EXCERPTS:
GATINEAU, QC, June 19, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, issued the following statement:
"Today, on Father's Day, let's honour all dads—and those who take on the role of a father figure—across Canada for everything that they do for their families. Fathers work hard to give their children the best possible start in life.
We have taken important action to make a real difference for families across the country, and I am incredibly proud of the significant, long-term, sustained investment that the Government of Canada is making to help deliver a better quality of life for families across Canada.
In 2016, the Government introduced the Canada Child Benefit (CCB). This benefit has played a key role in reducing the number of children living in poverty and continues to be central to our efforts to reduce poverty by 50% by 2030, relative to 2015 levels. The CCB is tax-free, and based on income, to provide more support to families who need help the most. In addition, to ensure that the CCB continues to help Canadian families over the long term, the CCB is indexed every July to keep pace with the cost of living.
For families with young children, we are building a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system in collaboration with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners. Access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care supports parents—including fathers—and ensures children get the best possible start in life.
We are already seeing real improvements to make life more affordable from coast to coast to coast. With nearly all provinces and territories already seeing reductions in child care fees, the Government of Canada's goal is to provide all families in Canada, no matter where they live, with access to regulated early learning and child care for an average of $10-a-day by March 2026. This means savings for hundreds of thousands of families to keep up with the cost of living.
As the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, I wish Canadians a very happy Father's Day. Today, and every day, let's celebrate all the dads across Canada and show our appreciation for everything they do."