February 15, 2018 OTTAWA – New data show that in 2016, about 62 percent of children up to age 14 were living with two married parents – a dramatic decline from the 73 percent who lived in such homes in 1996. At the same time, the proportion of Canadian kids living in households with two unmarried parents has hit 17 per cent – a 62 percent increase over just two decades – and now almost one in five children is living with a single parent. “Marriage is the gold standard for raising children, yet year by year we’re sliding away from that ideal,” says Andrea Mrozek, family program director at public policy think tank Cardus. “Marriage and cohabitation are not interchangeable and don’t have the same outcomes in terms of longevity, educational attainment for children, or financial stability.” Research within Canada and around the world also suggests that the decline of marriage is tied to income inequality. Higher-educated couples – who have typically higher incomes - are more likely to marry and stay married than their peers with lower levels of education and typically lower income. “Canadians need to learn about the differences between cohabitation and marriage for themselves but also for the sake of what’s best for children. More information is always better when making relationship decisions,” says Mrozek. The numbers on marriage and cohabitation come from Canada’s 2016 Census. They are being published for the first time by Cardus and are now available online. To arrange for interviews with Andrea Mrozek, please, contact Daniel Proussalidis . -30- MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

January 30, 2018 Christian high schools in North America help students remain faithful as young adults, new research confirms. Using Cardus Education Survey data, University of Notre Dame analysts say that attending a Protestant Evangelical school has a measurable effect on graduates that is distinct from the influence of family, socio-economic background, or church life. Among the findings in the new report, Walking the Path: The Religious Lives of Young Adults in North America, are three key ways in which graduates of Protestant Evangelical high schools are different than public school grads: Christian school graduates report significantly higher belief in orthodox Christian teachings, such as the belief that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and that the Bible is infallible in matters of faith and practice. Christian school graduates are much more likely to pray, read the Bible, attend church regularly, and tithe. Christian school graduates are less likely to switch religious affiliation or to turn from the faith of their childhood. “Church and family life are important in young adults’ spiritual formation, but our research reinforces the fact school plays an important role in this as well,” says Dr. Beth Green, education program director at think tank Cardus. “Church leaders, parents, and educators must know and understand just how important attending Christian school can be in bolstering young adults’ faith.” Dr. Green says the findings underline why families need access to diverse school options. “We must maintain Christian schools as an option for as many families as possible so that everyone who wants to can have access to Christian education,” says Dr. Green. Click here to read Walking the Path: The Religious Lives of Young Adults in North America online. -30- MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

January 11, 2018 HAMILTON, ON – Ontario gets an F for the new interest rate caps placed on payday loan operations as of January 1st. That mark comes in a newly issued report card on the province’s new payday loan regulations by think tank Cardus. Cardus Work & Economics Program Director Brian Dijkema notes that capping interest rates offers marginal help to consumers, but doesn’t give them any real alternatives for when they’re desperate for a small, short-term loan. “If you really want to help, bury the payday loan shops in competition so that consumers have better alternatives to predatory lenders,” said Dijkema. “You can cap interest rates all you want, but that doesn’t help anyone get off the payday loan treadmill.” A previous Cardus study, Banking on the Margins, found that capping interest rates too aggressively could put payday loan operations out of business, possibly forcing some desperate borrowers to use underground, unregulated lenders who charge even more exorbitant interest rates. By contrast, the province’s best mark is an A++ for moving to allow credit unions to provide alternatives to payday loan shops. “This rule change is something we’ve recommended before,” says Dijkema. “Freeing credit unions – which are obligated to benefit their members and their communities – gives them space to try new things and to offer new products.” To see the assessment of all the new rules and the full report card, click here. To arrange an interview with Brian Dijkema, please, contact Daniel Proussalidis at dproussalidis@cardus.ca MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

December 14, 2017 Providing government funding to religious schools is a popular idea in Canada. Fully 61 percent of the almost 2,000 adults in the survey support directing tax dollars toward religious schools – both public and independent. Almost one in three support full funding, equal to what public schools get. Another 30 percent back at least partial funding. Regionally, the poll found support for full funding of religious schools is highest in the provinces that fully fund a public Catholic system: Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. “It’s not surprising to see a poll confirming that Canadians like having a diversity of schooling options available,” says Dr. Beth Green, Cardus Education program director. “Government funding of public and independent religious schools makes those options available to families that might not otherwise be able to afford them.” In Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario anywhere from one-in-five to one-in-three students attends a public Catholic school. The provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec provide at least partial funding for independent religious schools. “Funding for independent religious schools is the norm in half the provinces,” says Dr. Green. “Ontario and the Atlantic provinces are the hold-outs, but even in those places there’s majority support for government funding of religious schools in general.” To schedule an interview with Dr. Green, please, contact Daniel Proussalidis. The Angus Reid Institute conducted the poll in partnership with Cardus. Full poll results and notes on methodology are available online. MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

December 6, 2017 Outdated rules that restrict bidding on municipal construction projects to a small group of companies are strangling growth in some of Ontario’s biggest cities, including Toronto, Hamilton, and the Region of Waterloo. Brian Dijkema, Work & Economics Program Director at think tank Cardus, presented new research on the issue today to a luncheon put on by the Greater Kitchener Waterloo, Cambridge, and Hamilton Chambers of Commerce. The report, Up, Up, and Away: The Impact of Restrictive Tendering in Municipal Contracting in Ontario, shows that restricted bidding more than doubles the upward pressure on construction prices for public projects. “The effect of restricting competition is akin to a kid letting go of a helium balloon: prices go up and up,” says Dijkema. “And the results are the same: you’re crying for more balloons. So, places like Toronto, Waterloo Region, and Hamilton can afford less infrastructure unless they raise taxes or cut spending in other areas, like social programs.” Up, Up, and Away: The Impact of Restricted Tendering in Municipal Contracting in Ontario also found that cities with restricted bidding rules can have zero confidence that they’re getting the lowest price for any infrastructure project. Dijkema co-authored the report with University of Toronto labour economist Dr. Morley Gunderson and Western New England University business professor Dr. Tingting Zhang. Download Up, Up, and Away: The Impact of Restricted Tendering in Municipal Contracting in Ontario by clicking this link. MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 5, 2017 Yesterday, the British Columbia government announced $33 million for the creation of 3,800 new child care spaces, yet the government’s own documents show there is actually a surplus of child care spaces in the province. The B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development notes in its own report that “efficient use of child care spaces will be reflected in high utilization rates,” which the government defines at 80-85% use. But a new report by think tank Cardus uses the government’s own documents to show that no part of the province has that level of child care utilization. In fact, on average, almost one in three child care spaces lies vacant every month province-wide. Andrea Mrozek, family program director at Cardus, and Helen Ward, president of Kids First Parents Association, have co-authored Daycare Vacancy Rates in British Columbia: The Untold Story. It finds the biggest child care surplus is in the Kootenays, with an average monthly vacancy of 45%. While smallest surplus is in Vancouver and Richmond, the vacancy rate there is still almost 25%. “The provincial government’s own numbers show a shortage of demand for child care spaces, not a shortage of supply,” said Mrozek. “By their own estimation, this shows a lack of efficiency. Creating more spaces won’t make anything more efficient, nor does it serve parents and families well, given the current vacancies.” Provincial government documents also indicate the cost of child care spaces is not what is keeping parents from using them. The B.C. government budgeted $119 million for that purpose in 2016/2017, but only used $105 million, which amounts to a surplus of $14 million. “Child care doesn’t happen only in daycares or other centres,” said Ward. “It happens wherever parents make the financial sacrifice to do the work of caring for their children. When governments preferentially fund centre-based care, it leaves out the majority who don’t use that system.” Read Daycare Vacancy Rates in British Columbia: The Untold Story here. To arrange for interviews with Andrea Mrozek or Helen Ward, please, contact Daniel Proussalidis. MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 16, 2017 OTTAWA, ON – Canadians are divided almost evenly on the question of how much influence religious and faith communities should have in the country’s public life. A slight majority of 53% of those polled said religious and faith communities should have “not much influence” or “no influence at all.” The rest of the almost 2,000 adults polled (47%) said religious and faith communities should have “some influence” or be “a major influence” on Canadian public life. The Angus Reid Institute poll conducted in partnership with think tank Cardus also found considerable regional differences in outlook, with Western and Atlantic Canada most welcoming of religious voices, while Quebec is most opposed. “Clearly, there is room in a diverse and tolerant nation for voices of faith in the Canadian public square today,” says Ray Pennings, Cardus Executive Vice President. “Those in authority have an obligation to welcome those voices, while religious communities also have an obligation to make constructive and responsible contributions to politics and public policy.” Interestingly, Canadians are just as divided on the question of whether religious communities and faith groups are relevant to addressing social issues and challenges today. While 52% of Canadians say religious communities and faith groups are “becoming less relevant” or are “no longer relevant,” 48% say they’re “as relevant as ever” or “more relevant than ever.” Meanwhile, Canadians are considerably more likely to say that religious and faith communities make a positive contribution to the country than they are to say that their contribution is negative. While 48% of poll respondents said those communities’ contributions were “a mix of good and bad,” 38% answered that their contributions were “very good” or “more good than bad.” Only 14% of Canadians agreed that religious and faith communities were “more bad than good” or “very bad” for Canada. To see full poll results, please, click here. Methodology: The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from October 16 – 23, 2017, among a representative randomized sample of 1,972 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was conducted in partnership with Faith in Canada 150 (a Cardus project) and paid for jointly by ARI and Faith in Canada 150. About Cardus Cardus is a non-partisan, not-for-profit public policy think tank focused on the following areas: education, family, work & economics, social cities, end-of-life care, and religious freedom. It conducts independent and original research, produces several periodicals, and regularly stages events with Senior Fellows and interested constituents across Canada and the U.S. To learn more, visit: www.cardus.ca and follow us on Twitter @cardusca. MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

OTTAWA, ON – Maintaining a child’s attachment to loving adults should be a parent's primary concern, and today we offer several tips toward achieving this. “We know 76% of Canadians believe it is best for children under six to be at home with at least one parent,” says Andrea Mrozek, Cardus Family Program Director. “Yet this isn’t always possible. Maintaining a good relationship with your child over the long term is important regardless of what care you are using.” All parents and caregivers can use six strategies to help kids build healthy attachments: Foster connections between the child and other responsible adults, including family and friends. By cultivating social relations in familiar settings like neighbourhoods, children can feel at home without actually being home. Create trust with caregivers. In whatever form of childcare you use, spend time with the caregiver, showing your child you trust him or her. That will help the child learn to trust the caregiver, too. Ensure caregivers understand attachment principles. A welcoming, friendly, relaxed, and personal greeting by a caregiver helps the child form a positive relationship with that caregiver. Developmental psychologist Gordon Neufeld calls this “collecting” our children, which is part of inviting them into relationship with you. Multiple attachments to different adults are OK. There’s no reason for a parent to feel threatened by a child’s growing attachment to another responsible adult. Allowing multiple attachments smooths the transfer of care from one person to another. Slow down the morning routine. Giving a child even 10 minutes of unhurried attention in the morning can make the difference between a stressful, intense start to the day and one that involves smiles and laughter. This helps build the relationship between you and your child too. Give your child a locket or other memento with your picture in it. Having a constant reminder of a parent’s love helps build attachment and reminds a small child you can are still there for him or her, even while apart. These six strategies, and the research behind them, are contained in the new Cardus report, Six Ways to Maintain Attachment When Using Daycare. Libby Simon, a freelance writer who was a school social worker in Winnipeg for 20 years, authored the report. -30- MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

OTTAWA, ON – Dr. Andrew Bennett, Cardus Law program director and Cardus senior fellow, is calling for greater openness to expressions of faith in the public square in Canada. “We need to combat hatred and discrimination in our communities and discover anew the dignity we each bear by learning to talk to one another again, to learn to respect and champion difference,” Dr. Bennett told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage today. “Government can help to better facilitate this by encouraging greater public expressions of religious faith and different beliefs so that we can hear one another.” Dr. Bennett’s testimony comes as the committee studies systemic racism and religious discrimination as called for by Motion 103, which the Commons adopted earlier this year. The motion also condemned Islamophobia specifically. “Islamophobia is a vague term,” says Dr. Bennett. “Let’s be clear on what needs to be addressed: anti-Muslim hatred, which is fed by ignorance, indifference, and fear. All must be addressed at the level of our own communities. These self-same evils manifest themselves in hatred of Jews, hatred of Catholics, hatred of LGBTQ persons, hatred of people who oppose same-sex marriage, hatred of First Nations people, hatred of pro-lifers, and the list goes on.” Dr. Bennett maintains that hatred can be confronted with greater free expression that allows Canadians to engage with each other over genuine differences – even by criticising and debating religious beliefs. “So long as all that we say and do is said and done charitably, in a manner that is respectful of the other and their inherent human dignity, then we can agree to disagree,” says Dr. Bennett. Dr. Bennett’s prepared remarks are available online. -30- MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613.241-4500x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca