Notes on Child and Family Poverty and its Impact on Health in Canada

No single definition of poverty in Canada.
Measures used include:
- Low Income Cut-offs (LICO)
- Best-known measure but doesn't officially define poverty.
- Identifies income thresholds indicating "straitened circumstances."
- Based on family expenditure; originally defined as spending >70% income on essentials; now reduced to 63%.
- Varies by family and community size.
- Low Income Measure (LIM)
- Canadian Council on Social Development income inequality lines.
The definitions lack precision and adapt to changing contexts.
LICO indicates living with minimal income after necessities, affecting other expenses like healthcare and education.

Typical profile of families below LICO:
- Family Structure:
- Often led by parents in late 30s with a high school education.
- Includes single-parent families.
- Housing:
- Mostly in rental accommodations in larger communities.
- Employment:
- Many earn from low-paying, unstable service-sector jobs.
- 70% of minimum wage earners are women, making lone mothers particularly vulnerable.
- Working Poor:
- Full-time minimum wage salaries often insufficient to escape poverty.
- Families above LICO may still face economic hardship linked to poor health and limited opportunities.

Vulnerable Populations:
- Lone-Parent Families:
- Toronto: 59% poverty rate; significant portion of poor child population.
- Young Families:
- Higher rates among younger families; many are lone parents under $40,000 income.
- Newcomers:
- Higher child poverty rates in some communities (60%-90%).
Consequences of Child Poverty:
- Many families struggle to meet basic needs (e.g., food, shelter).
- Increasing food bank usage and instances of children going hungry.
- Rent burden: e.g., 81% of income spent on rent for poor couples, 95% for lone parents.