Ch. 15, Family Policies in Canada Flashcards
Family policy
defines families, their forms, and which family members are entitled to government support
When does state intervention occur in Canada
during situations of child abuse, child neglect, and limited financial support
Neoliberal state and family policy
only intervenes when absolutely required; does not always believe in the statement of equality, believes in intervention when there is no other option
Western Europe and American models interfacing with Canadian policy
Canada has relatively the same health and education investments as Western Europe but at a Lower level, however Canada has really bad rates of child poverty and low public family expenditures
Social reproduction
host of paid and unpaid jobs and tasks, including housework, childcare and is essential to life
1996 adjustments to maternity benefits
eligibility for benefits was now to be based on the number of hours worked rather than the number of weeks, and the amount women received was reduced from 60 percent to a maximum of 55% of their regular salary
2001 adjustments to maternity leave legislation
moved maximum for maternity leave from 25 weeks to 50 weeks
New economy
largely replaced industrial and manufacturing jobs with service sector jobs that are more dangerous
Father involvement and child wellbeing
greater father involvement positively impacts a Childs cognitive development, educational attainment, and social skills
Child Tax Benefit vs family allowances act
conservatives tore down the universal family benefits and replaced it only with a system that targeted low income families
National Child Benefit Supplement
under Jean Chretien, only low income families could receive the maximum annual amount
problems: could be taken back by federal government if families were receiving provincial support (welfare)
reinforced ideas of deserving and undeserving poor; discriminated against single mothers, since they were the majority that collected welfare
NO EVIDENCE THAT IT HELPED FAMILIES AT ALL
National Child Benefit Reinvestment
equivalent of the national child benefit supplement, just for the reserves; only low income families could receive the maximum annual amount
Canada Child Benefit, Trudeau
progressive system of benefits that targets families needing it most; with increase for children with disabilities or other special care needs
Populations most vulnerable to state surveillance and child apprehension
low income, women fleeing violence, black and Indigenous families
Why are foster children more likely to experience abuse?
cannot monitor every foster household due to the sheer volume of children in these systems
Child youth and family enhancement act, 2004, bill 40
parents who adopt a child who has been a permanent ward of the provincial government will receive the same benefits given to foster parents until the child id 18
Feminist perspective of poverty
focusing only on children in poverty doesn’t alleviate the fact that their parents are poor and need better jobs and access to equal opportunity
poverty is racialized: not every immigrant or racialized person knows the benefits they are entitled to, has the resources to access it, time
family allowance policies do not account for the fact that the majority of people in poverty are women, does not account for their unpaid labour,
2018 Poverty Reduction Stragedy
strategy builds on CCB and includes the Canadia works Benefit (refundable tax credit) to supplement the earnings of low income workers, benefits for seniors, and Canada’s first national housing strategy; used the market basket measure to identify the official poverty line
Conservative Harris government and gender blind parental benefit policy
erased mothers from social policy, their unpaid social reproduction in the hime was no longer recognized by the state
Privatization of care
usually done by women of color, immigrants, low educated women: leads to outsourcing to private resources which excludes low income families from being able to do this
Quebec; strength in numbers, prenatal strategy and family support policy
state interventionist model: social democratic state method, more government intervention and stronger universal support, strength in numbers ideology defending its independence against English Canada culture has led to prenatal policies
Ministry of Family and Children, 1997 Quebec goals
establish a unified child allowance program for low income families, implement maternity/parental leave insurance plan where parental remuneration increased during and following pregnancy, provide network of government regulated highly subsidized childcare facilities
Social democracy vs liberal welfare state
liberal welfare state: less intervention, target specific kinds of low income families, don’t bother with balancing paid work and family life
Social democracy: higher levels of intervention, more universal
Helping Families in Need Act
gave new foster parents speedier parental benefits, allowed the self-employed to receive EI maternity, improve EI for military families, and extend compassionate care benefits for family on the gravely ill (
