Charles now owes money for child care and still does not have enough to feed his family. I wish I could say this story has a happy ending, but Charles is having a hard time seeing a way out.
This is what I mean when I talk about poverty traps. Our Income Security programs are inadequate and the built-in clawbacks create a disincentive to work. I must point out again, that rather than providing the stable home children need to succeed, living in a poverty trap means toxic stress, leading to delays in early childhood development that will, sadly, be costly for all and for lifetimes.
This morning I heard CBC’s Lorne McInnes asking the Auditor General’s office what the story was behind his devastating report. Poverty traps are part of the story behind the Auditor General’s long list of failures in the way this government, of which I am currently a part, are fulfilling our fiduciary duty to look after the children.
I will have questions. Mahsi.