10/08/2026
📢 YWCA Toronto endorses Family Service Toronto and Campaign 2000’s open letter to the Government of Canada, calling for the swift passage of Bill S-212, A National Strategy for Children and Youth Act, through the House of Commons.
Poverty is a feminist issue, disproportionately impacting women and gender diverse individuals and their families, particularly those who are Indigenous, Black, or racialized, single parents, newcomers, or living with disabilities. Poverty is deepening across Canada and here in Toronto, creating immense hardship for individuals and families. Everyone deserves dignified access to essentials like safe housing and nutritious food, and yet many in Toronto are struggling to access these and other basic necessities.
Without significant new investments, Canada is unlikely to meet its 2030 commitment to reduce poverty by 50%. Bill S-212 provides a practical and urgently needed framework for change. It would require the federal government to work with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders, partners, families, and children and youth themselves, to develop a coordinated national strategy with measurable objectives, an action plan, and regular reporting.
🤝🏾 Alongside over 70 organizations, YWCA Toronto urges the Government of Canada to publicly support Bill S-212, allocate the parliamentary time needed to advance the legislation through second reading and committee, and work across party lines to secure its passage without delay.
Read the full letter athttps://familyservicetoronto.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Open-letter-Passage-of-Bill-S-212-An-Act-respecting-a-national-strategy-for-children-and-youth-002.pdf
