The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a lifeline for Canadians with small children continuing to struggle with the financial impacts of COVID-19.

It has helped lift nearly 435,000 children out of poverty by giving more money, tax free, to nine out of 10 families, including 18,000 in Oakville North-Burlington.

We have increased the CCB this year — families with a net income of $120,000 or less will receive up to $1,200 per child under the age of six. This will benefit about 1.6 million Canadian families and about 2.1 million children under the age of six.

The pandemic has been called a “she-cession,” with women being disproportionately impacted, highlighting the need for safe, affordable child care. We know the number 1 thing holding women back in the workforce is access to child care.

The closing of schools and daycares forced many women out of work. As part of a feminist economic policy, we are creating a high-quality, affordable and accessible early learning and child-care system.

We will ensure annual growth in quality and affordable child-care spaces for an average of $10 a day.

This is social infrastructure that will drive jobs and growth. This is smart economic policy and will increase Canada’s GDP by 1.2 per cent, allowing more women to return to the workforce.

We are extending pandemic recovery programs and business supports such as the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) to October 23 to ensure Canadians have what they need while our economy is still in the process of reopening.

The amount of support available to employers under both the CEWS and CERS programs will be increased for the period of Aug. 29 to Sept. 25 in recognition that uneven economic reopening across regions and sectors means workers and businesses continue to need support.

Old Age Security (OAS) pension will be increased by 10 per cent for those 75 and over as of July 2022, and Canadians who will be 75 as of June 30, 2022 will also receive a one-time payment of $500 on Aug. 16, 2021.

Pam Damoff is the member of Parliament for Oakville North—Burlington and the parliamentary secretary to the minister of Indigenous Services. She can be reached at [email protected].