chapter 15 powerpoint

Question 1

Family Poverty

Answer 1

Canada is characterized by income inequality:
Poorest quintile has access to 4% of income
Richest quintile has access to 47% of income

Question 2

Defining Poverty

Answer 2

Two basic ways of defining poverty:
Absolute poverty
lacking the minimum basic requirements necessary for physical survival
Relative poverty
based on social well-being in addition to physical survival
Compares individuals or families to others in the population

In Canada, there are measures that define poverty
One attempt is the Market Basket Measure (MBM): cost of a basket of goods that includes food, shelter, clothing, and other basic needs, accounting for regional variation

Most commonly used definition is Statistics Canada low-income cutoff (LICO)
Takes into account family size, up to seven members, and community size
Poverty lines set at a level where a family needs to spend more than 70% of its income on food, clothing, and shelter
This is a relative measure based on relation to income of the “average” Canadian

Three factors influence the impact of poverty
Depth - the amount a family or individual income is below the poverty line
Breadth - other aspects associated with poverty (e.g., illiteracy, poor health, physical insecurity)
Duration - how long poverty lasts

Question 3

Rates of Poverty

Answer 3

9% to 14% of Canadians live below the poverty line in 2011 (Statistics Canada, 2013).
This includes approximately 15% to 19% of all children in Canada. Children make up the largest single group of poor people in Canada.
Provincial variation (E.g. Manitoba 29%)
In 1989 when the House of Commons passed resolution to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000, the child poverty rate was 15%.

Question 4

who is poor

Answer 4

One Earner Families
Female Lone Parents
Young Unattached Adults
New Immigrants
Aboriginal Families
Individuals With Disabilities 
Older Women
Lower Level of Education

Question 5

Homelessness

Answer 5

No exact figures for the number of homeless people in Canada
Number of homeless changes from day to day
The homeless include two-parent families, single parents and their children, single women, older persons, and young people
Among them are psychiatric patients and individuals with disabilities

There appear to be three different groups among the homeless, those who are:
Chronically homeless and often have chronic illness/disability including substance abuse problems
Cyclically homeless because of job loss, family violence, release from prison
Temporarily homeless because of marital separation or disaster

Question 6

Poverty and Stress

Answer 6

Families who experience poverty experience numerous stressors. For example:
Parents worry about providing for children
Couple relationships impacted
Parenting ability impacted

Question 7

Poverty Impacts Family Health

Answer 7

Huge health gap between the rich and poor in Manitoba exists.
E.g. Life expectancy in Winnipeg (Community Health Assessment, 2014):
A woman in Point Douglas will die 16 years earlier than a woman in a middle-class neighbourhood like Richmond West.
A man in Point Douglas will die 13 years earlier than a man in a middle-class neighbourhood like Richmond West.

Question 8

Impact of Poverty on Children

Answer 8

Health
Low birth weight 
Poor nutrition 
Crowded or substandard housing = more illness
Education
Fewer “enrichment activities”
Miss school due to illness or moving
Stigmatized →→ drop out
Etc.

Question 9

Investing in Early Childhood

Answer 9

High Scope Perry Preschool study
Longitudinal study that demonstrated positive impact of high quality preschool education programming
E.g., higher IQ scores, higher rates high school graduation, higher levels of employment, less criminal activity and less use of social services.
The early years involve the most brain development and poverty is a risk factor for poor developmental outcomes
Canada has under-invested in early childhood development

Per capita, Manitoba has the highest percentage of children in Canada
26% of Manitoba’s population is under 19 years of age, compared with 23% for the national average
For every dollar invested in early-childhood (pre-school) education, taxpayers save $17 later in life on the social costs associated with poverty including health care, welfare and crime

Question 10

Solutions (poverty)

Answer 10

Must be cautious when posing solutions
“Jobs” alone don’t cut it
National system of quality childcare/early childhood intervention. For example: 
Manitoba Prenatal Benefit
Boldness Project 

Affordable shelter
Higher minimum wages
Adequate rates of income assistance