Job does not always end child poverty, Ontario group claims.

"A job is not always a route out of poverty". Thirty-three percent of all low income children live in families where the parents work full time and full year. This figure doubled between 1993-2003 According to the latest report from Ontario Campaign 2000.

More than 443,000 children in Ontario are living in poverty and the child poverty rate is stalled at 16%, despite strong economic growth. The average low income family is living about $10,000 below the poverty line.

The Coalition reports that:

* Nearly half a million children in Ontario live in poverty, and the child poverty rate is stuck at 15-16% since 2000;

* The average 2 parent family needs an additional $10,200 in income just to reach the poverty line. The average lone parent family is living $9,600 below the poverty line;

* Poverty rates for children in Aboriginal, visible minority and immigrant families are at least twice the average Ontario rate.

Campaign 2000 calls on the Ontario Government to make the following commitments as part of an Ontario Action Plan for Children to reduce child and family poverty:

The Coalition wants the Ontario Government to take strategic leadership on the issue. They recommend that the province

* Press the new federal government to honour the 5 year Child Care Agreement, and provide additional provincial funds to keep building a high quality child care system;

* Reduce the depth of child and family poverty by restoring social assistance rates to adequate levels, and ending the clawback of child benefits from families on social assistance;

* Reduce the number of working poor families by continuing to increase the minimum wage to $10/hour with inflation indexation, and improving enforcement of the Employment Standards A ct;

* Increase provincial funding for affordable housing, and press the federal government to continue housing and homelessness funding;

* Continue to invest in services that help new immigrants get good jobs commensurate with their training, and develop broader workplace initiatives to address employment discrimination.

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