We are driven by reality, compassion, and hope. Our efforts are all targeted toward better outcomes for the women and children we serve – and we never lose sight of the consequences of inaction:
- Single mothers and children are some of the poorest members of our society
- The national child poverty rate in Canada is one in 10 children. Among Aboriginal communities, one in four children grows up in poverty*
- Children who grow up poor are proportionately more at risk of life-long negative effects*
- A large number of working mothers are lone parents. Single mothers are more likely to be poor, and, if employed, to have low-wage jobs that are insecure with few benefits*
- In 2006, 80% of lone-parent families in Vancouver were headed by females 1
- In 2005, female lone-parent household in Metro Vancouver had a poverty rate of 35% 2
- In 2008, BC had the highest child poverty rate in the country. 3
- BC’s child poverty rate in 2008 was 14.5% (or 121,000 children) vs. the national child poverty rate of 9.1% 4
- Poverty, in which many single moms and their children live, is not a result of poor personal choices but rather a combination of factors including lack of housing and child care, low minimum wage rates, reduction to funding for education, as well as the challenge of balancing parental and work responsibilities.
- Families led by single mothers have the lowest income, the highest poverty rates and the greatest difficulty accessing safe, affordable housing and affordable child care (especially in Vancouver which is now considered one of the least affordable cities in Canada).
- Food Bank use in BC increased 5% from 2009 to 2010. 30% of food bank users are children. 5
- People who use food banks in BC generally pay a disproportionate amount of their income towards rent, and BC continues to face an ongoing shortage of affordable housing. As of January 2009, there were 10,147 households on the provincial waiting list for subsidized housing. 6
- Statistics Canada reports that consumer prices for food increased in BC by 1.9% from October 2008 to October 2009. They also rose each year from 2004 to 2008 for a total increase of almost 12% to October 2009. Rents in BC are also rising. In the spring of 2009, Vancouver had the highest average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in a Canadian major centre.
- The Globe & Mail states that the average income for adults living in the Downtown East Side of Vancouver (DTES) is $14,024. 7 In comparison, the average for Canada is just under $21,000. The Vancouver Sun states that 47% of DTES residents live below the poverty line.
- Children under six years of age had a poverty rate of 19.6%. The poverty rate for BC children living in families headed by lone-parent mothers was a 30.9% in 2008. 8
* Tackling Children’s and Women’s Poverty” Susan Prentics, PhD, Professor, University of Manitoba, December 4, 2009
1. Metro Vancouver. Metro Vancouver Population by Family Status, 2006 Census.
2. Vancouver Foundation. Vital Signs for Metro Vancouver 2008
3. First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition. 2010 Child Poverty Report Card
4. First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition. 2010 Child Poverty Report Card
5 Food Banks Canada (2010). Hunger Count 2010. Toronto: Food Banks Canada.
6. SPARC BC (website). Affordable Housing – BC Votes.
7. Globe & Mail (May 3, 2009). Canada’s Slum: The Fix.
8. First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition. 2010 Child Poverty Report Card
1. Metro Vancouver. Metro Vancouver Population by Family Status, 2006 Census.
2. Vancouver Foundation. Vital Signs for Metro Vancouver 2008
3. First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition. 2010 Child Poverty Report Card
4. First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition. 2010 Child Poverty Report Card
5 Food Banks Canada (2010). Hunger Count 2010. Toronto: Food Banks Canada.
6. SPARC BC (website). Affordable Housing – BC Votes.
7. Globe & Mail (May 3, 2009). Canada’s Slum: The Fix.
8. First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition. 2010 Child Poverty Report Card