By Lincoln DePradine

More money is getting into the hands of Canadian families, including some in the Black and Caribbean Community, that are recipients under the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) program.

Government minister Jenna Sudds recently announced an increase in CCB, and saying the program “has made life more affordable’’ for Canadian parents.

It also “has helped lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty”, Sudds told The Caribbean Camera.

“Amid rising costs of living, the annual Canada Child Benefit increase is as important as ever. It provides reliable and predictable support, allowing parents to plan their finances with certainty, knowing exactly when and how much they will receive each month,” said Sudds, Canada’s minister of families, children and social development.

“I have heard from so many parents how much the Canada Child Benefit is making a difference in their families’ lives.”

Sudds, federal Liberal MP for Kanata—Carleton, and a former deputy mayor of Ottawa, was among politicians from all three levels of government in attendance at Toronto’s Junior Carnival parade in Malvern.

Under the latest CCB increase, “for the 2024–25 benefit year, families can receive up to $7,787 per child under the age of six and $6,570 per child aged six through 17”, she explained.

“This means moms and dads could receive up to $350 more than last year. This represents an increase of 4.7 percent from the previous year.”

The CCB, introduced in 2016, is a monthly tax-free benefit based on a family’s prior year’s income. It provides support for low- to middle-income families to help with the cost of raising children under the age of 18.

The federal government justified the setting up of CCB, saying “raising kids is expensive”, and that the Canada Child Benefit is designed “to give extra financial support to hard-working middle-class families and to give kids the best possible start in life”.

Sudds, underscoring the importance of the CCB said that “90 percent of families receiving the maximum benefit of $7,787 are single mothers. Undoubtedly, the annual increase helps them keep up with the costs of raising their kids”. 

The CCB is “just one of the many measures’’ the federal government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, “has put it place to support families and make life cost less”, said Sudds, a Carleton University and Brock University graduate and an economist, who was elected to the House of Commons in 2021.

“We’ve also invested in the Canada-wide early learning and childcare system, which has already reduced fees for regulated childcare by half on average across the country; and the Canadian Dental Care Plan, which will make trips to the dentist more affordable for up to nine million uninsured Canadians,” Sudds added.

“We’re also building more homes, improving healthcare, and investing in innovation—so that every Canadian has a fair chance to succeed. We will continue to deliver results that Canadians can count on.”