IMFC Opening and Report #1

The Institute for Marriage and Family Canada put on it's annual Policy Conference on March 11. What follows in the next several posts is an event blog of what took place there.

Please Note: This is a summary of the events and speeches in my own words for educational, information, and entertainment purposes only. It is not the speakers' exact words and should not be taken as such. It also may contain errors due to the nature of the medium. I am not responsible for any of them, use at your own risk.

IMFC opening remarks. Dave Quist

Engaging families for strong social and economic policy making.

This conference will go from a broad overview to practical policies. Crowley will speak about Canada's principles. Wade Horn has years of experience to talk about the government's role in social issues with social organizations. Miriam Grossman talks about sex ed in school and college. Kelly Schwartz about parenting cycles and behaviors. IMFC Staff will be giving reports on IMCF research.

This is the highlight of our year, our annual coming out party. The staff have done a lot of work. He then introduces staff and volunteers.

Housekeeping announcements.

A brief summary of some of the things that are happening during the day. Networking lunch, panel on childcare.

We won't all agree on everything but that's okay. That's a healthy debate when we can exchange and tear ideas apart and come up with better ideas for policy in Canada.

Andrea Mrozek to introduce Brian Crowley and to talk about her work.

Private Choices Public Costs, How Failing Families Cost Us All by Rebecca Walberg and Andrea Mrozek.

While private breakdowns are privately painful they also have a social cost as government comes in with housing, welfare, and childcare assistance. Powerpoint graph showing tremendous difference between poverty of two and single parent families.

Family breakdown includes single mothers as well as divorce. It includes the breakdown of an idea, two parents with children.

Shows cost of breakdown varying from 640 million in New Zealand to 140 billion in US annual.

One cause in UK of multi-generational poverty is family breakdown.

We understand that there are lots of issues, we weren't putting this forward as a simplistic be all and end all. We were just addressing an issue that is not addressed enough when we talk about poverty.

Puts up a slide that shows family breakdown costing nearly 7 billion dollars a year in Canada.

The Cost of a Free Lunch, The Reals Costs of the Pascal Early Learning Plan for Ontario

They are transitioning/want to transition Ontario to full day kindergarten. Costs for early kindergarten program estimated by Pascal is 1 billion. IMFC says 1.5 billion as government later said. The full cost of Pascal plan is over 6 billion. Cost of Quebec childcare system, 209 million in 95-96 system but 2 billion annually today.

Talked to Quebec families who are not happy with the system.

Family breakdown contributes to these things. The intersection of fiscal and social issues is one of interest to her.