Recommendations from a 2013 report – (First Call’s next report (2014) due out on Monday)
First Call’s overarching recommendation for BC is for government to adopt a comprehensive poverty reduction plan with legislated targets and timelines and a cabinet minister with the authority and responsibility to ensure government is achieving its targets on time. We recommend the plan contain a goal to reduce BC’s child poverty rate to 7 per cent or lower by 2020.

Recognizing that children of recent immigrants, Aboriginal children, children of female lone-parent families, children in racialized families and children with a disability, are at greater risk of living in poverty, poverty reduction efforts should also be targeted to achieve major reductions in these populations.

Elements to achieve this goal:

1. The BC government should continue raising the minimum wage to make sure that a single person working full-time, full-year reaches the poverty line. The minimum wage should rise to $12 an hour as soon as possible and be indexed annually to increases in the cost of living.
2. All workers in BC should be covered by minimum wage legislation, including workers who serve alcoholic beverages and agricultural workers who are currently paid using piece-work rates.
3. Raise welfare rates