Summary of the CFE's Budget 2026 recommendations presented to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services:
Presentation Summary
The Centre for Family Equity – formerly known as the Single Mothers’ Alliance – is dedicated to eliminating family poverty in BC through community-engaged research, community engagement, public policy solutions, and support programs. We are a registered charity and a network of low-income parents and caregivers in over 41 BC communities.
We have four recently renewed strategic areas of focus for the next two years: Access to Quality Jobs, Equitable Systems and Services, Health Equity, and Strong Social Security. We work to address justice, gender equality, and racial equity to ensure systemic change for marginalized families.
We understand the economic challenges of our present moment. Our three recommended priorities reflect this yet strongly recommend we stay the course with BC’s new 10-year targets to reduce overall poverty by 60% and poverty for children under 18 75% by 2034.
As of 2022, over 147,570 children were living in poverty in BC, a 16.7% increase from 2021, with approximately 1 in every 6 children affected. Of these, a staggering 76,190 children are living in lone-parent households.
BC can and must continue to invest in poverty reduction, public services, people, and communities.
Priority Recommendation: $10-a-Day Childcare
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being felt today. Our research with UBC on the impact of the pandemic and $10-a-day childcare on lone mothers below the poverty line revealed significant job loss, income erosion, and the profoundly positive impact of publicly funded, quality, affordable $10-a-Day childcare for lone mother-led families struggling to rebuild and enter the labour market.
Low-income parents who could access a $10-a-Day space were able to transition back to work, access health care, community life, and family well-being. It became possible to shift off income assistance to quality, full-time work and pull their families out of poverty. However, our $10-a-Day system expansion has significantly stalled. There is a dire need for more publicly funded spaces particularly in small towns and rural areas.
We recommend that budget 2026 provides significant funding to finish the promised project started in 2018 and prioritize the expansion of BC’s $10-a-Day system to 50,000 spaces to ensure all parents and caregivers can work and their families can thrive.
Priority Recommendation: Expand Legal Aid BC services
Our second recommendation is regarding legal aid within our family law system for low-income families impacted by family violence. Following the conclusion of our charter challenge and the collaborative agreement established with Legal Aid BC and the Ministry of the Attorney General, announced in February 2024, progress is being made with additional hours and a new holistic clinic model that provides wrap-around and significantly increased legal support for those who are low-income and impacted by family violence.
However, based on many years of community engagement, we know that existing need in BC surpasses Legal Aid BC service thresholds, and we cannot afford to leave any at-risk family behind. Lives depend on this.
We recommend to the Committee increased funding in 2026 to support the expansion of services to families impacted by family violenec at the two new legal aid clinics in Victoria and Surrey, their satellite services throughout BC, and the additional hours available should the clinics be at capacity.
Priority Recommendation: Tie Income and Disability Assistance Rates to Inflation
Our third recommendation regards the income and disability rates in this province which remain far too low. Recent community engagement with our members revealed extreme struggles with inflation and the cost of living for those below the poverty line on fixed government incomes. They have been cruelly left behind as prices skyrocket and the tariff war poses a greater threat causing these families significant worry and duress.
Welfare rates must be tied to a realistic estimate of the basic cost of living. The rates need to be brought up significantly, and an important shift must be made for long-term progress.
We strongly recommend adjusting the rates every year to inflation starting in Budget 2026 to ensure BC’s most vulnerable and at-risk families can eat, keep the lights and heat on, and clothe their children – to name a few of the basic necessities of life they have a right to.
The Canada Child Tax, the BC Family Benefit and our minimum wage are already tied to inflation.
We feel such a move is fair, just, long overdue in this province, and crucial at this time. Let’s leave no family behind.
On behalf of the Centre for Equity, thank you very much for your time and consideration.