Canadian Social Research Links

Children, Families and Youth
- National Government Links -

[kids]
Updated April 19, 2007
Page révisée le 19 avril 2007
Sites de recherche sociale au Canada

Les enfants, les familles et les jeunes
- Sites nationaux gouvernementaux -


Go to Canadian Social Research Links Home Page ]

Jump directly to this content further down on this page:
Centres of Excellence for Children’s Well-Being
National Child Benefit Supplement Clawback Misconception
Understanding the Early Years
National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth

Related Canadian Social Research Links pages:
- Early Learning and Child Care in Canada - Canadian NGO Links
- Early Learning and Child Care in Canada - Canadian Govt. Links
-
Children, Families and Youth - Canadian NGO Links
- Children, Families and Youth - International Links
- Children's Rights Links page - incl. Canada’s National Plan of Action for Children, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the work of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (Special Session on the Rights of the Child), and related sites
- Unofficial Social Union / National Child Benefit Links Page (national)
- Unofficial Provincial/Territorial Social Union / National Child Benefit Links Page
See these related outside sites also...
- The (official) Social Union website
- The (official) National Child Benefit website

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Regarding provincial and territorial Child and Family Services (child protection, adoption, foster care, youth at risk, etc.)
[this link takes you further down on this page]

Key links for information about
government services for children and youth:

Children and Families - from Human Resources and Social Development
Canada's Universal Child Care Plan - "Provides Choice, Support and Spaces."
Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB)
Child Disability Benefit (CDB)
Service Canada - Children
Child & Family Canada
Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being
National Children's Agenda
Early Childhood Development and Early Learning and Child Care

Youth.gc.ca
Youth Employment Strategy

 

 

 

 

NEW

Brief to the Senate on Urban Child Poverty (2008) (PDF - 187K, 14 pages)
In February 2008, First Call Chair Michael Goldberg presented to the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology on the topic of urban child poverty. This briefing is an overview of topics including measuring poverty; child poverty rates; and the interaction between market income, social security benefits, taxation and statutory deductions, and income tested social programs.
Source:
First Call: B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition
First Call is a coalition of individuals and organizations whose purpose is to create greater understanding of and advocacy for legislation, policy, and practice to ensure that all children and youth have the opportunities and resources required to achieve their full potential and to participate in the challenges of creating a better society.

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New from Human Resources and Social Development:

* The Well-Being of Canada’s Young Children: Government of Canada Report 2006
May 2007 (date on PDF file)
NOTE: Chapter 8 of this report deals with the well-being of Aboriginal children in Canada

Two reports in one:
* Early Childhood Development Activities and Expenditures: Government of Canada Report 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, and
* Early Learning and Child Care Activities and Expenditures: Government of Canada Report 2004-2005 and 2005-2006
June 2007 (date on PDF file)
These reports are co-published by Human Resources and Social Development Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

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Ministers Responsible for Social Services
release the seventh National Child Benefit Progress Report

News Release
May 30, 2007
Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services are pleased to release to Canadians the seventh report on the progress of the National Child Benefit (NCB)1. The National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2005 shows that the NCB is improving the economic well-being of low-income families with children. “The National Child Benefit initiative is a major tool in our collective fight against child poverty,” said the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development and federal co-chair of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services. “Canada’s New Government believes that Canadians should have choices and opportunities to participate in the work force. The National Child Benefit helps low-income families with children in a number of ways, including by reducing barriers to employment.”

The NCB Progress Report: 2005
HTML version
PDF version
(4MB, 110 pages)
Pamphlet
(PDF file - 349K, 1 page)
Executive Summary (HTML)
Table of contents of the report:
Chapter 1: What is the National Child Benefit Initiative?
Chapter 2: The National Child Benefit Supplement
Chapter 3: Components of the National Child Benefit Initiative
Chapter 4: First Nations and the National Child Benefit Initiative
Chapter 5: Monitoring Progress - Societal Level Indicators
Chapter 6: Assessing the Direct Impact of the National Child Benefit Initiative
Chapter 7: The Way Ahead
Appendices:
1: Glossary
2: Provincial, Territorial and First Nations National Child Benefit Reinvestments and Investments (by province/territory)
3: Results of the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) Analysis
4: Additional Statistical Information

NOTE: in Appendix 2, you'll find, for each province and territory, a detailed account of the new and enhanced initiatives made possible by the National Child Benefit.

Earlier reports in this series
- annual reports going back to the first full year (1999) of operation of the NCB; also includes links to historical and contextual information.

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Supporting Canadian Children & Families : Addressing the Gap Between
The Supply and Demand for High Quality Child Care
Report from the Ministerial Advisory Committee on the Government of Canada’s Child Care Spaces Initiative
Submitted to the Honourable Monte Solberg, P.C., M.P. Minister of Human Resources and Social Development
January 2007
(Posted to the HRSDC website April 2007)
"In 2006, the Government of Canada announced the Universal Child Care Plan. This Plan included two components: the Universal Child Care Benefit, providing direct financial assistance to parents, and the Child Care Spaces Initiative, supporting the creation of new child care spaces. In September 2006, the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Canada created a Ministerial Advisory Committee to provide advice on the design of the Child Care Spaces Initiative."
Source:
Excerpt from the

Executive Summary

Table of Contents (selected content)
- incl. links to : Introduction * Child Care in Canada Involves All Orders of Government * Reasons Families Use Child Care Vary * Reasons Employers Are Involved or Interested in Child Care Vary * Addressing the Supply/Demand Imbalance * The Supply/Demand Equation *Recommendations *Appendices

NOTE: Government report appendices often contain precious info-nuggets that are not found elsewhere.
For example, in the appendices to this report, you'll find the following:
*
Ministerial Advisory Committee on Child Care Spaces Initiative * Policy Principles * EI Maternity and Parental Benefits Compared with the Quebec Program, 2006 * Employer-supported Child Care Options * Current Federal Government Programs Supporting Child Care * Women in the Paid Labour Force * Number of supervised day care spaces, 1992 to 2004 * References.
Click the above table of contents link to access the links to all appendices.

Related link:

Canada's Universal Child Care Plan - "Choice. Support. Spaces."

NEW



Federal/National Resources 
Ressources fédérales et nationales

From the Department of Finance Canada:

Canada's New Government Establishes
Program Eligibility for the Children's Fitness Tax Credit

News Release
December 19, 2006
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today released guidelines on the Children's Fitness Tax Credit, which is scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2007.The Minister confirmed that as recommended by the Expert Panel for the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit, the definition of eligible programs will support children’s participation in all programs that significantly contribute to their fitness. In addition, the Minister indicated that substantial additional support would be provided to children eligible for the disability tax credit to recognize the unique barriers they face in becoming more active.
- includes a backgrounder with more detailed info

Canada's New Government Receives Recommendations
on Savings Measures to Help Children With Severe Disabilities
News Release
December 12, 2006
"(..) Government must better enable parents to set aside funds today to financially support a child with a severe disability, when they are no longer able to provide support."

Complete report:

A New Beginning -
The Report of the Minister of Finance's Expert Panel on Financial Security for Children with Severe Disabilities
December 2006
HTML version
PDF version
(325K, 82 pages)
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements * Introduction * The Mandate of the Panel * The Composition of the Panel * The Constitutional Constraints * The Fiscal Policy Framework * Plan Concepts * Plan Definitions and Details * Federal-Provincial Issues * Costing the Plan * Future Directions * Recommendations * Appendices (incl. the July 31/06 news release announcing the appointment of a "Panel to Help Children with Severe Disabilities" and the Terms of Reference for the Panel)

Related Link:

Report recommends tax break for parents of disabled children
December 13, 2006
Parents of severely disabled children should be able to set aside up to $200,000 tax free for their care, in the same manner that parents can now create savings plans for the higher education of their children, a panel set up by the federal Finance Minister to investigate the issue has concluded. In a report presented yesterday to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, the group also calls on Ottawa to provide parents of children with severe disabilities with cash grants of at least $1,000 annually over 20 years, and to double those payments to low-income families.
Source:
The Globe and Mail

-----------------------------------------------

Canada’s New Government Receives Report on Children’s Fitness Tax Credit
October 26, 2006
News Release
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today received a report from a panel of health and physical fitness experts recommending which programs of physical activity should qualify for the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit proposed in Budget 2006.
Source:
Canada's New Government (Finance Canada)

Related Link:

Report of the Expert Panel
for the Children's Fitness Tax Credit
HTML version
PDF version
(801K, 49 pages)

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Making Family Child Care Work: Strategies for Improving the Working Conditions of Family Childcare Providers
HTML version
By Rachel Cox
January 2005
"This report examines licensed providers of child daycare services who work from their homes in three provinces, and provides a legal analysis of their entitlement to benefits such as employment insurance and pension and labour law protection."
Source:
Status of Women Canada


The Social Union Website
On this federal-provincial-territorial government site, you'll find general information about the Social Union, including the Framework Agreement, and links to information about a number of federal-provincial-territorial initiatives under the umbrella of the Social Union. The main page contains links to a collection of speeches, papers and news releases about joint initiatives benefiting children and families, notably the NCA and NCB.

Social Union Framework Agreement Third-Year Review Website
[version française]

"The Government of Canada and the Provincial and Territorial Governments Are Reviewing the Agreement that Guides Intergovernmental Cooperation in Areas such as Post-secondary Education, Training, Health and Social Services, as well as Social Assistance"
The Social Union Framework Agreement was signed by the Prime Minister and Canada's Premiers (except for the Premier of Québec) on February 4, 1999. After three years, Canadian governments are jointly undertaking a full review of the Agreement and its implementation to make adjustments to the Framework as required.

Related Links:
SUFA Review Links - incl. links to background SUFA documents and the final report/appendices from the review.
[this link takes you to a section of
the Canadian Social Research Links Unofficial Social Union Links page]

National Children's Agenda (NCA)
Speeches, Papers and News Releases

Note: Check out the Canadian Social Research Links Unofficial Social Union Links page to find information that didn't make it to the official website.  Also, see the Provincial/Territorial Social Union Links page of this site for a large collection of provincial and territorial links to information about reinvestments under the National Child Benefit initiative. For serious social union junkies.

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From Human Resources and Social Development Canada:

Incidence and Persistence of Early Literacy Problems: Evidence from the NLSCY, 1994-2000
May 2006
The analysis of this paper employs data from the first three cycles of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth to analyze: 1) the factors associated with early literacy problems and 2) the persistence of early literacy problems.

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Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers responsible for Social Services
Release of "Supports and Services for Adults and Children with Disabilities in Canada: An Analysis of Needs and Gaps"

News Release
December 3, 2004

Complete report:

Supports and Services for Adults and Children Aged 5 – 14 with Disabilities in Canada:
An Analysis of Data on Needs and Gaps

Commissioned by Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services*
December 3, 2004
By Gail Fawcett, Coryse Ciceri, Spyridoula Tsoukalas, and Angela Gibson-Kierstead
PDF Version (512K, 89 pages)
HTML version
Table of Contents:
Part One: Supports And Services For Adults With Disabilities In Canada: An Analysis Of Needs And Gaps

- Aids And Devices - Help With Daily Activities - School Supports - Housing Features - Work Supports - Profile Of Unmet Need - Conclusion
Part Two: Disability Supports In Canada For Children With Disabilities Aged 5 - 14: Needs And Gaps
- Aids And Devices - School Supports - Home Supports - Gaps

Source:
Canadian Council on Social Development

Related Link:

Benefits and Services for Persons with Disabilities
[ Social Union website ]
*NOTE: the Social Union website offers more links to information by and about the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers responsible for Social Services.

National Child Benefit - A unique partnership of the Government of Canada, Provinces and Territories and First Nations
This joint government website offers information about how the NCB works in each jurisdiction and in First Nations communities.
- incl. links to : What is the National Child Benefit (NCB)? - The Government of Canada's Contribution to the National Child Benefit Initiative - Programs in your jurisdiction - First Nations Reinvestments - Library - NCB Success Stories
The "Programs in your Jurisdiction" link provides information on all NCB initiatives and links to related information on other websites.

National Child Benefit Supplement Clawback Misconception

The Misconception:
"The federal government should take measures to make sure that provinces don't claw back the federal increase in the Canada Child Tax Benefit from families' social assistance benefits."

The Fact: The clawback is actually part of the NCB design, by agreement of the governments of all provinces and territories (except Quebec) and the federal government.
Read the excerpt below from the Second Report on Social Policy Renewal:

Progress Report to Premiers - No. 2 (PDF file - 72K, 18 pages)
July 1997
Excerpt (page 8)
"Federal/provincial/territorial governments have agreed on a joint NCB approach that involves three simultaneous steps.
First, the federal government will increase its benefits for low-income families with children through an increase in the Canada Child Tax Benefit.
Second, provinces and territories will make corresponding decreases in their social assistance payments for families with children while ensuring these families receive at least the same level of income support from governments.
Third, provinces and territories will reinvest these newly-available funds in complementary programs targeted at benefits and services for low income families with children."

News Release:
Social Policy Renewal

August 8, 1997
From the 38th Annual Premiers' Conference

St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick

See also:

"Building a Better Future for Canadian Children" - click on "Social Assistance Adjustments"
National Child Benefit Booklet
September 1997
"As the federal benefit increases, provinces and territories will decrease benefits for social assistance recipients. This decrease will not exceed the amount of the federal increase - the total benefit available to social assistance families will remain at least the same"

Ministers Responsible for Social Services Release the Sixth National Child Benefit Progress Report
[version française]
News Release
November 25, 2005
"Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services are pleased to release to Canadians the sixth report on the progress of the National Child Benefit1. The National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2004 shows that the National Child Benefit is improving the economic well-being of families with children. 'We know that our actions are having an impact in reducing child poverty,' said Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development and federal co-chair of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services. 'The National Child Benefit is a joint federal, provincial and territorial initiative. It has been directly responsible for reducing the number of children and their families living in low income.' The report shows that the National Child Benefit prevented 106,000 children in 45,900 families from living in low income in 2002."

Complete report:

The NCB Progress Report: 2004
HTML version - [version française]
PDF version
(2.5MB, 110 pages)[version française]
Table of Contents:
Message from Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services
Executive Summary
Chapter 1: What is the National Child Benefit Initiative?
Chapter 2: The National Child Benefit Supplement
Chapter 3: Components of the National Child Benefit Initiative
Chapter 4: First Nations and the National Child Benefit
Chapter 5: Monitoring Progress - Societal Level Indicators
Chapter 6: Assessing the Direct Impact of the National Child Benefit
Chapter 7: The Way Ahead|
Appendix 1: Glossary
Appendix 2: Provincial, Territorial and First Nations NCB Reinvestments and Investments
Appendix 3: Results of the SLID Analysis
Appendix 4: Additional Statistical Information
Pamphlet (PDF file - 526K, 4 pages) - [version française]

Evaluation of the National Child Benefit Initiative
Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services
Synthesis Report
February 2005
HTML version
- incl. links to : Title Page - Introduction - Background - Description of the NCB Initiative - Evaluation of the NCB Initiative — The Program Evaluation Approach - Evaluation Findings - Conclusion - Annex One: Report Summaries - Annex Two: NCB Initiative Logic Model
PDF version (1.07MB, 64 pages)
Excerpt (p.31):
"In most jurisdictions, the design of the NCB Initiative has made work financially more attractive than social assistance for families with children by improving the difference between minimum wage employment and social assistance. This improvement was associated with a reduced dependency on social assistance among families with children. These findings were further supported by the provincial case studies which indicate that the NCB Initiative reduced social assistance caseload for families with children. However, there is also evidence that introduction of the Initiative did not lead to shorter spells on social assistance. Thus, the effect of the NCB was likely that of reducing the number of families entering assistance."
Source:
National Child Benefit website


The National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2003 (PDF file - 3.3MB, 86 pages)
March 2005

Report finds government supports increasing for low income families
News Release
April 6, 2005
"OTTAWA—The National Child Benefit (NCB) Progress Report: 2003 released today by Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services1 confirms that government investments for low-income families with children continue to increase. Federal support to low-income families in 2002-2003 had risen from $5.6 billion in 2001-2002 to $5.7 billion in 2002-2003. It is projected to reach $6.4 billion in 2004-2005. The report further shows that provincial and territorial governments and First Nations have increased their expenditures for low-income children and families through the National Child Benefit initiative to $764.2 million in 2002-2003. This funding supports programs and services, including child benefits and earned income supplements, child/day care initiatives, early childhood services and children-at-risk services, youth initiatives, and supplementary health benefits."

Source:
National Child Benefit website

-------------------------------

Reports confirm that the National Child Benefit contributes to reducing child poverty
August 4, 2005
"OTTAWA — Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services today affirmed that the National Child Benefit contributes to reducing child poverty in Canada1. This is supported by an analysis they released today titled Impact of the National Child Benefit on the Incomes of Families with Children: A Simulation Analysis. It is also supported by two recently released reports: National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2003 released on April 6, 2005 and Evaluation of the National Child Benefit Initiative: Synthesis Report released on June 6, 2005. (...) Technical evaluation reports are available upon request from Social Development Canada."

Complete report + annexes:

Impact of the National Child Benefit on the Incomes of Families with Children: A Simulation Analysis
Annex 1: Impact of the National Child Benefit on the Incomes of Families with Children: Using Post-Tax Low-Income Measure (LIM)
Annex 2: Impact of the National Child Benefit on the Incomes of Families with Children: Using Market Basket Measure

Related Links:

National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2003 - April 2005
Evaluation of the National Child Benefit Initiative: Synthesis Report - February 2005

Source:
The National Child Benefit Website
[Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services]

National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2002
July 4, 2003
National Child Benefit Reduces Child Poverty
News Release
"The National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2002 confirms that the incidence of low-income families with children is steadily declining, dropping from a high of 15.8 percent in 1996 to a low of 11.4 percent in 2000. This is just one of the highlights of the report..."
Pamphlet (PDF file - 63K, 1 page)
Complete report (HTML version) - table of Contents and individual links to each of the eight chapters and four appendices
Complete report (PDF version - 1.6MB, 108 pages) - does not include "Additional Statistical Information" (see HTML version)
Source : National Child Benefit Website (Federal-Provincial-Territorial Government website)
NOTA: Vous trouverez des liens vers la version française de ces documents sur la page Quoi de neuf du site Web de la Prestation nationale pour enfant


Remarks by The Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada,
on The 'Why', 'How' and 'What' of Social Policy Development in Canada at The Empire Club
Toronto
March 27 , 2003
This speech provides an overview of the mandate, themes, programs and clientele of Jane Stewart's Department, including : HRDC budget (Seventy billion dollars) - Canadian pension programs - the marriage of social and economic policy - a children's agenda for Canada - sustainability - social research and development - parental benefits - Canadians with disabilities, Aboriginal people, new immigrants - lifelong learning, active/passive balance in the development of good social policy - partnerships - responsiveness - early learning and childcare - child poverty - National Children's Agenda - National Child Benefit (including a reference to the NCBS clawback) - pulling down the welfare wall - and much more...
Source : Social Development Canada
[NOTE: At the time Jane Stewart was Minister, the Department was called Human Resources Development Canada.]

Campaign 2000: Higher child benefits needed to counter persistent poverty
July 8, 2003
"Increased investments in the Canada Child Tax Benefit are needed in order to substantially reduce child poverty, say researchers and advocates following the release of the 2002 National Child Benefit Progress Report."
Source : Canadian Council on Social Development (Campaign 2000 Partner)


The National Child Benefit - 2001 Progress Report (HTML version)
- incl. links to each individual section and all appendices
PDF version (615K, 102 pages)
May 31, 2002
"This report presents updated information on government investments and reinvestments in NCB-related initiatives. For the first time, this report also provides information on the direct impact the NCB is having on low-income families with children as of 1999."
-
Backgrounder (PDF file - 114K, 4 pages)
- Pamphlet (PDF file - 154K, one wide page)
- Appendix 5 :Provincial, Territorial and First Nations NCB Initiatives
- Appendix 6 - Additional Statistical Information (PDF file - 111K, 13 pages)
- Internet Annex: Approaches to Replacing Social Assistance Benefits for Children (PDF file - 10K, 2 pages)
[NOTE : This annex is compulsory reading (and memorizing!) by anyone who does welfare rate comparisons for families with children across Canadian provinces and territories.
- Canada Child Tax Benefit Beneficiaries by Family Net Income, Family Type and CCTB/NCB Supplement (NCBS) July 2000 - June 2001 (PDF file - 28K, one page)
Source : NCB Website What's New page
NOTA: Vous trouverez des liens à la version française de ces documents sur la page Quoi de neuf du site Web de la Prestation nationale pour enfants

See also :

Is Child Poverty Declining? (PDF file - 58K, 2 pages) - "The federal Human Resources Minister has credited the National Child Benefit with reducing child poverty. Her claim should not be taken seriously."
Source:
July 2002 Fraser Forum

[Fraser Institute - "Competitive Market Solutions for Public Policy Problems"]

High Rates of Child Poverty Persist Despite Child Benefits
Campaign 2000 (Non-Governmental Organization)
May 31, 2002
Campaign 2000 and its partners call for an enhanced child benefit that reaches all lower income families, saying that it is key to substantially reducing child and family poverty in Canada, following the release of the federal Progress Report on the National Child Benefit (NCB 2001).
Source:
Campaign 2000


National Child Benefit Progress Report 2000 - Full Text
Detailed info on the federal, provincial and territorial investments
Appendix 1 - Federal Statistics
Appendix 2 - Provincial, Territorial and First Nations NCB Initiatives
Appendix 3 -Additional Statistical Information - LICOs, LIMs, and welfare dependency (*incl. single-parent VS two-parent families on welfare, 1987-1999)

From The Social Union Website :

Government of Canada reports focus on early childhood development
News Release
November 20, 2002
"Minister of Human Resources Development Canada Jane Stewart, Health Minister Anne McLellan and Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Robert D. Nault today marked Canada’s National Child Day with the release of two reports documenting progress in the Government of Canada’s commitment to helping young Canadian children get a good start in life."

Government of Canada’s initiatives—Helping to give Canadian children the best possible start in life
Backgrounder
November 20, 2002

Early Childhood Development Activities and Expenditures: Government of Canada Report 2001-2002
"...provides information on both new and ongoing federal activities and expenditures on early childhood development, such as a new folic acid awareness campaign and improvements to maternity and parental benefits."
HTML version
PDF version (1.3MB, 108 pages)

The Well-Being of Canada’s Young Children: Government of Canada Report 2002
"...provides an overview of the well-being of Canada’s young children nationally, focusing on such areas as their physical health, safety and security and early development. In addition, the report provides information on the families and communities in which these young children are growing up."
HTML version
PDF version (735K, 58 pages)

Architecture for National Child Care (PDF file - 58K, 21 pages)
November 2002
by Ken Battle and Sherri Torjman
"The case for investing in high quality child care is compelling and unequivocal."

Source: Caledon Institute of Social Policy

Related Links:

A National Child Care Strategy: Getting the Architecture Right Now
A Report of the National Liberal Caucus Social Policy Committee with the collaboration of the Caledon Institute of Social Policy
Chair: John Godfrey MP
November 2002

Time to Decide on Child Poverty: Laggard or Leader?
The Competitive Requirement for a Canadian National Child Care* Strategy
A Draft Report of the Social Policy Committee of the National Liberal Caucus
John Godfrey MP, Chair
August 2002

Website of John Godfrey, MP, Don Valley West

National Children's Agenda Caucus Committee

Sub-Committee unanimously calls for overhaul of federal government’s First Nations ECD Programming (June 12, 2002)

Building on Success
"...the Sub-committee heard troubling testimony on the situation of young children living on reserve, across the country. We could not escape the conclusion that First Nations children and families face many challenges, which seem, at times, overpowering and insoluble. We hope the observations and recommendations in this report will contribute to some extent to the vital process of finding solutions. "

Key Federal Government Programs for First Nations Families and Young Children living on Reserves
(Appendix B of Building on Success)

The Government of Canada Announces an Early Childhood Development Initiative for Aboriginal Children
News Release
October 31, 2002
"...a funding allocation of $320 million over the next five years for a strategy to improve and expand Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs and services for First Nations and other Aboriginal children."

Source : Health Canada



NOTE Regarding Child and Family Services:

The scope of federal, provincial and territorial government programs and services for children, families and youth is quite broad. It covers health, social services, child protection, Canadian and international adoptions, foster care, child and family services, counselling, mediation, visiting homemaker services, children's rights, child maintenance, child care, child custody, and much, much more. The "Children, Families and Youth" pages of this site (national govt. - Canadian NGO - international) are my way of organizing links to some of that information. This site has no "Provincial/territorial Government Child and Family Services" page because there are others who do a very good job at that.

Here are two of the best Canadian child and family services sites that I've found:

Child Welfare Resource Centre (CWRC) *- offers a multitude of links to provincial and territorial child and family services sites across Canada, including government departments, associations, resources for foster parents, adoption resources, Native child welfare sites, schools of social work, and much more.
*NOTE: on December 20/07, the CRWC website link took me to an error page that said: "can't find the server at www.childwelfare.ca". If the link to the home page isn't reactivated when you click, try going to www.archive.org and entering the CWRC's domain name (www.childwelfare.ca) in the "Wayback Machine" box Archive.org's home page. On the results page, you'll see links to the latest versions of the entire (or most of ) the content from the website on the date that you select.

Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare (Network of Canadian universities, non-governmental organizations and government)
Rich in content, easy to navigate, current and historical research, highly recommended!
- incl. links to:
PUBLICATIONS : Fact Sheets - Reviews & Bibliographies - Incidence Studies - Research, Policy - Proceedings - Journals
DATABASES : Published Research - Researcher Network - Research In Progress - French/English Lexicon
RESEARCH : Intervention Evaluations - Longitudinal Studies - Statistical Analyses - Internships - Consultation - First Nations Research - Funding Applications
POLICY : Legislation - Statistics - Reform Initiatives - Governance - Outcomes Tracking - Other Initiatives
EVENTS : CECW Events - Canada - International
ABOUT US
[Use your browser's BACK button to return to the top of this page]

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Here are just a few tidbits about child protection:
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New Information Sheets from the
Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare (CECW):

- Les services de protection de la jeunesse au Québec (2006) - 3 pages
- Manitoba’s Child Welfare System (2006) - 4 pages
- Children with FASD-related Disabilities Receiving Services from Child Welfare Agencies in Manitoba (2006) - 3 pages
- Children with disabilities receiving services from child welfare agencies in Manitoba (2006) - 3 pages
- Ontario’s Child Welfare System (2005) . 3 pages
- Jurisdiction and funding models for Aboriginal child and family service agencies (2005) - 8 pages
- Child Emotional Maltreatment in Canada (2005) - 3 pages
- much more...
All Information Sheets can be found at www.cecw-cepb.ca/Pubs/PubsFact.shtml

Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect - 2003
October 4, 2005
"The rate of substantiated maltreatment in Canada, excluding of Quebec, has increased 125%, from 9.64 substantiated cases per thousand children in 1998 to 21.71 in 2003. This increase in documented maltreatment may be explained by improved and expanded reporting and investigation procedures such as: 1. changes in case substantiation practices; 2. more systematic identification of victimized siblings; and 3. greater awareness of emotional maltreatment and exposure to domestic violence."
- incl. links to : major findings, related CECW Information Sheets on CIS-2003 (Physical abuse of children in Canada - Sexual abuse of children in Canada - Child abuse and neglect investigations in Canada: Comparing 1998 and 2003 data - Child Neglect in Canada) + "Information Sheets Coming Soon" (Child Neglect In Canada - Domestic Violence - Emotional Maltreatment), plus Introduction to CIS Cycle II

Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect - Major Findings - 2003
HTML version
PDF version (2.9MB, 162 pages)

Source:
Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare

Google Web Search Results : "Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse, October 2005"
Google News search Results : "Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse, October 2005"
Source:
Google.ca

Related Link:

Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect: Final Report (2001)

Child Protection Bill [C-2] Receives Royal Assent
July 21, 2005
" Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Irwin Cotler, welcomed the Royal Assent of Bill C-2, a comprehensive package of legislative reforms that provide increased protection to children from abuse, neglect and sexual exploitation and make the criminal justice system more responsive to the needs of children and other vulnerable victims and witnesses."
Backgrounder - highlights of Bill C-2

Minister of Justice introduces new legislation to protect children and other vulnerable persons as first Bill in new Parliament
Minister Cotler says the Bill to Protect Children and other Vulnerable Persons will give the most comprehensive child protection legislation of any country in the world.
October 8, 2004
News Release
"OTTAWA– Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Irwin Cotler, today introduced legislation in the House of Commons to protect children and other vulnerable persons from sexual exploitation, violence, abuse and neglect."

Key Highlights of Proposed Amendments to Protect Children and Other Vulnerable Persons
October 2004
Backgrounder

Source:
Justice Canada


PM pledges to monitor children's welfare
The Ottawa Citizen
March 3, 2004
By: Anne Dawson
"SMITHS FALLS - Prime Minister Paul Martin promised yesterday to consider establishing a national report card to measure the welfare of Canadian children after hearing about the vast increase in child poverty, child abuse and youth mental illness in southeastern Ontario."

---------------------------

Great!
Here are a few good places to start finding some resources for that report card:

Campaign 2000 (...as in " national annual report on child poverty")
Canadian Council on Social Development - producing regular research reports on children's well-being for years
Offord Centre for Child Studies (formerly the Canadian Centre for Studies of Children at Risk)
Centre of Excellence for Early Child Development - University of Montreal
Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth-Centred Prairie Communities - Social Planning Council of Winnipeg
Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare
- University of Toronto
Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement
- Students Commission (national youth advocacy group)

[ more resources are available on the Children, Families and Youth Links (NGO) page of this site ]


What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

March 21, 2006
Study: Parents with adult children living at home, 2001
"The majority of parents living with at least one adult child at home expressed no sign of frustration about their living arrangements, according to a new study published today in Canadian Social Trends. But that does not mean there was perfect harmony in all these households. The study "Parents with adult children living at home", available free online, based on data from the 2001 General Social Survey, compared the profile of parents who are living with at least one of their adult children with parents whose adult children had left the home. The study found that 32% of parents whose youngest child was between 20 and 34 years old had at least one child living at home with them. Of these parents, one-quarter were in fact living with a "boomerang kid", that is, a child who had returned to live in the parental home after already leaving once (or more)."

Complete study:

Parents with adult children living at home (PDF file - 231K, 9 pages)
NOTE: "Stop cooking with cheese" is not discussed as a parental strategy in this study...
(;-D
Source:
Free articles - links to 15 articles
[Canadian Social Trends]

November 4, 2005
Study: Socio-economic status and obesity in children, 2000/01
The article "Neighbourhood socio-economic status and the prevalence of overweight Canadian children and youth" has been published in the November-December 2005 issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health. To obtain a copy of the article, contact Karen Craven (cjph@cpha.ca), Canadian Journal of Public Health.
Related Links:
Canadian Journal of Public Health
[ Canadian Public Health Association
]

Thursday, July 14, 2005
Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile - 2005
An estimated 7% of women and 6% of men in a current or previous spousal relationship encountered spousal violence during the five years up to and including 2004, according to a comprehensive new report on family violence. The report, which uses data from the 2004 General Social Survey (GSS), showed that the overall five-year rate of spousal violence has remained unchanged at 7% since 1999. This means that an estimated 653,000 women and 546,000 men encountered some form of violence by a current or previous spouse or common-law partner.
Complete report:
Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile (PDF file - 468K, 89 pages)

April 20, 2005
Children and youth as victims of violent crime, 2003
Children and youth are over represented as victims of sexual assaults. Although they represent only 21% of the population, 6 out of every 10 sexual assaults reported to police involved a child or youth under 18 years of age.

January 19, 2005
Maintenance Enforcement Survey: Child and Spousal Support, 2003/2004
The report Child and Spousal Support: Maintenance Enforcement Survey Statistics, 2003/2004 ($29), provides data on the collection and enforcement of child and spousal support payments for cases registered with maintenance enforcement programs.

October 13, 2004
Youth custody and community services 2002/03
Canada's youth incarceration rate reached its lowest point in eight years in 2002/03. On any given day in 2002/03, an average of just under 29,400 young people aged 12 to 17 were either in custody or under supervised probation. The vast majority (90% or about 26,400 youths) were on probation.

June 16, 2004
Youth in Transition Survey: Education and labour market pathways of young adults, 2002
"Canada's young people are making the transition from school to the workforce through a complex set of pathways, rather than simply finishing their education and jumping straight into a full-time job, according to new data from the Youth in Transition Survey."
Complete report:
Education and labour market pathways of young
Canadians between age 20 and 22: an Overview
(PDF file - 223K, 41 pages)
by Klarka Zeman, Tamara Knighton, and Patrick Bussière
Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics Division (Statistics Canada)

Related StatCan link:

April 5, 2004
Youth in Transition Survey, 2002
Study Highlights
Complete report:
In and out of high school: First results from the second cycle
of the Youth in Transition Survey, 2002
(PDF file - 303K, 41 pages)
April 2004

July 9, 2004
Aboriginal Peoples Survey: Children who live in non-reserve areas, 2001
A new report paints a portrait of Aboriginal children aged 14 and younger who live in non-reserve areas in Canada. It describes a group of young people who are, for the most part, healthy, have more opportunities for Aboriginal education at the preschool level, and are active in extra-curricular activities.
A Portrait of Aboriginal Children Living in Non-reserve Areas:
Results from the 2001 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS)
HTML version
PDF version
(360K, 26 pages)

April 5, 2004
Youth in Transition Survey, 2002
About 3% of 17-year-old students who were first interviewed at age 15 had left high school without a diploma. Lower household incomes, lower scores in reading literacy and lower expectations for high school completion were among the factors at the age of 15 associated with leaving school by the age of 17.
- study highlights

Complete report:
In and out of high school: First results from the second cycle
of the Youth in Transition Survey, 2002
(PDF file - 303K, 41 pages)
April 2004
- factors related to dropping out of school at an early age and what differentiates dropouts who eventually return to high school from those who do not return
- based on data from the second cycle of the Youth in Transition Survey, "a longitudinal survey developed by Human Resources Development Canada and Statistics Canada in the late 1990s to collect information on major transitions in the lives of youth, particularly between education, training and work."

Study: Health and behaviours of youth: Rural-urban comparison - 2001
March 23, 2004
"Teenagers in Canada's northern regions, especially girls, are more likely to report lower self-rated health than their counterparts in major metropolitan regions, according to a new study comparing various regions in Canada. The study, using data from the 2000/01 Canadian Community Health Survey, examined the health status and behaviours of 13,174 youths aged 12 to 17 in 2000/01. It also compared results between urban areas and rural and northern regions.

Complete report:
Health status and behaviours of Canada’s youth: A rural-urban comparison (PDF file - 177K, 22 pages)
Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin - March 2004


Canada's National Plan of Action (Senator Landon Pearson's website)
- incl. links to :
Consultations (Introduction - A Dialogue with Canadians - The process - Consultative activities - Priority areas for the NPA)
Resources (Documentation - Canadian chronology - International commitments)
Background (A World Fit for Children - Special Session on Children)
Source:
The Info-sidewalk - The children's rights website of Hon. Landon Pearson, Canadian Senator for Children and Youth

NOTE : For links to information about Canada’s National Plan of Action for Children, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the work of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (Special Session on the Rights of the Child), and related sites and content, go to the Canadian Social Research Links Children's Rights page.


Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS): Children with disabilities, 2001
July 29, 2003
"An estimated 155,000 Canadian children between five and 14 years old, or 4% of all children of this age group, had some form of activity limitation in 2001, and many of their parents reported that they weren't getting the help they needed to deal with their child's condition, according to the PALS data released today."
Highlights
Children with disabilities and their families
- complete report
HTML version --- use the buttons on the left sidebar of that page to navigate through the report
PDF version - 387K, 20 pages
"This article is the third in a series of data releases from the 2001 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS). This survey provides the most up-to-date and detailed information on children with disabilities in Canada, including information on the impact of their condition or health problem on the family."

Source : The Daily [Statistics Canada]


Centres of Excellence for Children’s Well-Being

Centre of Excellence for Early Child Development - University of Montreal
Centre of Excellence for Children and Adolescents with Special Needs - Lakehead University

The Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth-Centred Prairie Communities - Social Planning Council of Winnipeg
Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare
- University of Toronto
Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement
- Students Commission (national youth advocacy group)

Expert Advisory Committee on children announced
News Release
November 23, 2001
OTTAWA -- Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Secretary of State for Children and Youth, today announced on behalf of Health Minister Allan Rock, the creation of a National Expert Advisory
Committee on the Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being. Ms. Blondin Andrew made the announcement at a national conference in Ottawa featuring the work of the five Centres of Excellence. Over 400 experts, including researchers, policymakers, and professionals in health, education, child care and social services are attending the conference.
Members of the National Expert Advisory Committee
Source : Health Canada

Government of Canada announces five centres of excellence for children's well-being
News Release
October 5, 2000
Read this Health Canada news release for information about all five centres

Effective Programs for Early Child Development: Linking Research to Policy and Practice
XXXV Banff international conference on behavioural science

March 16-19, 2003
Banff, Alberta
"The Banff International Conference on Behavioural Science and the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development co-hosted this conference presenting the best international research on early childhood programs."
- incl. links to the program, workshops descriptions and individual presentations organized under the following headings (a total of over 20 files, all PDF format):
Effective prenatal to infancy programs - Effective programs for preschool children - Effective comprehensive programs.


Division of Childhood and Adolescence - part of the Public Health Agency of Canada
- incl. links to : Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being - Aboriginal Head Start.Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities - Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) - Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program CPNP) - CAPC/CPNP National Projects Fund - National Fetal Alcohol Syndrome / Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE) Initiative


National Clearinghouse on Family Violence
(Public Health Agency of Canada)

The National Clearinghouse on Family Violence is a national resource centre for professionals, front-line workers, researchers and community groups seeking information about violence within the family and looking for new resources being used to address it. This is a large site of information on child abuse, violence against women, and abuse of seniors.. You'll find fact sheets, a newsletter, special reports and studies and much more. 

Family Violence Initiative (FVI)

Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities

Centres of Excellence
The Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being conduct research on key child health issues, develop policy advice based on solid evidence and disseminate information to a broad audience

Aboriginal Head Start
Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities is a Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada-funded early childhood development program for First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and their families.

Community Action Program for Children (CAPC)
CAPC provides long term funding to community coalitions to deliver programs that address the health and development of children (0-6 years) who are living in conditions of risk. It recognizes that communities have the ability to identify and respond to the needs of children and places a strong emphasis on partnerships and community capacity building.

Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program.Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP)
CPNP is a comprehensive community-based program designed to meet the needs of pregnant women facing difficult life circumstances that threaten their health and the development of their babies.

CAPC/CPNP National Projects Fund
The CAPC/CPNP National Projects Fund (NPF) provides financial assistance to initiatives supporting the objectives of CAPC/CPNP projects and has direct relationships with projects across Canada. The NPF is designed to support time-limited projects sponsored by voluntary, non-profit, non-governmental organizations, which will be national in scope and result in the strengthening of CAPC/CPNP projects.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
The goal of the national Fetal Alcohol Syndrome / Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE) Initiative is to develop a broad-based collaborative effort to prevent FAS/FAE and improve the quality of life of all people affected by FAS/FAE.

National Plan of Action
The Canadian government is moving forward in the development of Canada's national plan of action (NPA) for children

Selected reports:

Young people in Canada: their health and well-being
October 2004
Summary (PDF file - 1.1MB, 8 pages)
Summary - HTML file
Full Document (PDF file - 2.8MB, 156 pages)
"
The Health Behaviour of School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study is a cross-national study supported by the World health Organization. In Canada, the HBSC surveys have been funded by Health Canada. Young people in Canada: their health and well-being, a 136-page report, presents the findings from the three surveys conducted in Canada since 1989-90.



Celebrate National Child Day - November 20th

- incl. links to National Child Day stickers, info about the origins of National Child Day, ideas on how to celebrate this special day with children, and a two-page resource to help parents understand children's rights and to offer activities that help children deepen their understanding of their rights.

Source:
Canadian Child Care Federation

Universal Children's Day
20 November 2003
"The General Assembly recommended in 1954 that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day, to be observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children and of activity promoting the welfare of the world's children. (...) The date of 20 November marks the day in which the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989."
- 50+ links to UN and related resource for children, including : Unicef programs, Children's Rights, the State of the World's Children, 2003, Monitoring the Situation of Children and Women), Unicef & the Global Movement for Children, United Nations Special Session on Children, Children and the UN, A World Fit for Children, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - Unesco - World Bank - international children's resources - much more...
Source:
Dag Hammarskjöld Library
[ United Nations ]



Child and Family Benefits Page
 - Information about the Canada Child Tax Benefit and the National Child Benefit. 
- Also includes information concerning related provincial and territorial programs administered by the Canada Revenue Agency: Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit - BC Family Bonus - New Brunswick Child Tax Benefit - Newfoundland and Labrador Child Benefit - Northwest Territories Child Benefit - Nova Scotia Child Benefit - Nunavut Child Benefit - Saskatchewan Child Benefit - Yukon Child Benefit. 
- From the website of the Canada Revenue Agency - formerly Revenue Canada

Child and Family Benefits Calculator
Calculate how much your family is entitled to receive under the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) and related provincial/territorial programs

Your Canada Child Tax Benefit for the period from July 2005 to June 2006 (PDF file - 192K, 28 pages)
(including related provincial and territorial child benefits and credits)
This Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) guide to the federal Child Tax Benefit (CTB) includes information (in simple question-and-answer format) about eligibility conditions, benefits and related CTB issues. It also includes similar information on the following child benefits and credits launched under the Federal-Provincial-Territorial National Child Benefit initiative:
- Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit
- BC Family Bonus
- New Brunswick Child Tax Benefit
- Newfoundland and Labrador Child Benefit
- Northwest Territories Child Benefit
- Nova Scotia Child Benefit
- Nunavut Child Benefit
- Saskatchewan Child Benefit
- Yukon Child Benefit
NOTE: these are some of the provincial-territorial initiatives that are wholly or partly funded* by what many in the Canadian social advocacy community call the "NCB(S) Clawback". This refers to the practise in most jurisdictions (at least in the early stages of the National Child Benefit initiative) of reducing the welfare entitlement of families with children by an amount equal to the federal child tax benefit those families receive. Several jurisdictions have stopped reducing welfare benefits by the value of any increases to the child benefit supplement.
-------------------------------
(*except for New Brunswick, where program funding is entirely from the provincial treasury
because that province has not reduced welfare rates for families since the National Child Benefit was launched in the summer of 1998)
-------------------------------

Canada Child Tax Benefit FAQs : Calculation and payment information

Source:
Child and Family Benefits Page
Canada Revenue Agency

Also from the Canada Revenue Agency:

Child Disability Benefit Comes Into Effect July 2003
July 17, 2003
"The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency announced today the implementation of the new Child Disability Benefit (CDB) for children who have a severe and prolonged impairment. The first payment of the CDB supplement will be issued with the March 2004 Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) payment and will include a retroactive amount from July 2003 to March 2004 inclusively."

Child Disability Benefit - Fact Sheet
July 18, 2003


Canadian Youth Speak Up About Global Poverty
News Release
February 22, 2002
"Butterfly 208 is an art and essay contest for Canadian youth to step up, speak out and take action against poverty and other major development issues affecting young people around the globe. The contest runs from February 22nd through June 7th, 2002."
- Go to the Butterfly 208 website
Source : Canadian International Development Agency



Changing conjugal life in Canada

July 11, 2002
"The continued increase in common-law unions is transforming family life in Canada, according to new data from the General Social Survey, which tracked trends in relationship ties, marital splits and new unions."
Summary and tables
Complete report (PDF file - 142K, 12 pages)
Source : The Daily (Statistics Canada)




Income Security for Children: A Supplementary Paper

Government of Canada
1994

This 25-page paper is part of a series of Supplementary Papers that were released late in 1994 and early in 1995 to provide Canadians with more detailed information about the Canadian income security system and the options outlined in the Discussion Paper Improving Social Security in Canada, which was released in October 1994. This paper is an important historical resource for the study of the National Child Benefit and the federal child support initiative. It offers a 1993-94 snapshot of child poverty in Canada and the federal and provincial programs to assist families with children. It also offers a detailed economist's-eye-view of three different approaches to reform of the benefits available under those programs : (1) enhancing and retargeting child tax benefits; (2) an integrated federal-provincial benefit; and (3) an enhanced Working Income Supplement. Extensive analysis of the impact of many options on families in different income brackets, and of the winners and losers under each of those options...


Knowledge and Research (formerly the Applied Research Branch)
[ Social Development Canada ]

Poverty, Social Capital, Parenting and Child Outcomes in Canada
Final Report
March 2002 (posted to the Applied Research Branch website October 24, 2003)
The experience of long-term poverty affects many child outcomes, in part through a family stress process in which poverty is considered to be one of the major factors causing family dysfunction, depression among caregivers and inadequate parenting. (...) This study reports the construction of measures related to social capital (Collective Efficacy and Social Support) at the neighbourhood, rather than the individual level, and the use of these along with a battery of census characteristics and other explanatory variables in the prediction of outcomes for longitudinal children aged 4 to 15 in the National Longitudinal Study of Children and Youth.
Click the above link for an abstract of the study; click below to read the study
Complete paper (HTML)
Complete paper (PDF) (1.3MB, 74 pages)
This study is based on statistical modeling, of special interest to economists and others who speak/understand economese. Even if you're not well-versed on "metric partial regression coefficients" (straight from the report), you might find some interesting tidbits in the
literature review on families, poverty and child outcomes, with a particular focus on three distinct themes that are relevant to child outcomes: the effect of long-term poverty, the Family Stress Model, and the role of neighbourhood social capital.

Poverty and Child Well-Being in Canada and the United States:
Does it Matter How We Measure Poverty?
Final Report
September 2000
Posted to the Applied Research website August 2003
"(...) In this paper we examine the possibility that conclusions about the association between poverty and children's well-being may be sensitive to choices made about how to measure 'poverty.' In particular, we focus upon the influence of data set chosen, sample selected and poverty line used. Throughout, the analysis is conducted for children in both Canada and the
United States, both to emphasize that these issues are not unique to the Canadian situation and to point out the influence of measurement choices upon our understanding of Canada/US comparisons of children's poverty and/or well-being. The principal data sets used are the Survey of Consumer Finance and the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth for Canada and the Current Population Survey and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth — Mother/Child Supplement for the United States."
Complete paper (HTML)
Complete paper (PDF) (727K, 37 pages)



Surveys

Three major surveys of children and youth were sponsored by the former Applied Research Branch of Human Resources Development Canada:
- National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth
- Youth in Transition Survey
- Understanding the Early Years.

Social Development Canada: Understanding the Early Years
2005 Call for Proposals - Application Guide

February 17, 2005
- this call for proposals closed on April 11, 2005
"In the mid-1990s, government policy officials worked with experts to develop a research program in early childhood development. This work led to the development, creation, and launch of pilot projects known as “Understanding the Early Years.” Documentation (such as conference materials and research reports) on the developmental work behind the UEY pilot projects is available on the Social Development Canada website (http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca, go to “Children,” then “Understanding the Early Years,” then “UEY Pilot Program”)"

Understanding the Early Years (UEY) "is a federal government initiative that provides communities with information on the 'readiness to learn' of their children, the family and community factors that influence child development, and the local resources available to support young children and their families. This neighbourhood-specific information is used by communities to design and implement focused policies, programs and investments that enable their young children to thrive in the early years. UEY is currently underway in 12 pilot communities across Canada. Building on the success of the UEY pilot program and its positive impact on the capacity of communities to support early childhood development, the Spring 2004 federal budget committed the Government of Canada to extend UEY to up to 100 communities across Canada over the next seven years. (bolding added)

A Brief History of UEY - quite brief, actually...

UEY Pilot Project Reports
- links to Early Childhood Development Reports for several provinces --- UEY Phase I (2001-2002) and Phase II (2002-2003)

Source:
Understanding the Early Years - Pilot Projects
[ Social Development Canada - Renamed Human Resources and Social Development Canada]

Related Link:

Understanding the Early Years:
An Update of Early Childhood Development Results in Four Canadian Communities

July 2005 (Posted to the Internet January 2007)
HTML Table of Contents - links to HTML files for each chapter in the report
HTML Executive Summary
PDF version
- (169K, 52 pages)
This report highlights some of the key findings from data collected from four diverse UEY pilot communities: Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Prince Edward Island; and Southwest Newfoundland. The findings address how kindergarten children are doing in each community and family and community factors which influence young children’s development.
The author of the report, J. Douglas Willms, is the University of New Brunswick’s Canada Research Chair in Human Development and the director of the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy at the University of New Brunswick.
Source:
Human Resources and Social Development Canada

Government of Canada announces funding for six new Understanding the Early Years (UEY) communities in British Columbia
News Release
October 12, 2005

Government of Canada announces funding for Understanding the Early Years North Shore in British Columbia
News Release
October 12, 2005

Related Links:
Understanding the Early Years (UEY)
- UEY Pilot Projects

-----------------------------------------------------

What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

December 5, 2006
National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth:
Early reading ability and later literacy skills, 1994/1995 to 2004/2005

Early reading skills are related to a child's later ability to use and understand printed information, regardless of the child's background, according to data from the most recent cycle of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth.
- scroll partway down the page to read about the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY)

February 21, 2005
National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY):
Home environment, income and child behaviour, 1994/95 to 2002/03
Analysis of long-term data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth found that changes in punitive parenting practices in the home were linked with changes in child behaviour eight years later.
NOTE: The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) is a long-term study by Social Development Canada and Statistics Canada, which follows the development of children from birth to early adulthood. Click the link above, then see the text box near the top of the page for more info about the NLSCY.

 


Youthfluence.com
The  Institute On Governance (IOG) is continuing its development of Youthfluence.com – a dynamic web site designed to encourage civic literacy and participation among Canadian youth. Supported by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the project team is currently seeking additional funding partners to build exciting content and support the Youth Board governing the site. Youthfluence.com will have its official launch early in 2001. View the prototype at http://www.youthfluence.com
- Go to the Institute On Governance website

Report on Public Consultations on The National Children's Agenda Released
Press Release
Provincial/Territorial Council on Social Policy Renewal
June 21, 2000

What Canadians are Telling Us about the National Children’s Agenda
Provincial/Territorial Council on Social Policy Renewal
June 21, 2000

Public Dialogue on the National Children's Agenda
Developing a Shared Vision
Provincial/Territorial Council on Social Policy Renewal
June 2000

The National Children’s Agenda: Health Canada's contribution
Budget 2000 Information
February 28, 2000


Exchanges Canada
"Exchanges Canada is a Government of Canada initiative that creates opportunities for young Canadians to connect with one another and experience the diversity of Canadian communities, languages and cultures. Exchanges Canada also provides access to information on all sorts of exchange programs and activities available in Canada and abroad."

Second National Study Shows Fewer Aboriginal Youth In Custody
November 22, 2004
"OTTAWA – The Department of Justice, with the support of the provinces and territories, today released the second One Day Snapshot of Aboriginal Youth in Custodyacross Canada . The report documents the number of Aboriginal youth in custody on a single day - June 4, 2003 - and is a follow up to the first Snapshot done in 2000. The 2003 Snapshot shows a 36% reduction in the number of Aboriginal youth in custody from three years earlier: down from 1,128 in 2000 to 720 in 2003."
Backgrounder

Complete report:

A One-Day Snapshot of Aboriginal Youth in Custody Across Canada : Phase II
February 2004
HTML version
- table of contents, links to each section (all in HTML)
PDF version (4.8MB, 45 pages)

Source:
Department of Justice

Youth Employment Strategy (Government of Canada)
Canada's Youth Employment Strategy helps young people get the skills, knowledge and work experience they need for a successful career.


Department of Justice Child Support Page
"On May 1, 1997 new laws respecting child support came into force, including Federal Child Support Guidelines and additional federal enforcement measures to help the provinces and territories ensure that family support obligations are respected."
- incl. links to : About federal child support laws in Canada - Ten things you need to know - Eight steps to calculating child support - Laws and regulations - Provincial and territorial Enforcement programs - Links to provincial and territorial child support programs, custody and access information and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency - Publications - Latest news - Federal-Provincial-Territorial Consultations on Custody, Access and Child Support in Canada

Child Support Enforcement - incl. links to : Overview of the Canadian system of support enforcement - Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance - Glossary of Canadian reciprocal and support enforcement terms - Interjurisdictional and international support enforcement - Interjurisdictional support orders (ISO) legislation and reciprocity arrangements - Provincial and territorial information on interjurisdictional and international support order enforcement (ISO).

Minister of Justice Releases Report to Parliament on the Federal Child Support Guidelines
News Release
April 29, 2002

Report to Parliament on Federal Child Support Guidelines (Backgrounder)
April 2002

Children Come First: A Report to Parliament on the Provisions and Operation of the Federal Child Support Guidelines
Complete Report - links to PDF and HTML versions of the report


Childcare services industry 1999
"This article examines the childcare services industry in Canada, and is divided into three parts. The first analyses the demand for childcare services, including the $3.5 billion that households spent on these services. Part two examines the financial characteristics of the industry and the roles played by the non-profit sector and government fee-subsidy and grant programs. The final section looks at characteristics of the childcare workforce."

Source : The Daily, Statistics Canada Friday, April 26, 2002

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