Focus on Children and Family

2012-2013

Effective July 1, 2012, investing an additional $2.5 million to increase the Nova Scotia Child Benefit for 24,000 low-income families with children.
Effective July 1, 2012, increasing the Affordable Living Tax Credit to $255 for an individual adult and to $60 for a dependent child, helping approximately 240,000 Nova Scotians.
Expanding Succeeding in Reading (PDF) from grades primary to 1, into grades 2.
Six community based summer programs named “Brain Power” will be implemented.

Affordable Living Tax Credit indexed to keep pace with inflation to the benefit of 240,000 Nova Scotians.
Nova Scotia Child Benefit was increased by over 20% per month for about 40,000 Nova Scotian children.
250 new child care subsidies introduced to help make child care more accessible for struggling families.
New income guidelines for the Direct Family Support for Children program implemented to improve access for lower to modest income families.
Support for families with children transitioning from Direct Family Support to adulthood introduced to help with costs between 18 and 19 years.

Changed co-habitation policy within income assistance to enable families to form stable relationships without losing support.
Shelter benefits within income assistance no longer reduced when a youth turns 19 if the youth is a college or university student living at home.
Invested $70M in Affordable Living Tax Credit, benefitting more than 225,000 households.
Created 700 additional child care subsidies and 920 child care spaces.
Expanded the household income thresholds for housing repair programs and increased the maximum amount of assistance available under the provincial housing repair programs from $5,000 to $6,500.
Supported children and parents with 20 family literacy programs across the province through the Family Learning Initiative Endowment fund of the Halifax Youth Foundation.

Created 550 new child care subsidies and funded the creation of an additional 280 child care spaces.
Provided funding for the literacy improvement initiative ($1,400,000), for literacy mentors ($1,545,000), and for math mentors/PD ($2,102,000).
Invested $221,650 to support the expansion of co-op education in 32 schools
Increased the income thresholds for the NS Child Benefit and Low Income Pharmacare for Children to $18,000 - $23,000 making 7,500 more children eligible for NSCB and LIPC.