NDP Children and Youth Services critic Andrea Horwath slammed Dalton McGuinty for once again failing Ontario’s poor and most vulnerable by forgetting to include foster children in his child benefit program.

“It is disgraceful that on Family Day, Dalton McGuinty forgets to help 20,000 vulnerable foster kids without families,” said Horwath.

Horwath was responding to a news report that stated the McGuinty Liberals do not provide the province’s new child benefit to 20,000 foster kids.

“Dalton McGuinty’s negligence speaks far louder than his last minute conversion to fighting poverty. It’s appalling that tens of thousands of children are suffering and all we get from the McGuinty Liberals are a litany of half-hearted promises. It’s absolutely shameful,” stated Horwath.

The NDP has offered a number of meaningful proposals to combat Ontario’s rising poverty rate, including:

· Increasing the minimum wage to $10 an hour NOW and then indexing the minimum wage to inflation.

· Ending the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement and making sure families get provincial child benefits sooner.

· Creating an arms-length panel to recommend fair rates for people with disabilities and those on social assistance.

· A Fair Deal for housing that includes rent supplements, rent controls and new affordable and supportive housing.

· Making quality, affordable childcare accessible to those children and families who need it.

“Under the McGuinty Liberals we are losing the battle against poverty and foster children are suffering because of it,” said Horwath.