Are you with us? - COVID-19 confirms the need to transform Nova Scotia’s social safety net

Intersectional, evidenced-based and green policy solutions The day the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, CCPA-NS and the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers released the social policy framework for the province.2 Since then, we have created a workbook3 to help Nova Scotians use the framework to develop solutions to problems including those related to COVID-19. [...] What if we develop solutions to make Nova Scotia age-friendly? As the World Health Organization defines it, “In an age-friendly community, policies, services and struc- tures related to the physical and social environment are designed to support and en- able older people to “age actively” — that is, to live in security, enjoy good health and continue to participate fully in society.”4 To accomplis. [...] Understanding the Pandemic’s Social and Economic Impact on individuals and families To counter the social and economic impact of the virus we must act quickly to fill in the gaps in our social safety net, and keep them plugged. [...] In order to self-isolate, Indigenous leaders have also called on the fed- eral and provincial government to ensure that goods and services, especially food, can continue to flow in and out of our communities in the face of COVID-19 realities in the country. [...] The Nova Scotia government should definitely expect the federal government to provide a significant amount of the supports needed to address the crisis, after all it has the broadest revenue base and the ability to use key policy levers quickly whether it be Employment Insurance or the Canada Child Benefit.