Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Committee of the Whole of Senate Appearance on Systemic Racism June 25, 2020

Table of contents

ESDC

1. Reaching Home’s impact on Indigenous and Racialized Canadians, specifically its indigenous streams and any other funding it provides for programming aimed at specific groups of racialized Canadians
2. Accessibility of Service Canada services to Indigenous peoples and racialized Canadians
3. Access and up-take of the CCB on-Reserve and measures ESDC has taken to ensure eligible Indigenous peoples claim the CCB
4. Update on the Anti-Poverty Strategy and its impact on racialized Canadians
5. Black Community Funding ($25m capacity fund + any other programs)
6. Employment Equity and diversity measures and initiatives at ESDC and Service Canada to ensure an equitable and diverse working environment
7. Bill S-217
8. Service Canada materials on outreach to at risk communities
9. Data on eservices launched (the one with call back dealing with 70% of the volume we normally get)
10. Labour force survey data on who is getting the CERB

1. Subject - Reaching home: Canada’s homelessness strategy

Issue

What is the Government of Canada doing to address Indigenous homelessness?

Key facts

• As part of the National Housing Strategy (NHS), the Government of Canada announced an investment of $2.2 billion over 10 years to tackle homelessness. The NHS is a 10-year, $55+ billion plan to lift thousands of Canadians out of housing need and reduce chronic homelessness by 50% by 2027-2028. On April 1, 2019, the Government of Canada launched Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy
• Over the next 9 years, the Government of Canada aims to place close to 160,000 people into more stable housing and achieve results for vulnerable Canadians
• Through Reaching Home, a total of $413 million is dedicated to address Indigenous homelessness over the next nine years. Specifically, this funding will provide:
  • $261 million through the Indigenous Homelessness stream over a 9 year period to maintain the community-based approach and to continue to address local priorities; and
  • $152 million, over 9 years that will be invested in distinctions-based priorities determined in collaboration with Indigenous partners, to be phased in over 3 years
• In order to ensure that the homeless sector has the tools and interventions they need to prepare, prevent and manage their response to COVID-19, the Government is investing $157.5 million through Reaching Home
• Of this, the Government is providing $20.6 million specifically to support Indigenous communities’ responses to COVID-19

Response

• One of the most important roles of our Government is to support vulnerable Canadians, including those who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness
• Recognizing that Indigenous people are overrepresented among Canada’s homeless population, through Reaching Home, a total of $413 million is dedicated to address Indigenous homelessness over the next 9 years. We are engaging with Indigenous partners to develop approaches to prevent and reduce Indigenous homelessness
• Reaching Home introduces an outcomes-based approach and funded communities will be asked to report publicly on community-wide outcomes, including reductions in Indigenous homelessness
• The Government is also investing $157.5 million through Reaching Home to support community responses to COVID-19. This includes $20.6 million dedicated to the Indigenous Homelessness stream

Background

Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy is a community-based program that provides direct financial support to Designated Communities (urban centres), as well as Indigenous and rural and remote communities across Canada to support their efforts in addressing homelessness. Following a comprehensive community planning process, communities determine their own priorities, and develop local solutions. Reaching Home replaced the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) on April 1, 2019.

Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy supports the goals of Canada’s National Housing Strategy, including the reduction of chronic homelessness by 50% by 2027–2028.

Reaching Home funding streams (2019 to 2025)

Regionally-delivered funding streams

Designated Communities: this stream funds projects in urban centres identified as having a significant problem with homelessness.

Rural and Remote Homelessness: this stream funds projects in non-designated communities in rural and remote areas of the country.

Indigenous Homelessness: this stream provides funding, primarily targeted to Indigenous service providers, to address the specific needs of Indigenous people living off reserve who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness.

Territorial Homelessness: this stream provides funding to communities in the territories to address the unique challenges in the North.

Nationally-delivered funding streams

Community Capacity and Innovation: this stream supports communities with implementation of coordinated access systems and the provision of training and technical assistance.

Distinctions-Based: this funding is for priorities determined in collaboration with First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners. A portion of this funding has been earmarked for Modern Treaty holders.

Key components

Moving to an Outcomes-Based Approach: under Reaching Home, the Government is working with communities to develop and deliver data-driven system plans with clear outcomes. The new outcomes-based approach will give communities greater flexibility to address local priorities, including homelessness prevention, and programming designed to meet the needs of vulnerable populations (for example, youth, women and children fleeing violence, and veterans). To track the progress being made by communities in their effort to prevent and reduce homelessness, communities will be asked to report publicly on community-wide outcomes.

Introducing Coordinated Access: Designated Communities are required to implement Coordinated Access, by March 31, 2022. The goal of Coordinated Access is to help communities achieve community-wide outcomes by ensuring fairness, prioritizing people most in need of assistance, and matching individuals to appropriate housing and services in a more streamlined and coordinated way.

Reaching Home in Quebec

In Quebec, Reaching Home is delivered through Canada-Quebec agreements that respect the jurisdictions and priorities of the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec in preventing and reducing homelessness.

• The 2019–2024 Canada-Quebec Reaching Home Agreement (RH Agreement) ($172 million); and
• The 2019–2021 Agreement to Implement the Reaching Home Community Capacity and Innovation Funding Stream in Quebec (CCI Agreement) ($2.8 million)

The Designated Communities (DC), the Rural and Remote Homelessness (RRH) and the Community Capacity and Innovation (CCI) streams are covered by the RH Agreement. The CCI stream is covered by a specific agreement for the years 2019-2021 (CCI Agreement).

The Aboriginal Homelessness funding stream is not covered by these Agreements. It is administrated by the Service Canada regional office in Quebec.

A Joint Management Committee composed of representatives from both governments serve as an official forum for policy decisions and discussions on all topics related to the 2 agreements.

The implementation model proposed in the RH Agreement promotes greater agility to support communities in consolidating services provided in Quebec to prevent and reduce homelessness. This implementation model is similar to the community entity model used by Reaching Home elsewhere in the country.

The Quebec Centres intégrés (universitaires) de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS/CIUSSS) are responsible for coordinating activities for their respective regions, including: the development of community plans, calls for proposals and the selection of projects. Starting in 2021, the CISSS/CIUSSS will also be responsible for coordinating and administering the DC and the RRH funding streams for their region.

Key stats on homelessness in Canada

According to Employment and Social Development Canada’s National Shelter Study, the number of shelter users decreased from 156,000 in 2005 to 129,000 in 2016. This decline is mainly due to a decrease in the number of shelter users between the ages of 25 and 49. Despite a decrease in shelter users, occupancy rates have increased since 2005 due to longer shelter stays, especially among older adults, seniors and families, and have consistently remained above 90% since 2012. Other key facts from the National Shelter Study include:

• women make up 29.7% of emergency shelter users, and the gender breakdown of shelter users has not changed since 2005
• indigenous peoples remain overrepresented in the emergency shelter system. The percentage of shelter users in Canada reporting Indigenous ancestry is approximately 31%, whereas 5% of the Canadian population was identified as Indigenous in the 2016 census
• the number of youth using shelters decreased by almost 25% between 2005 and 2016
• the number of shelter users between the ages of 50 and 64 has increased by 25% between 2005 and 2016. There are relatively few shelter users aged 65 and over, however, the number of seniors accessing emergency shelter services has increased by 50% between 2005 and 2016; and 
• the proportion of emergency shelter users who reported having served in the military declined from 2.2% in 2014 (nearly 3,000 individuals) to 1.8% in 2016 (an estimated 2,400 individuals)

Results from the 2018 Coordinated Point-in-Time Count show that in the 61 participating communities, 60% of the people that were homeless on the night of the count had been homeless for six or more months during the previous year.

Additionally, key demographic findings show that:

• nearly one third (30%) of all respondents indicated that they first experienced homelessness under the age of 18, and a further 20% between the ages of 18 and 24
• 25% indicated they had not use a shelter in the past year
• 36% of respondents identified as women
• 11% of respondents identified as LGBTQ2
• 30% of respondents identified as Indigenous
• 4% of respondents reported that they came to Canada as a refugee claimant; and
• approximately 5% of respondents indicated that they were a veteran of either the Canadian Armed Forces or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

Homelessness Partnering Strategy results (2014 to 2019)

Between April 2014 and March 2019, Reaching Home’s predecessor, the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, demonstrated considerable success, including:

• 73,992 people were placed into more stable housing through HPS-funded interventions
• 68,377 people have received a Housing Loss Prevention intervention; these activities provide supports such as one-time rent arrears assistance or tenant-landlord interventions for individuals or families at imminent risk of homelessness
• HPS funded projects also:
  • assisted 74,455 people to access Social Assistance, Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan or other income sources to improve their income stability
  • supported 24,307 people in finding full-time jobs or part-time jobs
  • helped 16,495 begin a job training program; and
  • helped 10,318 people in pursuing education

Prepared by

Scott Hayhow

Policy Analyst

Key contact

Janet Gwilliam

A/Director

819-654-7138

Approved by

Kris Johnson

Director General, Homelessness Policy Directorate

819-654-8798

Date

Date approved

June 23, 2020

2. Subject - Systemic racism and discrimination in Canada

Issue

How is the government ensuring accessibility of service Canada services to indigenous peoples and racialized Canadians?

Key facts

• Experience and consultation with Canadians who face barriers such as Indigenous peoples, racialized Canadians, seniors, and persons with disabilities have identified key issues to accessing services, such as:
• access to available technology, such as a computer or the internet, prevents access to Government of Canada programs, services and benefit information
• awareness of their eligibility for benefits, particularly when programs have complex eligibility rules
• language and cultural barriers; and
• trust in government

Response

• Access to programs, services and benefits by vulnerable Canadians has been a focus of this Government since 2015
• Service Canada’s Community Outreach and Liaison Service (COLS) provides access to programs, services, and benefits to vulnerable clients, with a focus on building relationships with communities and partner organizations
• Outreach activities seek to address all potential barriers to the uptake of benefits
• In 2019-2020, over 14,000 outreach activities were conducted, focussing on the most vulnerable, including Indigenous and racialized Canadians
• When in-person outreach visits were suspended due to Covid-19, the Service Canada Outreach Support Centre was launched ensuring continued access to these services

Background

• Each year Service Canada develops an outreach plan to ensure communities who face barriers are supported by outreach activity based their needs. This can include program application clinics or customized information presentations
• In 2019-2020, over 14,000 outreach activities were conducted with Indigenous communities, newcomers, people with disabilities, seniors, the low-income/homeless, and youth with higher service needs
• The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) was introduced in 2016 to strengthen the income of families in low to middle class income situations
• Beginning in September 2016, Service Canada delivered an intensive outreach initiative to Indigenous communities on reserves and in the North to increase awareness and uptake of the Canada Child Benefit (CCB)
• Budget 2018 provided $17.3 million over three years to ESDC for the expansion of outreach to all Indigenous communities
• In the last fiscal year (2019-2020), Service Canada conducted 1,287 visits to 646 Indigenous communities resulting in 14,000 service requests completed
• During the Covid-19 restrictions, Service Canada has made over 8,500 contacts with Indigenous communities and service providers who work with vulnerable Canadians to ensure they continue to receive support needed during Covid-19
• An Outreach Support Centre was launched on April 14, 2020 and has now served over 10,000 clients from vulnerable communities

Key quotes

Ministers quotes / Quotes by key stakeholders.

3. Subject - Access and up-take of the CCB on-reserve

Issue

What measures has ESDC taken to ensure up-take of the CCB on-reserve?

Key facts

• Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is accessed through tax filing for which there is a lower level of participation among some First Nations reserves and in the North
• On-reserve populations face a wide range of barriers to annual tax filing including geographic barriers, lack of awareness about the CCB, language and literacy barriers, and lack of internet access

Response

• The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is having a significant positive impact on families – but we know that the CCB take up rate for the on-reserve population is lower than in the general population, due to factors including geographic barriers, lack of awareness about the CCB, language and literacy barriers, and lack of internet access
• To ensure all Indigenous peoples can access the CCB they are entitled to, the Canada Revenue Agency and Service Canada continue to work closely together to reach Indigenous communities on-reserve and in the North
• Budget 2018 provided $17.3 million over three years, starting in 2018, to expand the CCB outreach initiative
• Results have already been positive in providing access to benefits for many Indigenous peoples: over the first two years Service Canada has conducted over 2,400 visits to over 650 Indigenous communities. These visits have resulted in over 25,000 service requests and increased access to federal programs and benefits

Background

• The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) was introduced in 2016 to strengthen the income of families in low to middle class income situations
• Beginning in September 2016, Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) collaborated on a one-year intensive outreach initiative to Indigenous communities on reserves and in the North to increase awareness and uptake of the CCB
• Visits to communities were co-ordinated with CRA where possible and 70% of communities were visited for the first time during this outreach initiative. These first visits created awareness and began to establish trust
• Budget 2018 provided $17.3 million in funding to provide expanded outreach to Indigenous communities to continue to support the increase take-up of federal programs, services and benefits for Indigenous peoples
• To ensure that the CCB continues to help Canadian families over the long term, beginning in July 2018, the CCB has been indexed to keep pace with the cost of living. With indexation, in the 2020-2021 benefit year, the maximum annual benefit is $6,765 per child under 6 years and $5,708 per child aged 6 through 17
• Indexing the CCB will provide an additional $5.6 billion in support to Canadian families over the 2018-19 to 2022-2023 period
• Families with less than $31,711 in adjusted family net income receive the maximum benefit. Both the maximum benefits and the income thresholds will be indexed in future years
• To provide further support for Canadian families facing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government provided a one-time enhancement of $300 per child for families currently receiving the CCB as part of the May 2020 payment. The overall increase for families receiving the child benefit was approximately $550 on average
• At the national level, CCB take-up is high – for example it was estimated to be 97% in 2017. There have been efforts to assess the proportion of persons on reserves who file their income tax returns, based on Census and income tax data. The estimate serves as a proxy for CCB take up since filing tax returns is a pre-requisite to receiving CCB benefits. The latest proxy indicates a CCB take-up rate among the population living on-reserve of 79%, which is 18 percentage points lower than the national estimate

Key quotes

Ministers quotes / Quotes by key stakeholders.

4. Subject - Poverty reduction strategy

Issue

Update on Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy and Impact on Racialized Canadians.

Response

• In a country as prosperous as Canada, all Canadians should have a real and fair chance to succeed. That is why, on August 21, 2018, the Government of Canada released Opportunity for All: Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy
• Opportunity for All lays out a bold vision of a Canada without poverty and will use Canada’s Official Poverty Line to measure progress towards the poverty reduction targets
• Canada’s Official Poverty Line is not currently available in the territories. Statistics Canada is currently working collaboratively with territorial governments to develop a basket of goods and services unique to each territory. This will ensure that Canada’s Official Poverty Line is available in all regions of Canada
• Results from the recently released 2018 Canadian Income Survey show that between 2015 and 2018, over 1 million of Canadians were lifted out of poverty. This is the largest 3-year reduction in Canadian history. Key poverty reduction initiatives such as the Canada Child Benefit, the increase to the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and the Canada Workers Benefit have contributed to this sustained progress
• Even as the poverty rate in Canada continues its downward trend, we know that there are populations that are more vulnerable to living in poverty than others, including some racialized Canadians. In addition, while the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on poverty reduction is still unknown, we know that vulnerable populations have been dispropotionaly affected by the pandemic
• The Government is committed to ensuring that these groups receive the support they need to have a real and fair chance to succeed

 If pressed:

• As part of Opportunity for All, the Government is making improvements to the measurement of poverty that will help address data gaps and help track progress. In particular, the Government will be expanding the Canadian Income Survey as well as using other sources such as the Census to permit more detailed analysis. In 2015, the poverty rate for the total visible minority population was 20.6% as compared to 10.6% for the non-visible minority population, based on the 2016 Census. Amongst the visible minority population, there are instances where poverty rates are more than double that of the non-visible minority population. For example, the poverty rate amongst the Black community is 23.2%
• ESDC will also work with Statistics Canada to close gaps in our knowledge and understanding of the various dimensions of poverty. This includes the persistence of poverty, particularly among traditionally marginalized groups, such as Black Canadians and other racialized communities

Key facts

• In 2015, the poverty rate for the total visible minority population was 20.6% as compared to 10.6% for the non-visible minority population, based on the 2016 Census. Amongst the visible minority population, there are instances where poverty rates are more than double that of the non-visible minority population. For example, the poverty rate amongst the Black community is 23.2%
• There was a decrease in the overall poverty rate in 2018. According to Canada’s Official Poverty Line, there were approximately 3.2 million people in poverty in Canada in 2018 (8.7 %), meaning that approximately 1,065,000 fewer Canadians were living in poverty relative to 2015
• There was a decrease in the poverty rate for children under 18 in 2018. According to Canada’s Official Poverty Line, there were approximately 566,000 children in poverty in Canada in 2018 (8.2 %), meaning that approximately 334,000 fewer children were living in families in poverty in 2018 relative to 2015
• There was a decrease in the poverty rate for seniors in 2018. A total of 216,000 seniors lived below Canada’s Official Poverty Line in 2018 (3.5 %, meaning that approximately 73,000 fewer seniors were in poverty in 2018 relative to 2015. This decline reverses the trend of increased seniors’ poverty that had been observed between 2014 and 2015

Background

• The Government of Canada undertook extensive engagement with Canadians to inform the development of the Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy. The nation‑wide engagement process, launched on February 13, 2017, gave Canadians an opportunity to have their say on reducing poverty through a Poverty Reduction Strategy engagement website, including discussion forums and online town halls. The online engagement was complemented by roundtables with stakeholders; Indigenous organizations; businesses; community organizations; academic experts and Canadians who have experienced poverty
• Three major themes emerged from the engagement and form the three pillars of the Poverty Reduction Strategy:
  • Dignity: lifting Canadians out of poverty by ensuring basic needs – such as safe and affordable housing, healthy food, and healthcare – are met
  • Opportunity and Inclusion: helping Canadians join the middle class by promoting full participation in society and equality of opportunity; and
  • Resilience and Security: supporting the middle class by protecting Canadians from falling into poverty and by supporting income security and resilience
• Opportunity for All acknowledges that many Canadians struggle to get ahead because of barriers beyond their control, such as discrimination or unacceptable prejudices. For example, Black Canadians and people from other racialized communities can face discrimination that prevents them from getting a good job despite being qualified, or from advancing in their career. Discrimination based on skin colour can also lead to social exclusion, whether in the workplace or in the community
• Based on understanding the linkages between poverty and discriminatory barriers, Opportunity for All was developed using a Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) lens in order to take into consideration the variation in experiences and barriers that different groups face related to poverty
• Understanding the unique risk factors, the impact of intersecting experiences and the needs of diverse groups will help the Government to tailor interventions under the Strategy to more effectively address poverty in Canada
• Opportunity for All includes long-term commitments to guide current and future government’s actions and investments:
  • Canada’s Official Poverty Line - For the first time in Canada’s history, the Government sets an official measure of income poverty based on Statistics Canada’s Market Basket Measure (MBM). The Poverty Reduction Act requires the MBM to be reviewed regularly to ensure that basket costs are up-to-date and that basket contents reflect the items required to meet basic needs and achieve a modest standard of living
  • A joint Statistics Canada – ESDC review of the MBM was launched in the fall of 2018 and is still underway. Statistics Canada is responsible for launching the review, updating the statistical methodology, and leading public consultations. ESDC is responsible for determining the scope of the review and setting the policy direction. On February 24, 2020, Statistics Canada released the final discussion paper of the MBM series entitled The Second Comprehensive Review report alongside the release of the 2018 Canadian Income Survey. The report describes the proposed changes to be made to how the MBM is calculated and includes provisional poverty estimates using the new 2018 base
  • Poverty Reduction Targets - Canada’s Official Poverty Line will be used to measure progress toward two targets for poverty reduction, using a baseline year of 2015:
    • reduce the rate of poverty by 20% by 2020 (target met in 2017); and
    • reduce the rate of poverty by 50% by 2030

The targets are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

• Data and Measurement Plan - In addition to the introduction of Canada’s Official Poverty Line, the Government is making improvements to the measurement of poverty that will help address data gaps and help track progress
• A Dashboard of poverty indicators has been created to allow Canadians to track progress against the targets and other dimensions of poverty aligned with the three pillars
• National Advisory Council on Poverty - To ensure accountability to Canadians, the Government has established a National Advisory Council on Poverty with a mandate to both advise the Government on poverty reduction and to produce a report on the progress in poverty reduction that will be tabled annually in Parliament. The Council’s first in-person meeting took place on November 14-15, 2019 and its first annual report is expected in October 2020
• Poverty Reduction Legislation - To cement the commitment to reducing poverty, the the Poverty Reduction Act entrenches into law Canada’s Official Poverty Line, the poverty reduction targets, and the National Advisory Council on Poverty
• Budget 2018 announced an investment of $12.1 million over five years, and $1.5 million per year thereafter, to address key gaps in poverty measurement in Canada. Statistics Canada is currently working collaboratively with territorial governments to develop a basket of goods and services unique to territory. This will ensure that Canada’s Official Poverty Line is available in all regions of Canada
• As part of Opportunity for All, the Government has also committed to working with National Indigenous Organizations and others to identify and co-develop indicators of poverty and well-being that reflect the multiple dimensions of poverty and well-being experienced by First Nations, Métis and Inuit

Prepared by

Thomas Glen

Social Development Policy

Key Contact

Expert-conseil

Hugues Vaillancourt

Senior Director

Social Policy Directorate

819-271-6795 (cell)

Approved by

Approuvé par

Karen Hall

Director General

819-664-4899 (cell)

Date

June 23, 2020

5. Subject - Capacity building in black Canadian communities

Issue

An investment of $25M over five years to build capacity in Black Canadian communities was announced in Budget 2019.

Key facts

• Currently, visible minorities account for 6.3 million of Canada’s total population. Of this population, nearly 1.2 million reported in 2016 as Black, representing 3.5% of Canada's total population

Response

• Diversity and inclusion are cornerstones of Canadian identity, a source of social and economic strength, and something that all Canadians can be proud of taking its cue from Canadians, the Government is committed to fostering and promoting a Canada where every person is able to fully and equally participate in our country’s economic, cultural, social and political life
• In recognition of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent, the supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative will invest $25M over five years to build organizational capacity and fund capital projects in Canada’s diverse Black communities
• In August 2019, the first 2 elements of the Initiative were announced:
  • the creation of a Canadian Institute for People of African Descent dedicated to looking at issues that affect Black communities. This national institute could play a comprehensive role in research, knowledge development and dissemination, on a wide range of issues of interest to Black Canadians; and
  • the use of intermediary organizations to fund projects to build the capacity of not-for-profit organizations serving Black communities across Canada
• In May 2020, it was announced that the government will work with Tropicana Community Services, the Black Business Initiative, and Le Groupe 3737 to disburse investments. Once fully established as intermediaries, these organizations will launch their own funding calls seeking proposals from grassroots organizations from across Canada for organizational capacity building projects
• The federal government will also work with the Network for the Advancement of Black Communities. The Network will act as an expert service provider to the intermediaries and play a role in strengthening governance, service coordination, capacity building and systems change
• As part of this investment, grassroots organizations will soon be able to apply for grants of up to $100,000 to build the necessary capacity and infrastructure they need to better serve Black Canadian communities. The Call for Proposals will open June 26, 2020 and close July 27, 2020
• The Government will continue to listen to Canadians, seeking ways to improve engagement with the federal government, foster greater public awareness of systemic racism and discrimination, and look for opportunities to strengthen support for underrepresented communities

Background

• In January 2018, the Prime Minister announced that Canada officially recognized the UN International Decade for People of African Descent spanning from 2015 to 2024
• In recognition of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent, Budget 2019 included $25 million over five years starting in 2019-20, for projects and capital assistance to celebrate, share knowledge and build capacity in our vibrant Black Canadian communities
• In July 2019, an engagement session was held by ESDC with almost 40 stakeholder organizations representing a diverse range of Black communities and interests from across Canada
• In August 2019, the first 2 elements of the Initiative were announced:
  • the creation of a Canadian Institute for People of African Descent dedicated to looking at issues that affect Black communities. This national institute could play a comprehensive role in research, knowledge development and dissemination, on a wide range of issues of interest to Black Canadians; and
  • the use of the intermediary approach to fund projects to build the capacity of not-for-profit organizations serving Black communities across Canada
• In May 2020, it was announced that the government will work with Tropicana Community Services, the Black Business Initiative, and Le Groupe 3737 to disburse investments. Once fully established as intermediaries, these organizations will launch their own funding calls seeking proposals from grassroots organizations from across Canada for organizational capacity building projects
• The federal government will also work with the Network for the Advancement of Black Communities. The Network will act as an expert service provider to the intermediaries and play a role in strengthening governance, service coordination, capacity building and systems change
• In April 2020, the Prime Minister announced a $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund to help charities and non-profit organizations adapt frontline services for vulnerable Canadians during COVID-19. The Fund provides funding to national intermediaries with networks across the country, including United Way Canada, the Canadian Red Cross, and the Community Foundations of Canada. These partners are disbursing funds to local community-based organizations working with vulnerable populations, including seniors, persons with disabilities, members of LGBTQ2 communities, veterans, newcomers, women, children and youth, and members of Indigenous communities and racialized communities, such as Black Canadians

Citations / Key quotes

Ministers quotes / Quotes by key stakeholders.

Canadian Labour Congress.

“The Congress highlighted other positive announcements in today’s federal budget, including…Funding to support a new anti-racism strategy, funding for LGBTQ2+ organizations and establishment of an LGBTQ2+ Secretariat, Gender Equality funding to expand the Women’s Program and funds for Black Canadian communities.” (News Release, 19 March 2019)

Prepared by

Heather Meek

Analyst, Social Programs

819-654-8031

Key contact

Susan MacPhee

Director, Social Programs

819-654-6164

Approved by

Monika Bertrand

Director General

613-315-4598

Date

Date approved in SADMO / COO

6. Employment Equity and diversity measures and initiatives at ESDC and Service Canada to ensure an equitable and diverse working environment

Issue

L’EDSC s’engage à avoir une main-d'œuvre représentative des Canadiens qu'elle sert et à favoriser un environnement de travail équitable et diversifié. / ESDC is committed to having a workforce that is representative of the Canadians it serves and to fostering an equitable and diverse working environment.

Response

• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has an established Diversity and Employment Equity Action Plan (DEEAP) developed in consultation with diversity networks. They support the Department in fostering an inclusive, representative and accommodating workplace in which employees are able to be their authentic selves, where individual differences are valued and seen as a source of strength in the delivery of departmental mandates and the achievement of business results for Canadians
• The Diversity and Employment Equity Action Plan aims to support ESDC’s diversity and employment equity agenda—by adopting innovative ways to reaching diverse communities, and proactive approaches to eliminating and reducing barriers to recruitment, development and retention through meaningful engagement and dialogue across the organization; and, by reinforcing accountability for inclusive practices
• ESDC is also focused on creating a culture of inclusion that values differences and actively encourages the full participation of all employees. The department has established employee networks that support the needs and interests of its indigenous employees, employees with disabilities, visible minority employees and LGBTQ2+ employees and their allies

Key facts

• ESDC is planning an Indigenous virtual recruitment event in late fall 2020/early spring 2021
• ESDC remains highly committed to continuous engagement with Indigenous communities and academia in support of its HR planning, recruitment and retention efforts
• In its response to COVID-19, the Department leveraged the Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity (ISEO) to recruit First Nations, Inuit and Métis, as well as the Employment Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (EOSD) programs to support recruitment for call centres in support of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit
• Targeted recruitment and retention efforts remain in place to include more hires through the Federal Internship Program for Canadians with disabilities (FICDP), and includes engagement with key stakeholders such as the Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN)
• ESDC’s Visible Minorities Network has engaged and continues to collaborate with the Federal Black Employee Caucus (FBEC) to gain a better understanding of the issues black employees face in the workplace
• A visible minorities’ targeted recruitment event is planned to take place in the fall of 2020, or in early spring 2021 with the support of the Visible Minorities Network (VMN) at ESDC
• We are pleased to add that ESDC, when compared to the market availability, has higher representation for the vast majority of its occupational groups. The key areas where ESDC needs to focus on addressing representation needs for women remains in the Economics and Social Science (EC) group and in the Nursing (NU) group for visible minorities. These occupational groups are challenging in terms of representation, given that there is a shortage of market availability, due to the lower number of women and visible minorities graduating in these fields. Particular focus is also required to address the workforce availability of persons with disabilities, which more than doubled in the 2016 Census cycle
• As for the EX cadre, we recognize a need to further recruit and retain Indigenous and visible minority executives to the organization. As such, we have recently established an EX Indigenous pool to further diversify the EX Cadre, as well as planned targeted recruitment events for visible minorities to address this issue in the fall of 2020. ESDC currently stands at (-5) for Indigenous and (-6) for visible minority executives. We will continue to promote the use of targeted selection processes for fiscal 2020-21 to ensure that we have pools of qualified Indigenous and visible minority candidates, which can be leveraged by ESDC and other federal organizations

Prepared by

Todd Burke

Director

873-396-0790

Key contact

Kim Tondino Gauthier

Manager

819-665-3584

Approved by

Vicki Cunliffe

Director General

819-654-6812

Date

Date approved in SADMO / COO

XX-06-2020

7. Subject - A national children’s commissioner in Canada

Issue

A federal children’s commissioner.

Key facts

• On June 16, 2020, the Honourable Senator Rosemary Moodie sponsored PMB S-217, Commissioner for Children and Youth in Canada Act. The bill proposes an independent Commissioner for Children and Youth in Canada who would promote, monitor and report on the implementation of Canada’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and advance the rights of children and youth in Canada
  • Previous private members bills calling for a Canadian Children’s Commissioner include:
  • C-418: An Act to establish a Children’s Commissioner of Canada, introduced by then MP Marc Garneau on June 11, 2009
  • C-420: An Act to establish the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young Persons in Canada, introduced by then MP Marc Garneau on May 3, 2012
  • C-701: An Act to establish the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young Persons in Canada, introduced by MP Irwin Cotler on June 19, 2015
  • C-441: An Act respecting the Office of the Commissioner for Young Persons in Canada, introduced by MP Anne Minh-Thu Quach on April 9, 2019
  • C-451: An Act to establish a Children’s Health Commissioner of Canada, introduced by MP K. Kellie Leitch on May 16, 2019
• All provinces and territories except the Northwest Territories have independent Children’s Advocates (under varying mandates and arrangements) that engage with each other through the Canadian Council of Provincial Child and Youth Advocates

Response

• The Government of Canada is committed to promoting and protecting the rights and well-being of children and youth
• The Government has established in legislation a member responsible for children’s issues as part of the independent National Advisory Council on Poverty
• The member will ensure that children’s interests are taken into consideration as the Council engages with Canadians on poverty, advises on a broad range of programs and services regarding poverty reduction, and publicly reports on progress being made to meet the government’s poverty reduction targets
• The federal, provincial and territorial governments are all responsible for the implementation of the United Nations Convention on Children’s Rights
• The federal government implements the Convention through several ways, including laws such as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Youth Criminal Justice Act, as well as through policies and programs such as the Canada Child Benefit
• We will continue to work with our provincial and territorial partners to explore new opportunities to make further progress on issues concerning children and youth

Background

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international human rights instrument that outlines the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children. The UNCRC is the first legally binding international instrument to protect the full range of human rights of children under the age of 18. The federal, provincial and territorial governments are all responsible for the implementation of the UNCRC. Canada reports to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, the body charged with monitoring States’ compliance with the UNCRC.

The issue of establishing a national children’s commissioner has been proposed and debated numerous times since Canada signed and ratified the UNCRC in 1990 and 1991 respectively. A children’s commissioner has been called for in private members bills, by Senate committees, and by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

A Senate Delayed Answer was prepared for a question raised by the Hon. Senator Munson on December 11, 2019, inquiring if the creation of a Children’s Commissioner was a goal of this government. The Senate Delayed Answer indicated that a member with particular responsibilities for children had been named as part of the legislated National Advisory Council on Poverty. The member will ensure that children’s interests are taken into consideration as the Council engages with Canadians on poverty, advises on a broad range of programs and services regarding poverty reduction, and publicly reports on progress being made to meet the government’s poverty reduction targets. The member responsible for children’s issue provides a focal point for continued progress on reducing children’s and youth’s poverty in Canada.

On June 16, 2020, the Honourable Senator Rosemary Moodie sponsored PMB S-217, Commissioner for Children and Youth in Canada Act. The role of the independent Commissioner for Children and Youth in Canada would be to promote, monitor and report on the implementation of Canada’s obligations under the Convention and to advance the rights of children and youth in Canada. Though the Office of the Commissioner would not deal with specific local issues, it would serve as a liaison between local authorities and the federal government.

• The Act would also require the Children’s Commissioner to collaborate with First Nations, Inuit and Métis bodies, including on assisting in the development and implementation of programs adapted to their rights, well-being, traditions and needs, and to encourage the implementation of First Nations, Inuit and Métis law and legal processes in all matters concerning advocacy for their children and youth

Numerous stakeholders, including UNICEF Canada, Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children, The Canadian Paediatric Society, and Children First Canada have echoed the recommendation for establishing a Children’s Commissioner.

• UNICEF’s March 2020 alternative report “The Need for Effective Child Rights Governance in Canada” contains a recommendation to create a national Children’s Commissioner “at the federal level that will facilitate, coordinate, monitor, and hold government accountable for the implementation of the Convention.”
• Children First Canada and the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the University of Calgary released a report on September 4, 2018 entitled Raising Canada: A report on Children in Canada, their Health and Wellbeing. The report suggests that all levels of government should do more to invest in Canadian children. The accompanying media release included three recommendations for governments:
  1. establish a national Commission for Children and Youth as an independent government office to promote the best interests of children and hold government accountable
  2. implement a children’s budget to track national investment in children; and
  3. fully implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Canadian Children’s Charter

Several mechanisms already exist to facilitate the coordination of children’s rights and well-being across Canada, including:

• The Interdepartmental Working Group on Child Rights (co-chaired by the Department of Justice and the Public Health Agency of Canada) promotes coordination and collaboration across the federal government on children’s rights issues. The working group includes members from 18 federal departments and agencies, as well as the Privy Council Office
• Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies is the national association of Canada’s statutory agencies charged with administering federal, provincial and territorial human rights legislation. Its goals are to foster collaboration among its members and to serve as a national voice on human rights issues of common concern
• The Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates is an association of independent provincial/territorial children’s advocates from across Canada who have mandates to advance the rights of children and youth and to promote their voice. Through the Council, these child and youth advocates identify areas of mutual concern, and work to develop ways to address issues at a national level. All provinces and territories except the NWT have independent children’s advocates with varying mandates

On January 1, 2020, the Act respecting First Nation, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families came into force. The Act affirms the rights of Indigenous governments and organizations to exercise jurisdiction over First Nation Inuit and Métis child and family services and allows communities to determine how it will exercise jurisdiction. Existing child and family services agencies will continue to provide services to Indigenous children. The Act also establishes national principles including best interests of the child, cultural continuity, and substantive equality to guide the interpretation and administration of the Act and contributes to the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Government has also established Canada’s first-ever youth policy to ensure that youth voices across Canada are heard and to guide Government’s priorities and actions. Starting in 2020 and every four years thereafter, the Government will release a report highlighting the state of youth in Canada and Government’s initiatives across six priority areas: Leadership and Impact; Health and Wellness; Innovation, Skills and Learning; Employment; Truth and Reconciliation; and Environment and Climate Action.

The Prime Minister’s Youth Council has also been established to provide non-partisan advice to the Prime Minister and the Government on issues of importance to them and to all Canadians.

Key quotes

Ministers quotes/Quotes by key stakeholders.

Prepared by

Cyrus Sie

Families and Care Policy Division

873-396-3048

Key contact

Elizabeth Allen

Director, Families and Care Policy Division

873-396-1183

Approved by

Karen Hall

Director General, Social Policy Directorate

819-664-4899

Date

June 23, 2020

8. Subject - Service Canada materials on outreach to at risk communities

Issue

What materials and service tools are available to support outreach to at-risk communities?

Key facts

• At-risk communities face barriers to accessing service that require additional tools and support, due to the fact that:
  • not all Canadians are proficient in English or French
  • at-risk communities still rely on traditional service channels due to lack of internet access or low e-literacy; and
  • Canadians who face barriers are often not aware of their eligibility for benefits, particularly when programs have complex eligibility rules

Response

• Service Canada continually assesses the needs of clients and communities to ensure that services are aligned with client demand and remain responsive to the needs of Canadians
• Outreach activities are provided to at-risk communities through in-person, telephone, or virtual outreach activities
• A thorough needs assessment is conducted to ensure at-risk communities have a customized outreach activity based on their needs. Partners are engaged to ensure all barriers to accessing service are addressed
• Tailored presentations and application clinics, with the use of interpreters when required, are used to more effectively serve at-risk communities, as well as build trust
• When in-person visits were suspended due to Covid-19, a toll-free contact service with TTY service was established to support people who did not have access to a computer or the internet
• To assist individuals who require service in languages other than French and English, Service Canada connects with an interpreter through the Telephone Interpretation Service (TIS). Currently, there are over 100 available languages through this service

Background

• Community Outreach and Liaison Service (COLS) provides access to programs, services and benefits to clients where they live and/or spend time, with a focus on building relationships with communities and partner organizations
• Since the launch of the Outreach Support Centre on April 14, 2020, over 10,000 clients have been served
• Service Canada has made over 8,500 contacts with Indigenous communities, and service providers who work with Canadians at-risk clients to ensure they continue to receive support needed during Covid-19

Key quotes

Ministers quotes / Quotes by key stakeholders.

9. Subject - New eServiceCanada channel serves Canadians during COVID-19

Issue

Service Canada closed its Service Canada Centres on March 27. At the same time, a new eServiceCanada channel was launched to ensure continued service to Canadians.

Key facts

Our priority is the health and safety of all Canadians, while maintaining service to the public.

On March 27th, 2020, Service Canada closed its Service Canada Centres and put in place a new eServiceCanada channel to ensure continued access to service by Canadians.

The new online eService mirrors the services available to clients who usually come into a Service Canada Centre.

As of June 22, 2020, Service Canada Centre staff received 643,211 online service requests.

Response

On March 27, 2020, Service Canada closed its in-person Service Canada Centres, to protect the health and safety of all Canadians, and put in place a new eServiceCanada channel to ensure continued access to critical services and benefits by Canadians.

If a client requires further support and assistance to access critical benefits, help is available through an online eService request. A Service Canada officer will call them within two business days and will provide personalized service.

Since the launch of the service in March, there have been 643,211 eService requests, demonstrating a hugely positive response by clients to the new service.

A toll-free contact centre is also available to support vulnerable clients who cannot reliably access the internet and Service Canada eService. As of June 22, 10,390 calls have been received.

These measures will ensure we get Canadians the benefits they need when they need them most.

Background

We closed all Service Canada Centres to the public on March 27, 2020, to help maintain the health and safety of all Canadians in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, closing these centres allowed us to better apply existing capacity to providing critical services for vulnerable clients through alternative means.

At the same time the Service Canada Centres were closed, a new approach to service delivery was launched. Through eServiceCanada, clients can request help online and are then contacted by telephone by a Citizen Service Officer (CSO) within two business days. This online/callback service enables the continued delivery of critical services while protecting the health of clients and employees during the COVID-19 crisis.

Clients with internet access who require assistance in applying for benefits are able to reach staff through an online service request form at canada.ca/service-canada-e-service. Once clients fill out the service request form, a Service Canada Centre employee will call clients within 2 business days.

In addition to the Service Canada Centre closures, outreach services to communities was suspended. On April 14, 2020, a new outreach support centre was launched. The centre supplements the new eServiceCanada portal by giving communities without internet and clients with other barriers a way to connect directly with outreach officers, and access critical services and benefits. As of June 22, 2020, 10,390 calls were received.

Outreach staff have contacted 8,549 communities and trusted partners across the country to make them aware of eServiceCanada and the Outreach Support Centre, and to encourage them to share the contact information with their members and clients.

10. Subject - Labour force survey data on who applied to the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit

Issue

Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides demographic and labour force status information on Canadians who have applied to the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or the Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. The May survey asked if members of their household had applied for the CERB or for EI regular benefits between March 15, 2020 and the day of their interview with Statistics Canada, which was conducted during the 10-day period on May 17 to 26. However, while the LFS currently provides a monthly labour market picture for many demographic groups, there are data gaps for some groups, such as visible minorities and persons with disabilities.

Response

• The Government of Canada has taken strong actions to provide support to Canadians and businesses facing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak through Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan.
• The government is monitoring closely the impact of COVID-19 on the labour market outcomes of Canadians.
• Labour market analysis comparing the impact of COVID-19 across demographic groups has found women, youth, recent immigrants and part-time workers have been hard hit by COVID-19.
• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is collaborating with Statistics Canada to gather additional information on the impact of COVID-19 on specific populations, notably visible minorities.

Background

• Every month, the Labour Force Survey (LFS) collects information on all individuals 15 and over in a sample of around 56,000 Canadian households. In May, a total of 40,660 interviews were completed. The survey provides a timely and detailed picture of the labour market across the country. The LFS provides data on the level and composition of labour force participation, employment (including self-employment) and unemployment going back to 1976
• In addition to this, starting in April 2020, Statistics Canada also developed a short supplement to the collection of the LFS, aimed specifically to gather information on the COVID-19 impacts on the labour market, and on Canadians’ behaviours and health
• More specifically, Statistics Canada asks if the respondent applied to the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), or Employment Insurance (EI) benefit between March 15 and the day of the interview. The latest data available form the May Labour Force Survey covers the period of March 15 to the 10-day period of May 17 to May 26
• Currently, Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides a monthly labour market picture for many demographic groups, but there are data gaps for some groups, such as visible minorities. The most recent labour market information for these population groups was collected during the 2016 Census of population
• To address data gaps, ESDC has been working closely with Statistics Canada to gather additional information on the impact of COVID-19 on specific populations through supplementary questions to the LFS, data integration and crowdsourcing initiatives
• Statistics Canada will add a question on the visible minority status to the July LFS. They expect to release the information on August 7th. However, it may not be possible to make some of the information available due to data quality and sample size

Key facts

• According to the May 2020 Labour Force Survey (LFS), across Canada, applicants to CERB were equally distributed among men and women, with more than 20% of all men and women aged 15 to 69 applying for the emergency benefit
• Across Canada, about half (49%) of those who applied to CERB were employed. Slightly less than half of employed applicants worked zero hours, while another one in 14 employed applicants worked less than 50% of their usual hours
• About 27% of all applicants were private sector employees and 19% were self-employed. A little more than 40% of all self-employed applied to CERB
• Youth aged 15 to 24 were somewhat underrepresented among the applicants compared to their relative employment losses. Indeed, 22% of applicants were 15-24 years old, although, this age group accounted for about 30% of job losses between February and May
• Applications to CERB were more prevalent among lower earners. Among paid employees, 28% of those in the lowest quintile of weekly earnings (earning $600 or less per week) applied to CERB, accounting for 43% of all paid-employee applicants. The proportion of those who applied was much lower (3%) among those in the highest quintile of weekly earnings (earning $1,576.81 or more per week)
• A higher proportion of the population applied to CERB in Quebec (26%) than in other provinces (where the application ranged between 14% and 23%). Quebec and Ontario accounted for two-thirds of all the applications in the country
• A little more than two-thirds of applicants were in sales and service occupations. The proportions of workers in Sales and service occupations; and in Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport, were higher than in other occupational groupings less impacted by the lockdown measures
• About one in two people in the Accommodation and food services industry claimed CERB, representing 12% of all applicants. The proportion of workers that applied to CERB was higher in other services; as well as in the Business, building and other support services; Information, culture and recreation; and Wholesale and retail trade industries
• Ongoing ESDC analysis based on 2016 Census data have found that that visible minorities generally have poorer labour market outcomes that the Canadian average
• Labour market outcomes of visible minorities lag behind those of the Canadian average, but the outcomes of visible minority men are better or close to the Canadian average in most visible minority groups. Among visible minority immigrants, labour market outcomes improve with time spent in Canada
• Black Canadians face challenges in the labour market. In 2016, the unemployment rate of Black Canadians was the second highest among visible minority groups, and they were overrepresented in occupations requiring lower levels of skills. Over the last 20 years (1996-2016) the gap in employment rates relative to the Canadian average has narrowed, but Black Canadians remain less likely to work full-year full time and have a lower level of employment income

Prepared by

Martin Charron,

Acting manager

819-500-3183

Key Contact

Martin Charron,

Acting manager

819-500-3183

Approved by

Louis Morel

Director General

343-549-0570

Date

June 23th, 2020