The Ontario government will almost double the provincial child benefit in next week's budget to give more help for low-income families.

Premier Dalton McGuinty is expected to announce the measures on Friday afternoon, six days ahead of Finance Minister Dwight Duncan's tabling of the budget in the legislature.

Earlier this month, Duncan revealed his March 26 budget will lead Ontario into a mammoth deficit of $18 billion over the next two years as the province combats the effects of the global economic downturn.

The Liberal government had planned to increase the child benefit as part of its plan to cut child poverty by 25 per cent over the next five years, but is moving the timing of the increases ahead by two years.

Starting in July, a family with two children that earns $20,000 or less will get the maximum benefit of $1,100 per child per year. The current rate is $600.

Families that earn more money will get a smaller benefit, while families making more than $48,000 will not be eligible to receive any money.

The Wellesley Institute, a social policy advocacy group, welcomed the announcement.

"Even a modest increase in income leads to fewer illnesses and significant health benefits," the institute's Michael Shapcott said in a news release.

The increase is slated to cost the cash-strapped province an additional $400 million over the next three years.

The premier is also expected to announce on Friday that the budget will contain new funds for housing, including $1.2 billion from the federal and provincial governments to build 4,500 new affordable housing units and renovate 50,000 existing social housing spaces.

Officials with the province told CBC News the social housing renovation program will make the units more energy efficient and create some 23,000 short-term jobs in the process.