FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 5, 2017 Yesterday, the British Columbia government announced $33 million for the creation of 3,800 new child care spaces, yet the government’s own documents show there is actually a surplus of child care spaces in the province. The B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development notes in its own report that “efficient use of child care spaces will be reflected in high utilization rates,” which the government defines at 80-85% use. But a new report by think tank Cardus uses the government’s own documents to show that no part of the province has that level of child care utilization. In fact, on average, almost one in three child care spaces lies vacant every month province-wide. Andrea Mrozek, family program director at Cardus, and Helen Ward, president of Kids First Parents Association, have co-authored Daycare Vacancy Rates in British Columbia: The Untold Story. It finds the biggest child care surplus is in the Kootenays, with an average monthly vacancy of 45%. While smallest surplus is in Vancouver and Richmond, the vacancy rate there is still almost 25%.“The provincial government’s own numbers show a shortage of demand for child care spaces, not a shortage of supply,” said Mrozek. “By their own estimation, this shows a lack of efficiency. Creating more spaces won’t make anything more efficient, nor does it serve parents and families well, given the current vacancies.” Provincial government documents also indicate the cost of child care spaces is not what is keeping parents from using them. The B.C. government budgeted $119 million for that purpose in 2016/2017, but only used $105 million, which amounts to a surplus of $14 million. “Child care doesn’t happen only in daycares or other centres,” said Ward. “It happens wherever parents make the financial sacrifice to do the work of caring for their children. When governments preferentially fund centre-based care, it leaves out the majority who don’t use that system.” Read Daycare Vacancy Rates in British Columbia: The Untold Story here. To arrange for interviews with Andrea Mrozek or Helen Ward, please, contact Daniel Proussalidis. MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 16, 2017OTTAWA, ON – Canadians are divided almost evenly on the question of how much influence religious and faith communities should have in the country’s public life. A slight majority of 53% of those polled said religious and faith communities should have “not much influence” or “no influence at all.” The rest of the almost 2,000 adults polled (47%) said religious and faith communities should have “some influence” or be “a major influence” on Canadian public life. The Angus Reid Institute poll conducted in partnership with think tank Cardus also found considerable regional differences in outlook, with Western and Atlantic Canada most welcoming of religious voices, while Quebec is most opposed.“Clearly, there is room in a diverse and tolerant nation for voices of faith in the Canadian public square today,” says Ray Pennings, Cardus Executive Vice President. “Those in authority have an obligation to welcome those voices, while religious communities also have an obligation to make constructive and responsible contributions to politics and public policy.”Interestingly, Canadians are just as divided on the question of whether religious communities and faith groups are relevant to addressing social issues and challenges today. While 52% of Canadians say religious communities and faith groups are “becoming less relevant” or are “no longer relevant,” 48% say they’re “as relevant as ever” or “more relevant than ever.”Meanwhile, Canadians are considerably more likely to say that religious and faith communities make a positive contribution to the country than they are to say that their contribution is negative. While 48% of poll respondents said those communities’ contributions were “a mix of good and bad,” 38% answered that their contributions were “very good” or “more good than bad.” Only 14% of Canadians agreed that religious and faith communities were “more bad than good” or “very bad” for Canada.To see full poll results, please, click here.Methodology: The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from October 16 – 23, 2017, among a representative randomized sample of 1,972 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was conducted in partnership with Faith in Canada 150 (a Cardus project) and paid for jointly by ARI and Faith in Canada 150.About Cardus Cardus is a non-partisan, not-for-profit public policy think tank focused on the following areas: education, family, work & economics, social cities, end-of-life care, and religious freedom. It conducts independent and original research, produces several periodicals, and regularly stages events with Senior Fellows and interested constituents across Canada and the U.S. To learn more, visit: www.cardus.ca and follow us on Twitter @cardusca.MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

OTTAWA, ON – Maintaining a child’s attachment to loving adults should be a parent's primary concern, and today we offer several tips toward achieving this. “We know 76% of Canadians believe it is best for children under six to be at home with at least one parent,” says Andrea Mrozek, Cardus Family Program Director. “Yet this isn’t always possible. Maintaining a good relationship with your child over the long term is important regardless of what care you are using.” All parents and caregivers can use six strategies to help kids build healthy attachments:Foster connections between the child and other responsible adults, including family and friends. By cultivating social relations in familiar settings like neighbourhoods, children can feel at home without actually being home. Create trust with caregivers. In whatever form of childcare you use, spend time with the caregiver, showing your child you trust him or her. That will help the child learn to trust the caregiver, too. Ensure caregivers understand attachment principles. A welcoming, friendly, relaxed, and personal greeting by a caregiver helps the child form a positive relationship with that caregiver. Developmental psychologist Gordon Neufeld calls this “collecting” our children, which is part of inviting them into relationship with you. Multiple attachments to different adults are OK. There’s no reason for a parent to feel threatened by a child’s growing attachment to another responsible adult. Allowing multiple attachments smooths the transfer of care from one person to another. Slow down the morning routine. Giving a child even 10 minutes of unhurried attention in the morning can make the difference between a stressful, intense start to the day and one that involves smiles and laughter. This helps build the relationship between you and your child too. Give your child a locket or other memento with your picture in it. Having a constant reminder of a parent’s love helps build attachment and reminds a small child you can are still there for him or her, even while apart.These six strategies, and the research behind them, are contained in the new Cardus report, Six Ways to Maintain Attachment When Using Daycare. Libby Simon, a freelance writer who was a school social worker in Winnipeg for 20 years, authored the report. -30- MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

OTTAWA, ON – Dr. Andrew Bennett, Cardus Law program director and Cardus senior fellow, is calling for greater openness to expressions of faith in the public square in Canada. “We need to combat hatred and discrimination in our communities and discover anew the dignity we each bear by learning to talk to one another again, to learn to respect and champion difference,” Dr. Bennett told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage today. “Government can help to better facilitate this by encouraging greater public expressions of religious faith and different beliefs so that we can hear one another.” Dr. Bennett’s testimony comes as the committee studies systemic racism and religious discrimination as called for by Motion 103, which the Commons adopted earlier this year. The motion also condemned Islamophobia specifically. “Islamophobia is a vague term,” says Dr. Bennett. “Let’s be clear on what needs to be addressed: anti-Muslim hatred, which is fed by ignorance, indifference, and fear. All must be addressed at the level of our own communities. These self-same evils manifest themselves in hatred of Jews, hatred of Catholics, hatred of LGBTQ persons, hatred of people who oppose same-sex marriage, hatred of First Nations people, hatred of pro-lifers, and the list goes on.” Dr. Bennett maintains that hatred can be confronted with greater free expression that allows Canadians to engage with each other over genuine differences – even by criticising and debating religious beliefs. “So long as all that we say and do is said and done charitably, in a manner that is respectful of the other and their inherent human dignity, then we can agree to disagree,” says Dr. Bennett. Dr. Bennett’s prepared remarks are available online.-30- MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

HAMILTON, ON – The brand new Ross and Davis Mitchell Prize for Faith and Writing has unveiled its first shortlist of entrants. A panel of judges, including 7th Parliamentary Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke and former PEN Canada President Randy Boyagoda, reviewed work from 250 entries. They selected the following group of Canadians as finalists for the prize’s two categories: Short Story Tendisai Cromwell (Edmonton, AB) – The Common Believer Susan Fish (Waterloo, ON) – Easter Water Fraser Tingle (Calgary, AB) – Home Brandon Trotter (Calgary, AB) – Saint 148 Jessica Walters (Langley, BC) – Glass JarsPoetry Suite Yuliya Barannik (Toronto, ON) – Ramadan Letters Wanda Campbell (Gaspereau, NS) – The Book of Hours Sarah Klassen (Winnipeg, MB) – Rise and Go< Rowda Mohamud (Oakville, ON) – Please Find Yourself a Space Shane Neilson (Oakville, ON) – Loss SonnetsThe prize will award a total of $25,000 for faith-themed writing – $10,000 to the winner and $2,500 to the runner-up in each category. “It’s so exciting to be part of something new that will enrich the breadth of Canadian literature, celebrate diversity, and promote new voices,” said Doug Sikkema, project lead for the Mitchell Prize. “Faith is an important part of Canadian literature, and we want to really take the time to celebrate and encourage that in a unique way.” Judging the short story category are:Dr. Randy Boyagoda, Principal and Vice President of the University of St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto Susan Lynn Reynolds, award-winning writer and novelist Dr. David Staines, Professor of English at the University of OttawaJudging the poetry suite category are:George Elliott Clarke, 7th Parliamentary Poet Laureate (2016-17) and 4th Poet Laureate of Toronto (2012-2015) Dr. Deborah Bowen, Professor Emerita of English at Redeemer University Dr. Todd Swift, Writer-in-residence for Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, EnglandThe winners and runners-up will be announced on October 30th at a reception in Toronto’s Aga Khan Museum with authors, judges, and members of the Mitchell family in attendance. The reception will be open to the public and media. Tickets for the reception are available for purchase. Members of the media may request a media pass by contacting Daniel Proussalidis, Cardus – Director of Communications at dproussalidis@cardus.ca or 613-241-4500 x508. For further contest details, please, visit the Faith in Canada 150 website.-30- About Cardus Cardus is a non-partisan, not-for-profit public policy think tank focused on the following areas: education, family, work & economics, social cities, end-of-life care, and religious freedom. It conducts independent and original research, produces several periodicals, and regularly stages events with Senior Fellows and interested constituents across Canada and the U.S. To learn more, visit: www.cardus.ca and follow us on Twitter @cardusca. About Faith in Canada 150 Faith in Canada 150 is a program of Cardus that exists to celebrate the role of faith in our life together during Canada’s anniversary celebrations in 2017. For more than 450 years, faith has shaped the human landscape of Canada. It has shaped how we live our lives, how we see our neighbours, how we fulfill our social responsibilities, and how we imagine our life together. To learn more, visit: faithincanada150.ca and follow us on Twitter @FC150.

TORONTO – Fifteen families in the Greater Toronto Area will have safe, decent, and affordable housing, thanks in part to the Faith 150 Build. More than 30 leaders from a variety of religious backgrounds gathered at the Habitat for Humanity GTA east-end Toronto build-site at 140 Pinery Rd. today for a special day of volunteering for the construction. Faith in Canada 150 – a program of think tank Cardus – organized the effort in partnership with Habitat for Humanity GTA. “Canada has a rich faith heritage that we’re celebrating in this 150th anniversary year,” says Ray Pennings, executive vice president of Cardus. “Through Faith in Canada 150 we’ve been able to build friendships across religious lines, and now we’re seeing a tangible expression of that in building the common good through the provision of housing.” Toronto’s faith communities won’t stop at one day of building by their leaders, however. Members of various faith communities will gather at the same site on October 25th to continue volunteering on the construction of the units. And on October 26th, a Women of Faith build is planned at 140 Pinery Rd. By 2019, the site’s stacked townhouses will become home to 50 working, low-income families. “The spirit of multiple peoples with differing beliefs and traditions coming together in peace, friendship and shared responsibility sets a wonderful backdrop for Faith 150 builds,” says Ene Underwood, CEO of Habitat for Humanity GTA. “Beyond the physical building of Habitat homes for families that will occur over these three days, this time together will enable us to build new relationships and deeper understanding around the fundamental right of everyone - to a safe, decent place to call home.” Habitat for Humanity GTA’s model of affordable homeownership provides a hand up for working, low-income families with the opportunity to become Habitat home owners. Habitat does not give away free homes – families pay an interest-free Habitat for Humanity mortgage geared to their income and volunteer 500 hours with Habitat for Humanity GTA on their build sites and ReStore.-30- MEDIA INQUIRIES Noah Kravitz Habitat for Humanity GTA - Communications Manager Office: 416-755-7353 ext. 243 Cell: 647-828-6171 noah.kravitz@habitatgta.ca Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.caAbout Habitat for Humanity GTA Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is a non-profit housing organization that brings communities together to help working, low-income families build strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership. With the support of donors and volunteers, Habitat GTA builds homes alongside partner families in Toronto Brampton, Caledon and York Region. Since 1988, Habitat GTA has built more than homes for more than 330 families, including over 1,000 children. About Faith in Canada 150 Faith in Canada 150 is a program of Cardus that exists to celebrate the role of faith in our life together during Canada’s anniversary celebrations in 2017. For more than 450 years, faith has shaped the human landscape of Canada. It has shaped how we live our lives, how we see our neighbours, how we fulfill our social responsibilities, and how we imagine our life together. To learn more, visit: faithincanada150.ca and follow us on Twitter @FC150. .

OTTAWA, ON – The debate over income inequality and poverty in Canada is a hot topic that has long had the attention of leaders at the highest levels. Even so, the inequality debate in Canada among politicians, policy analysts, the academic community, and the media has largely ignored the role of a monumental social change over the last four decades: increased family fracturing. The new Cardus study Missing Family Dynamics by policy analyst Mark Milke, PhD, notes that divorce and separation shot up by 134% in Canada between 1971 and 2016. Yet there has been relatively little study of how social and cultural factors affect families, which then in turn affect statistics on poverty and income inequality. For example, female lone-parent families had median after-tax incomes 52% lower than two-parent families in 2011 – only a modest improvement from the 61% gap of 1976. And male lone-parent families had median after-tax incomes 39% lower than two-parent families in 2011. That’s worse than the 25% gap that existed in 1976. In other words, family makeup matters to poverty statistics and potentially to inequality data.“With the focus in the public debates often only on economic data, the debates on inequality and poverty are unnecessarily limited,” says Milke. “When one family splits into two, there is the potential to increase poverty because two households are typically more expensive to maintain than one.” Another factor in inequality is the rise in unattached individuals – rocketing up by three quarters between 1976 and 2014 to 16% of the population. Unattached individuals, however, have median after-tax incomes almost 70% lower than a two-parent family. “It appears the large rise in fractured families and folks living alone could affect inequality in Canada,” says Andrea Mrozek, family program director at think tank Cardus. “Not choosing to acknowledge this and study it further hinders our search for solutions. This is a fertile field for further study by policy makers and academics and with the release of this paper today we are opening up that discussion.” Missing Family Dynamics recommends that policy-makers and the academic community do the following:Focus thought, study, and analysis on the non-economic causes of family fracturing. Recognize that family fracturing is itself a cause of poverty and can affect inequality statistics. Take policy steps toward family stability, for example, by reducing financial pressures on families. Encourage individuals, religious institutions, non-profits, and other non-government institutions to support families and help those who struggle with poverty or inequality because of family fracturing.Download a complimentary copy of Missing Family Dynamics from here. -30- MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

OTTAWA, ON – The latest Canadian family census data show that Canada is charting a course toward increased family instability and social isolation. According the 2016 census, 78.7% of all couples in Canada are married, down from almost 84% of couples since 2001. Meanwhile, just more than 21% of all couples are simply living together in a Common Law relationship, up almost 5% in the last 15 years. Andrea Mrozek, Family Program Director at public policy think tank Cardus, notes that researchers have found cohabitation to be generally less stable that marriage. “Fortunately, marriage still remains the most common form of relationship for couples,” says Mrozek. “But the trend is toward less stable relationships. That implies more break-ups, more drastic changes in domestic life, and more turmoil – things that can harm physical and mental health, not to mention any children who may be in the picture.” However, the news was not all negative. The proportion of children living in single-parent homes appears to have levelled off in Canada at 19.2% in 2016, barely changed from 2011. While still high, it remains lower than rates in the United States and the United Kingdom. “The research is abundantly clear that children do best in stable families with two parents, so it’s encouraging not to see a rising proportion of kids in single-parent homes,” says Mrozek. “It would be even better if we could see that proportion decline – something that could happen if Canada could raise its marriage rates.” -30- MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

OTTAWA – Many factors make Canada the country it is – with hockey, maple syrup, and the beauty of nature often topping the list in the popular imagination. But with the Angus Reid Institute scratched below the surface in a poll conducted in partnership with Faith in Canada 150, Canadians acknowledged that religious faith has played an important role over the last 150 years. “When it comes to the delivery of healthcare, whether through hospitals, homes for the elderly, programs for those with special needs, or health clinics, anywhere from a third to half of Canadians see faith communities playing a positive role,” says Ray Pennings, Executive Vice President of think tank Cardus. “Fewer than one in 10 Canadians see faith communities playing a negative role.”Canadians also see faith communities playing a positive role in other, including providing social services to those in need, running community programs, directing overseas aid and development, and welcoming refugees and immigrants. “Faith communities are more integral to our everyday life than is usually acknowledged,” says Pennings.The poll also presents an interesting regional picture. British Columbia is the only province where the impact of religious and faith communities isn’t considered more positive than negative. Saskatchewan and the Atlantic provinces are where religious and faith communities are seen most positively in Canada.Full poll results and information on sample size, methodology, and margin of error are available here. About Faith in Canada 150 Faith in Canada 150 is a program of Cardus that exists to celebrate the role of faith in our life together during Canada’s anniversary celebrations in 2017. For more than 450 years, faith has shaped the human landscape of Canada. It has shaped how we live our lives, how we see our neighbours, how we fulfill our social responsibilities, and how we imagine our life together. To learn more, visit: faithincanada150.ca/about and follow us on Twitter @FC150. MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.899.5174 dproussalidis@cardus.ca