Private Member’s Bill to reinstate the 2006 Children’s Fitness Tax Credit

A Private Member’s Bill to be tabled by Dr. Kellie Leitch, Member of Parliament for Simcoe—Grey, in the House of Commons in November 2018 seeks to reinstate the 2006 Children’s Fitness Tax Credit (CFTC) along with some additional support for parents with children with disabilities.

If passed, the Private Member’s Bill will allow:

  • Parents of a child aged 18 and under enrolled in an eligible physical activity to deduct up to $500 from their taxes in an eligible taxation year;

  • Parents of a child with a disability aged 21 and under to deduct up to $1000 from their taxes in an eligible taxation year;

  • Parents of a child with a disability aged 18 and under to combine both credits for a deduction of $1500 in an eligible taxation year.

Download the Parliamentary Summary

For more information or to indicate your organization’s support for reinstating the CFTC, please email kellie.leitch@parl.gc.ca.

PHE Canada: Share2Care - $10,000 to Support Promising Mental Health Practices

Source: PHE Canada

Share2Care is a mental health activation initiative gathering promising practices from across the country to share and inspire others to take action in their class and/or school community.

In 2017, PHE Canada, in conjunction with the CAMH and Western University – Centre for School Mental Health and support from The Co-operators, launched Teach Resiliency – an online portal of evidence-informed tools, resources, and strategies to help support student and teacher mental wellness.

In furthering the mission of Teach Resiliency, Share2Care aims to recognize and share unique, innovative, and promising school mental health practices that are making positive impacts on students, school staff, or both. If you, your school, and/or school board are leading a mental health initiative that is showing to be making a positive impact on the mental health of students and/or school staff, PHE Canada wants to hear from you.

Submit your promising practice(s) by November 19th, 2018 for a chance to receive $2,000 to further advance your mental health initiatives.

Visit the Teach Resiliency portal for full details.

Is food allergy a legal disability and how does this affect Canadian schools?

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Source: AllerGen Network News

In the Canadian legal context, food allergy is considered a disability that must be accommodated by schools. However, food bans are not legally required, according to the conclusions of a new AllerGen study published in Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology.

AllerGen investigator Prof. Timothy Caulfield (University of Alberta) led the research, which analyzed legislation, human rights policies and relevant precedents in case law, and identified instances where Canadian courts clearly determined that food allergy was a disability.

“Since food allergy is a disability, it triggers a legal duty for schools to ensure that food-allergic students receive fair treatment and are not discriminated against due to an allergy,” explains Professor Caulfield.

“Despite this duty to accommodate, our research also found that in most relevant human rights cases concerning banning food allergens, it was concluded that such bans are not legally required."

The researchers further state that there is no need for one definitive model to deal with food allergies, and that "the best policy advice for schools looking to craft sensible, effective, and rights-sensitive policies around food allergies is to consider the particular context of their own setting, as well as the best available scientific research on best practices for food allergy safety and management."

AllerGen press release  |  ResearchSKETCH lay summary

Under 25? U-Report Canada needs you!

U-Report Canada: Giving youth a voice in decisions that affect them 

If you have ideas that you want to share but need a way to get them heard – then U-Report is for you!

U-Report is for youth ages 13-24, in English and French, free and confidential. Become a U-Reporter today! Do you know a young person who might be interested? Share the link and encourage them to sign up.

How does U-Report work?

  • Like U-Report Canada on Facebook and click ‘Send Message’ to sign up

  • U-Report asks questions and collects responses through Facebook Messenger 

  • Polls take anywhere between 15 seconds to 2 minutes to complete

  • The results are shared back with U-Reporters, and more widely with the general public and decision-makers, so they know what matters to you!

More information can be found at: www.ureportcanada.ca