now log on to The National Child Benefit site."

National Child Benefit - A unique partnership of the Government of Canada, Provinces and Territories and First Nations
The official federal-provincial-territorial website of the National Child Benefit
This joint government website offers information about how the NCB works in each jurisdiction and in First Nations communities.
- incl. links to : What is the National Child Benefit (NCB)? - The Government of Canada's Contribution to the National Child Benefit Initiative - Programs in your jurisdiction - First Nations Reinvestments - Library - NCB Success Stories
Much of the content in the Library was moved to this site from the Social Union website, but you'll also find some new information here about how provinces, territories and First Nations are spending their NCB money. The "Programs in your Jurisdiction" link provides information on all NCB initiatives and links to related information on other websites.

Shifting Sands: Exploring the Political Foundations of SUFA
Roger Gibbins (July 2001)
Complete Report (PDF file - 68K, 20 pages)
Source : Institute for Research on Public Policy

July 2001
From the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency:
Canada Child Tax Benefit
Fact Sheet
Increase in Canada Child Tax Benefit payments
Press Release

Families will see the latest increase in the Canada Child Tax Benefit starting July 20, 2001
Press Release
National Child Benefit and the Canada Child Tax Benefit
Backgrounder

Get on with the job of a National Children's Agenda, groups urge Premiers
Press Release
July 27, 2001
Toronto - Today a national coalition exhorted Canada's Premiers to make children a top priority by taking action to eradicate Canada's persistent levels of child poverty. Campaign 2000, a national coalition of over 85 groups, released a detailed open letter in anticipation of next week's annual Premiers' Conference
Open Letter (HTML).
Open Letter (PDF file - 77K, 7 pages)
Source : Campaign 2000

Also from Campaign 2000:
The Relationship Between Reliable Child Care and Lone Mothers' Attachment to the Labour Force: Mothers' Voices and the Public Policy Perspective
Campaign 2000 public forum on child care
June 2001
- incl. links to almost a dozen reports and presentations, such as:
Stacking the Deck: The Relationship between Reliable Child Care and Lone Mothers' Attachment to the Labour Force - May 2001(PDF file - 1,182K, 20 pages)
The Early Childhood Development Initiative: A Vision for Early Childhood Development Services in Ontario April 9, 2001 (PDF file - 10 pages, 229KB)

Social Union - from the website of the Centre for Research and Information on Canada (CRIC)
- incl. links to : Canada's Social Union - Social Union Framework -Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meetings - Documents - Speeches - News

First Nations National Child Benefit Progress Report 2000
On this page, you can access individual PDF files for each chapter of this report on the website of the federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.
- includes an executive summary, an overview of the NCB, First Nations and the NCB, NCB investments in the areas of child care, nutrition, school breakfasts, early child development, employment/training assistance, cultural development camp, Monitoring Progress, Lessons Learned, and appendices containing more statistical and program information.
Source : DIAND website
See also :
NCB Press Releases (5 in all, dating back to June 1998)

Note: The DIAND website also includes links to Early Childhood Development ("Under Construction" as at March 9, 2002) and the National Children's Agenda

The Incidence and Depth of Child Poverty in Recession and Recovery: Some Preliminary Lessons on Child Benefits
Background Notes for a Presentation to the House of Commons Subcommittee on Children and Youth at Risk
June 6, 2001
Andrew Jackson
Canadian Council on Social Development
"While the NCB itself appears to be working as intended, higher provincial social assistance benefits are clearly needed to reduce the depth of child poverty."

History and vision: Blending child care and early childhood education
Martha Friendly (Childcare Resource and Research Unit)
Centre for Urban and Community Studies (University of Toronto)
June 2000
SPR Monograph (20 pages)

Helping our children through community research
News Release
Human Resources Development Canada
May 10, 2001
Release of the Early Childhood Development in North York report - part of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth
- includes two backgrounders : one on the North York Understanding the Early Years study and a second on the Understanding the Early Years initiative
Study Highlights - includes a link to the complete report in PDF format (3.8MB)
- For other links about early childhood development, see the Early Childhood Development Links page of this site.

Income Security for Children: A Supplementary Paper
Government of Canada
Social Security Review
1994
This 25-page paper is part of a series of supplementary papers that were released late in 1994 and early in 1995 to provide more detailed information about the Canadian income security system and the options outlined in the Discussion Paper Improving Social Security in Canada, which was released in October 1994.

This paper is an important resource for the study of the National Child Benefit and the federal child support initiative. It offers a 1993-94 snapshot of child poverty in Canada and the federal and provincial programs to assist families with children. It also offers a detailed economist's-eye-view of three different approaches to reform of the benefits available under those programs : (1) enhancing and re-targetting child tax benefits; (2) an integrated federal-provincial benefit; and (3) an enhanced Working Income Supplement. Extensive analysis of the impact of many options on families in different income brackets, and of the winners and losers under each of those options..

Ministers update progress on national children's programs
Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers responsible for Social Services
Halifax, Nova Scotia
May 15, 2001

April 23, 2001
Fewer children are living in poverty, says National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2000
News Release
Progress Report 2000 - Full Text
Detailed info on the federal, provincial and territorial investments
Appendix 1 - Federal Statistics
Appendix 2 - Provincial, Territorial and First Nations NCB Initiatives
Appendix 3 -Additional Statistical Information - LICOs, LIMs, and welfare dependency (*incl. single-parent VS two-parent families on welfare, 1987-1999)
Source: National Child Benefit website

The Progress of Canada's Children 2001
Canadian Council on Social Development
March 27, 2001
Communiqué
Backgrounder
Highlights
Section 1: Table of Contents, Intro, Highlights (Acrobat Reader required)
We need to build on the National Children's Agenda and take it beyond early childhood development, to create a national, coherent approach to providing supports for children of all age groups.
Source : Canadian Council on Social Development

National Child Benefit
Social Union
Source : Privy Council Office - Intergovernmental Affairs

Poverty Trends and the Canadian "Social Union" (August 1999)
By Lars Osberg, McCulloch Professor of Economics , Dalhousie University
--- download the complete report as a PDF file (46 pages, 168K) or read the Abstract
Source : Selected Publications by Lars Osberg on Income

National Children's Alliance
The National Children's Alliance is a group of more than 30 national organizations with an interest in the well-being of children and youth. National Children's Alliance organizations are working to promote the implementation of the National Children's Agenda.

First Baby Steps Taken Towards a National Children's Agenda
Press Release
April 4, 2001
"After many years of planning, advocacy work and policy development, members of the National Children's Alliance - a coalition of voluntary and NGO organizations dedicated to children's issues - are finally seeing results. The federal government's $2.2 billion dollar investment in early childhood development came into force on April 1st with the start of five
years of funding going to the provinces and territories."

List of NCA Member Organizations
Simon Says "Take a Giant Step Forward": Advancing the National Children’s Agenda - Summer 2000
Regional Forum Responses: Input into the Principles and Essential Services of a National Children’s Agenda - September 2000
Other interesting links:
Investing in Children and Youth: A National Children's Agenda (September 1998)
The Idea Patch (Ideas generated by participants of the NCA Regional Forums, Spring 2000)
Newsletter (1999)
Links - 50+ links to related websites

Centres of Excellence for Children’s Well-Being

Centre of Excellence for Early Child Development - University of Montreal
Centre of Excellence for Children and Adolescents with Special Needs - Lakehead University
The Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth-Centred Prairie Communities - Social Planning Council of Winnipeg
Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare - University of Toronto
Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement - Students Commission (national youth advocacy group)

Expert Advisory Committee on children announced
News Release
November 23, 2001
OTTAWA -- Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Secretary of State for Children and Youth, today announced on behalf of Health Minister Allan Rock, the creation of a National Expert Advisory
Committee on the Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being. Ms. Blondin Andrew made the announcement at a national conference in Ottawa featuring the work of the five Centres of Excellence. Over 400 experts, including researchers, policymakers, and professionals in health, education, child care and social services are attending the conference.
Members of the National Expert Advisory Committee
Source : Health Canada

Government of Canada announces five centres of excellence for children's well-being
News Release
October 5, 2000
Read this Health Canada news release for information about all five centres

First Ministers' Meeting
Press Releases

From the Prime Minister's website :

September 2000
- The Early Child Development Agreement

From the Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat :
- Communiqué on Health
- Communiqué on Early Childhood Development
- Funding Commitment of the Government of Canada
- New Federal Investments to Accompany the Agreements on Health Renewal and Early Childhood Development

National Child Benefit brings higher income and more services to low-income families
Press Release
July 20, 2000
- includes National Child Benefit Future Directions: A Statement by Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services (scroll halfway down the press release to see this statement)

Seeing the Possibilities: The National Child Benefit
An important investment in Canadian families
July 2000

Canada Child Tax Benefit
Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA)
Fact Sheet
July 2000
Chart showing the maximum monthly CCTB amount available as of July 2000 for families with net income under $21,214.
Source: Child and Family Benefits (from the CCRA website)

Report on Public Consultations on The National Children's Agenda Released
Press Release
Provincial/Territorial Council on Social Policy Renewal
June 21, 2000

What Canadians are Telling Us about the National Children’s Agenda
Provincial/Territorial Council on Social Policy Renewal
June 21, 2000

Public Dialogue on the National Children's Agenda
Developing a Shared Vision
Provincial/Territorial Council on Social Policy Renewal
June 2000

April 2000 : ASSESSING THE SOCIAL UNION FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT
Includes links to the following articles on the Social Union Framework Agreement:
Antonia Maioni - The Social Union and health care
Pierre-Gerlier Forest - Du neuf avec du vieux ? L'union sociale et la santé
Matthew Mendelsohn and John McLean - SUFA's double vision: Citizen engagement and intergovernmental collaboration
Michael J. Prince - Aboriginals are securing a role
Gerard W. Boychuk - SUFA, the child benefit and social assistance
Tom McIntosh - Is the Social Union too "healthy"? Re-thinking labour market policy
- also includes analysis of the 2000 federal budget from seven different sources, and more...
Source: Policy Options"Canada's premier public policy magazine"
Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP)

Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) (national group based in Toronto)
Visit this large site to see the work of the CPJ in the areas of child poverty, refugees and Aboriginal rights.
Below are excerpts from one section of this site.
Putting the National Children's Agenda on hold?
March 2, 2000
Citizens for Public Justice responds to the federal budget
*Child Poverty - On this page, you'll find CPJ's excellent and extensive collection of links to online resources, including: Reports on Child Poverty (Canada, ON, BC) - The Progress of Canada's Children 1998, Highlights (CCSD) - National Child Benefit - Child and Family Policy - Canadian Policy Research Network - the National Council of Welfare - Early Childhood Learning and Development - Government Sites - National Children's Agenda - Saskatchewan's Action Plan for Children - Alberta's Children's Forum - Ontario Children's Secretariat - Tax and Transfer Policy.

The National Children’s Agenda: Health Canada's contribution
Budget 2000 Information
February 28, 2000
Good overview of Health Canada initiatives for children

Prime Minister Responds to the Premiers and Territorial Leaders
February 11, 2000
News Release
LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA
Meeting of Premiers and Territorial Leaders
Québec, Quebec - February 3, 2000
(Regarding restoration of health funding under the CHST in the 2000 federal budget)

Meeting of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministerial Council on Social Policy Renewal, Ministers responsible for Aboriginal Matters and Leaders of National Aboriginal Organizations
Ottawa, Ontario
December 16, 1999
"...to discuss the role of the national Aboriginal organizations in the implementation of the Social Union Framework Agreement"

Provincial-Territorial Council Advances Implementation of the Social Union Framework and Other Social Policy Priorities
Provincial-Territorial Council on Social Policy Renewal Calgary, Alberta
October 27, 1999

Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance, detailing our priorities for the 2000 federal budget
Canadian Council on Social Development
October 26, 1999

Social Services Ministers Announce Investments for Families under the National Child Benefit
Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers responsible for Social Services
Kananaskis, Alberta
October 26, 1999

Manitoba Family Services and Housing Minister to Chair Ministerial Council
Press Release
October 21, 1999

40th Annual Premiers' Conference
Québec - August 9-11, 1999
News Releases Issued on August 11, 1999
- includes releases on Employment Insurance, Early Years and Children's Issues and the Fourth Progress Report on Social Policy Renewal
- PDF version of the Fourth Progress Report of the Provincial/Territorial Council on Social Policy Renewal
"The Report provides information and recommendations on the various elements of the social policy renewal, including: the Social Union Framework Agreement; National Children's Agenda; National Child Benefit; Health; Benefits and Services for Persons with Disabilities; Labour Market; Education; Aboriginal Affairs, Status of Women; Housing; and Finance and Fiscal Issues."

National Child Benefit - Phase 2
Revenue Minister announces increase in Canada Child Tax Benefit payments
Revenue Canada
press release
July 21, 1999
Phase 2 of the National Child Benefit brings more money and services to low-income families across Canada
Human Resources Development Canada
press release
July 19, 1999
The National Child Benefit - What it Means for Canadian Families
Human Resources Development Canada
information booklet
July 19, 1999
-Be sure to check out this last item - it's got July 1999 information on the NCB and provincial/territorial NCB reinvestments

C.D. Howe Institute
Improving the National Child Benefit: Matching Deeds with Intentions
May 1999

Council of Canadians
- Surgery by Social Union: Social Union could end up killing off what the federal budget was supposed to save (1999)
- Health and Social Union Agreement Raises More Questions Than it Answers
February 1999
- Social Union Could Pull Provinces Into a Race to the Bottom, Warns Council of Canadians
January 1999
- Social Union a Platform For The Right, Says Council of Canadians
January 1999

Federal, Provincial And Territorial Governments Launch
Dialogue Process For National Children's Agenda
Press Release
Saskatoon, May 7, 1999

Backgrounders
(from the Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat)
Developing a Shared Vision
Measuring Child Well-being and Monitoring Progress

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
STUDY ON SOCIAL COHESION
"...dimensions of social cohesion in Canada in the context of globalization and other economic and structural forces that influence trust and reciprocity among Canadians"

FINAL REPORT
June 1999

Social Cohesion: Initiating Public Debate
October 26, 1998

1999 Report of the Auditor General of Canada (April 20, 1999)
(Overview, with links to each chapter)
- Chapter 6 - Accountability for Shared Social Programs: National Child Benefit and Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities

Council on Social Policy Renewal Discusses Progress on National Children's Agenda
Meeting of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Council on Social Policy Reform
Toronto, Ontario - April 12, 1999

Meeting of Premiers/Territorial Leaders and Leaders of National Aboriginal Organizations
Joint press release
Regina, Saskatchewan
March 22, 1999

Framework to Improve the Social Union for Canadians
An agreement between the Government of Canada
and the Governments of the Provinces and Territories
February 4, 1999
(text of the agreement)
Un cadre visant à améliorer l'union sociale pour les Canadiens
Entente entre le gouvernement du Canada et les gouvernements provinciaux et territoriaux
le 4 février 1999
(texte de l'entente)

Citizen's Checklist on the Social Union
By Judith Maxwell

Assembly of First Nations must be involved in Social Union talks
Assembly of First Nations Press Release
February 2, 1999

Letter to the Prime Minister from Phil Fontaine

Growing Child Benefits, Growing Tax Rates
February 1999
The Social Union Agreement: Too Flawed to Last
February 1999
More Than the Sum of Our Parts: Improving the Mechanisms of Canada’s Social Union
January 1999

CBC News Online - Indepth:
Social Union and the Politics of Federalism

THE SOCIAL UNION : November 1998
Nineteen articles on various aspects of the Social Union, from provincial/territorial perspectives to fiscal considerations. Contributors include Monique Jérôme-Forget, Thomas Courchene, Keith Banting, John Richards and Roy Romanow, to name but a few. Follow the links to read abstracts and to download PDF copies of all articles
Source: Policy Options"Canada's premier public policy magazine"
Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP)

Policy Options (Magazine) November 1998: THE SOCIAL UNION
- Institute for Research on Public Policy - 19 articles on various aspects of the Social Union, from provincial/territorial perspectives to fiscal considerations. Contributors include Monique Jérôme-Forget,Thomas Courchene, Keith Banting, John Richards and Roy Romanow, to name but a few.

Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services release
In Unison: A Canadian Approach to Disability Issues
Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers of Social Services
Toronto, Ontario
October 27, 1998

News Release
FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON CANADA'S SOCIAL UNION
Saskatoon
August 6, 1998
PROVINCIAL/TERRITORIAL COUNCIL ON SOCIAL POLICY RENEWAL: PROGRESS REPORT #3
News Release - August 7, 1998 - Saskatoon
- Third Progress Report of the Provincial/Territorial Council on Social Policy Renewal -
(PDF format)

1998 Western Premiers' Conference
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories July 2-4, 1998
Press Release
July 4, 1998
- including link to Western Finance Ministers' Report (PDF format)

News Release:
SOCIAL POLICY RENEWAL
(August 8, 1997)
From the38th Annual Premiers' Conference
St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick

Progress Report to Premiers - No. 2 (PDF file - 72K, 18 pages)
August 1997
"Federal/provincial/territorial governments have agreed on a joint NCB approach that involves three simultaneous steps. First, the federal government will increase its benefits for low-income families with children through an increase in the Canada Child Tax Benefit. Second, provinces and territories will make corresponding decreases in their social assistance payments for families with children while ensuring these families receive at least the same level of income support from governments. Third, provinces and territories will reinvest these newly-available funds in complementary programs targeted at benefits and services for low income families with children."

The Ministerial Council Report
(September 1996)

Premiers Release Report of the Ministerial Council
on Social Policy Reform and Renewal
Press Release
March 1996
Ministerial Council on Social Policy Reform and Renewal
Report to Premiers
March 1996
View online or download
JOINT COMMUNIQUÉ
First Ministers' Meeting, Ottawa
December 11 - 12, 1997

Revenue Canada's Family Benefits Page
Includes a wealth of information about the Canada Child Tax Benefit and the National Child Benefit, as well as an overview of provincial and territorial child benefit programs administered by Revenue Canada

Persons with Disabilities

Benefits and Services for Persons with Disabilities (from the Social Union Website)
"In June 1996, persons with disabilities were identified as a priority area of joint social policy reform at the First Ministers' meeting. The Working Group on Benefits and Services for Persons with Disabilities was subsequently established with four primary areas of focus: reform of Vocational Rehabilitation for Disabled Persons, harmonization of benefits and services, development of a vision/framework for reform, and analytical research."
- includes a description of what governments have been doing in each of the four areas, plus links to relevant reports

News Releases and Papers - scroll down this page to access news releases and a collection of papers back to 1998 on the subject of benefits and services for persons with disabilities

Some recent reports:

Release of Advancing the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities: A Government of Canada Report-December 2002
News Release
December 03, 2002
"This first comprehensive report on disability in Canada describes where our country has made progress, how the Government has contributed, and where work remains to be done. It presents a profile of disability, describes disability-related issues and reviews the Government's progress in including persons with disabilities."

Advancing the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities - A Government of Canada Report
December 2002
HTML version
PDF version (PDF file - 519K, 84 pages)
Executive Summary
NOTE: you'll find links to text version of each of these documents at the Social Union site link below
Source : The Persons with Disabilities section of the Social Union website
Related Link:
Office for Disability Issues (Human Resources Development Canada)

The Unofficial Social Union / National Child Benefit Page

La page officieuse de l'Union sociale et de la Prestation nationale pour enfants

The Unofficial Social Union /
National Child Benefit Page

La page officieuse de l'Union sociale et
de la Prestation nationale pour enfants