Human Resources committee  I'll speak to one group, and it's our recent newcomers, the Syrian refugees. We have a working group together that's knitted by a number of settlement agencies, etc., and faith communities, and whatnot. We are now entering basically what we're calling “month 13”. Many of our newcomers have been here for the one year and have received the federal allowance for the first year, but many are not ready to move on.

Human Resources committee  I think that, as Mark said, you're going to set the tone with your policy or the mandate of your national focus on poverty. With that, you will have to ask us, the various levels of government, “What's your plan? In x amount of time, bring forward what you've done to move the needle.”

Human Resources committee  It has to be a shared goal, a common goal that everybody has together. In the Region of Peel, we are an upper-tier government. There's the Region of Peel, and there are the three municipalities: Brampton, Mississauga, and Caledon. But collectively we have a strategic plan, which has just been put in place this last year, that goes out for 20 years.

Human Resources committee  There certainly is a push to make child care more affordable. It doesn't mean it has to be universal. That will not happen overnight, but there certainly needs to be a dropping down of those rates. As you know, there are mortgage payments for the young folks.

Human Resources committee  That's a very good question. Certainly, we would all love to see universal child care, but that gets to the fact of the cost and who's going to pay for all of that. Affordability is a factor. I know in Peel we try very much to keep the rates down. We are the system managers for early learning and child care.

Human Resources committee  Good morning, Mr. Chairman, members of Parliament, and guests. Thank you for the opportunity to present here today. Adaoma and I will focus our presentation on three recommendations and ideas on the leadership role that the federal government can play to support social and skill development for our vulnerable.