Children, Families and Youth - National Non-Governmental Organization Links -

Les enfants, les familles et les jeunes - Sites d'organismes non-gouvernementaux nationaux -

New from
The Laidlaw Foundation:

Benefits for Children in Ontario Incomplete and Unfair
News Release
May 17, 2010
A new report says children not living with their parents are denied financial benefits that other children get. Not so Easy to Navigate, a report written by social policy experts John Stapleton and Anne Tweddle for the Laidlaw Foundation, reveals that the most vulnerable children in Ontario - those living in state care - don’t benefit from federal programs like the Canada Learning Bond and Canada Education Savings Grant the same way that children living with their families do.

Complete report:

‘Not so Easy to Navigate’:
A Report on the Complex Array of Income
Security Programs and Educational Planning for
Children in Care in Ontario (PDF - 511K, 40 pages)
By John Stapleton & Anne Tweddle
Toronto
May 2010
Young people who have been taken into state care report that the most difficult issue they faced when leaving care was the lack of emotional, financial, and educational support. This paper describes the major financial supports currently available in Ontario and proposes ways to improve the financial and educational well-being of youth once they leave care.

Two pamphlets by the same authors
released with the above report:

* 7 Things you Should Know (PDF - 291K, 14 pages)
May 2010
Do you know a child who is in the care of a Children’s Aid Society?
Are you concerned about their financial and educational future?
This fact sheet tells you about financial benefits from the government for children in Ontario, with special emphasis on programs that build savings for a child in care. It also explains some of the changes that happen to benefits when a child goes into care.

* A message to all mothers in Ontario:
March 2010
Collect child benefits of up to $8,400 and more every year!

There are four things you should do when you give birth
in order to obtain the benefits that you are entitled to:

1. Go to Service Ontario to get a birth certificate and a Social Insurance Number for your child.
2. Apply for Canada Child Tax Benefits (CCTB).
3. Fill out a tax return and send it in.
4. Go to any bank and setup a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)
- includes links to online resources

Source:
The Laidlaw Foundation
The Laidlaw Foundation promotes positive youth development through inclusive youth engagement in the arts, environment and in community.

Related earlier report
from The Laidlaw Foundation:

Youth Leaving Care – How Do They Fare?
Briefing Paper (PDF file - 242K, 31 pages)
September 2005
By Anne Tweddle
Source:
Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults (they produced the report)
Laidlaw Foundation (they funded the report)

[ More reports from The Laidlaw Foundation - click "Resources" in the left margin for links to all Laidlaw Foundation reports by theme.]

Related links from
Human Resources and Social Development Canada:

* Canada Learning Bond
The Canada Learning Bond (CLB) is a grant offered by the Government of Canada to help parents, friends, and family members save early for the post-secondary education of children in modest-income families. (...) The Government of Canada will make a one-time payment of $500 into the RESP of children who qualify for the Canada Learning Bond and a $100 deposit each subsequent year the child’s primary caregiver receives the National Child Benefit Supplement, to a maximum of $2,000. Canlearn.ca offers more information regarding the amount of CLB the child could receive.

* Canada Education Savings Grant
When you, as a parent, friend or family member, open a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) on behalf of a child and apply for the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG), the Government of Canada will deposit a percentage of your own contribution directly into the RESP. To date, more than three million children have benefited from the Canada Education Savings Grant.

Related link:

Open Policy - John Stapleton's website

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

From CBC Toronto:

Ont. youth in state care need RESPs: foundation
May 17, 2010
An Ontario youth foundation is calling on Ottawa to set up education savings accounts for the 18,000 Ontario children in state care. The Laidlaw Foundation has released a new report that suggests Ontario children living in foster care don't benefit from federal programs like the Canada Learning Bond and the Canada Education Savings Grant the same way that children living with their families do.

---

From The Toronto Star:

Youth in state care need RESPs
By Laurie Monsebraaten
May 17, 2010
Ontario should press Ottawa to give children in foster care the same educational support as children who live with their families. A report being released Monday says it would cost the federal government about $8 million a year to set up educational savings accounts for the approximately 18,000 Ontario children in state care. “Parents with children living at home often use their federal child benefits to open Registered Education Savings Plans for their children,” said social policy expert John Stapleton, co-author of report by the Laidlaw Foundation. The investments trigger the $2,000 federal learning bond and the education savings grant, which matches parental contributions to a maximum of $7,200. (...) Ontario should press for a change in federal policy so that all children in care can have access to the federal money to use toward a post-secondary education, says the report. The province should also extend financial support to youth in care to age 25 says the report entitled Not So Easy to Navigate.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Hazardous passage for at-risk youth
Foster children should be allowed to stay at home until they are 21
Virginia Rowden
May 21, 2010
This is a story told in numbers. There are nearly 4,700 young people — aged 16 to 20 — in the care of Children’s Aid Societies in Ontario. Fewer than 600 are enrolled in college, trade schools or university — less than 13 per cent compared with 60 per cent of young people who have grown up with their own families
[ Virginia Rowden is director, social policy, and mentor for the YouthCAN program, Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. ]

A better idea for foster kids
May 23, 2010
Editorial
(...) By [Ontario] provincial law, children in the care of the state must move out of their foster or group homes before their 18th birthday, whether they have finished high school or not. They are given financial assistance to live on their own, but that is cut off at 21, regardless of their circumstances. (...) Last week, a report by the Laidlaw Foundation urged Ottawa to establish registered education savings plans (RESPs) for children in foster care, similar to those that parents set up for their own children. The report rightly identifies the transforming effect that making college financially possible could have on Crown wards. (...) Children's aid agencies have long urged the province to let children stay in their foster or group homes until they are 21. The Laidlaw Foundation's report argues that financial assistance should be extended to 25. Both measures would provide a more supportive and gradual transition into adulthood – similar to what most children get from their parents.

Source:
The Toronto Star

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

The U.S. Perspective
_________________________

Recent release from
Human Rights Watch:

California: From Foster Children to Homeless Adults
State Fails to Prepare Foster Youth for Adulthood
News Release
May 12, 2010
(LosAngeles) - California is creating homeless adults by failing to ensure that youth in foster care are given the support to live independently as adults and by ending state support abruptly, Human Rights Watch said in a new report. Human Rights Watch said that the state should provide financial support, connections with adults, shelter, and other safety nets for young people as they make the transition towards independence.

The 70-page report, My So-Called Emancipation: From Foster Care to Homelessness for California Youth (PDF - 1.3MB), documents the struggles of foster care youth who become homeless after turning 18, or "aging out" of the state's care, without sufficient preparation or support for adulthood. California's foster care system serves 65,000 children and youth, far more than any other single state. Of the 4,000 who age out of the system each year, research suggests, 20 per cent or more become homeless.

Source:
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. By focusing international attention where human rights are violated, we give voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes.

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

Families Working Shift (PDF - 120K, 2 pages)
Fascinating Families #26 - March 2010
March 15, 2010
Shift work is now an integral part of the Canadian economy. In 2005, 28% of workers aged 19 to 64 worked a shift schedule.1 One in four fulltime workers (26%) worked shift, while nearly half of part-time workers (48%) did so. Men made up 63% of all full-time shift workers, whereas women made up almost seven in ten (69%) part-time shift workers.
Source:
Fascinating Families <=== links to all 26 issues in the series!
[ Vanier Institute of the Family ]

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)

Ability Online
"A computer network designed to enhance the lives of children and youth with disabilities or illness by providing an online community of friendship and support."
Graphic version of this site
Text version of this site
En ligne directe (French version of this site)
"Ability OnLine is a free internet community where children/youth with disabilities/illness and their parents can meet others like them, make friends from all over the world, share their hopes and fears, find role-models and mentors, and feel like they belong. Ability OnLine began in 1991 and has grown from a small Bulletin Board Service (BBS) to a web based network with members from around the world."
- Ability Online recently recorded the three millionth visit to its website (in 10 yrs.)...
About Us - read why Ability Online was created and how it's evolved since then.

Adoption Council of Canada
"The Adoption Council of Canada (ACC) is the umbrella organization for adoption in Canada. Based in Ottawa, the ACC raises public awareness of adoption, promotes placement of waiting children and stresses the importance of post-adoption services. Our services include a quarterly newsletter, a resource library, referrals, and conference planning."
- incl. links to : About the ACC | Organizations | News | Viewpoints | Legislation | Events | Publications | Research | Glossary | Newsletters | Canada's Waiting Children | Links | Statistics | Principles

Related Links:

Web Sites with Information on Adoption (ACC) - almost 30 links to Canadian (incl. provincial/territorial) government and non-government resources, and five American online resources

Canada's Waiting Kids (CWK)
"Canada's Waiting Kids is an online resource for the Canada's Waiting Children Program of the Adoption Council of Canada (ACC). The Web site lists photos and background information about Canadian children waiting for permanent adoptive families. It also provides information about domestic adoption in Canada of children in the care of Canadian child welfare agencies. Canada's Waiting Kids is a service of the ACC. The ACC is not an adoption agency but an information and referral service. This program is made possible by grants from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and the ongoing support of Wendy's Restaurants of Canada."
- incl. links to : Adoption Process | Older/Special Needs Kids | Resources | Info and Support Groups | Photo Album | Social Workers' Corner | Terms and Conditions | Overview | Adoption Myths | Find Out More | FAQs

Caledon Institute of Social Policy

A Bigger and Better Child Benefit:
A $5,000 Canada Child Tax Benefit (PDF file - 324K, 63 pages)
Ken Battle, January 2008
The federal child benefits system has undergone far-reaching changes over the past two years, with the addition of the Universal Child Care Benefit and non-refundable child tax credit to the existing Canada Child Tax Benefit. While these two so-called "new" programs (they are actually worn retreads from the past) have infused substantial new monies into the child benefits system, they also have made it complex, inequitable and virtually incomprehensible to Canadian families.

NOTE: includes a detailed section entitled "Evolution of child benefits 1918-2007."

A $5,000 Canada Child Tax Benefit:
Questions and Answers (PDF file - 56K, 11 pages)
by
Ken Battle
January 2008

Child Benefits Levels in 2003 and Beyond: Australia, Canada, the UK and the US
Michael Mendelson
April 2003
Abstract
"Australia, Canada, the UK and the US all have programs providing cash benefits to families with children. This study is a detailed comparison of current child benefit rates in the four countries, for a representative lone parent family with one child and a two-parent family with two children. It also compares Canada’s child benefits in 2007, when all announced increases are implemented, to those in Australia, the UK and the US. The paper calculates the changes that would be needed to replicate UK child benefits in Canada, and analyzes the implications of these changes."
Full Document (PDF file - 75K, 13 pages)
Source : Caledon Institute of Social Policy

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." 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

Campaign 2000
Campaign 2000 is a cross-Canada public education movement to build Canadian awareness and support for the 1989 all-party House of Commons resolution to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. Campaign 2000 began in 1991 out of concern about the lack of government progress in addressing child poverty. Campaign 2000 is non-partisan in urging all Canadian elected officials to keep their promise to Canada's children. There are over 85 national, community and provincial partners actively involved in the work of Campaign 2000. Hundreds of other groups across the country work on the issue of child poverty every day, such as children's aid societies, faith organizations, community agencies, health organizations, school boards, and low-income people's groups.
Follow these links from Campaign 2000's Home Page : What's New - Take Action - Report Cards - Resources - About Campaign 2000

Campaign 2000 Partners - Complete list of all Campaign 2000 national, provincial and community partners - including links to 60+ websites of these NGOs and other groups from across Canada.

Campaign 2000 Report Cards - Links to the most recent report cards on child poverty at the national level as well as for the provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Ontario. You'll even find a link to the child poverty report card for the City of Toronto on the report card page. (Click on the links down the left side of the page)

2007 Report Card on Child Poverty in Canada:

No Change 18 Years Later – New Report Shows Child Poverty at 1989 Levels
Media release
November 26, 2007
Eighteen years after the 1989 all-party resolution of the House of Commons to end child poverty in Canada the rate is exactly the same, says a new report from Campaign 2000. Despite a growing economy, a soaring dollar and low unemployment, Statistics Canada data shows the after-tax child poverty rate is 11.7%, exactly where it was when all federal parties decided action was urgently needed.

Complete report card:

It Takes a Nation to Raise a Generation:
Time for a National Poverty Reduction Strategy (PDF file - 542K, 8 pages)
November 2007

Version française:

Il faut une nation pour éduquer une génération :
Le temps est venu pour une stratégie nationale de réduction de la pauvreté (fichier PDF - 565Ko, 8 pages)
Rapport 2007 sur la pauvreté des enfants et des familles au Canada

Source:
Campaign 2000 Report on Child and Family Poverty in Canada
Main page - includes links to both the French and English media releases and reports, as well as links to national report cards for previous years and for selected Canadian provinces.
[ Campaign 2000 ]

Related links:

Campaign 2000 Provincial report cards on child poverty
- incl. links to child poverty reports for BC - AB - SK - MB- ON - NB - NS
NOTE: (Nov. 26/07) As at this date, not all provinces have posted a child poverty report card for 2007. However, if you click the link above you can access reports for those jurisdictions for earlier years. The links below are to those jurisdictions that have a 2007 report online on Nov. 26.

British Columbia:
2007 Child Poverty Report Card (PDF file - 196K, 19 pages)
November 2007
Source:
First Call BC

Alberta:
Child and Family Poverty Too High in Wealthy Alberta
November 26, 2007
Related link:
Wages and Child and Family Poverty in Alberta: Fact Sheet
Source:
Public Interest Alberta

Manitoba:
A Province Left Behind.... Where's our poverty eradication plan,
Prime Minister Harper, Premier Doer and Mayor Katz? (PDF file - 971K, 38 pages)
November 2007
Source:
Social Planning Council of Winnipeg

New Brunswick:
Child and Family Poverty report card 2007 (PDF file - 780K, 6 pages)
November 2007
Source:
New Brunswick Human Development Council

Nova Scotia:
Child poverty in Nova Scotia: The facts (PDF file - 370K, 9 pages)
November 24, 2007
By Pauline Raven, Lesley Frank and Renee Ross

Related links:

BC's Child Poverty Rate Tops Again
Or is this headline just trying to manipulate you?
By Rob Annandale
November 26, 2007
"(...)To say a Vancouverite who earns $20,000 per year is living in poverty would indeed seem preposterous to many of the more than one billion people worldwide who survive on less than a dollar a day."
Source:
The Tyee
<begin Leap of Logic rant:>
EH? Comparing the incomes of someone living in Vancouver with someone in Africa or Asia?
Reality check: It's the cost of living, Stupid. I would have expected this kind of distorted comparison from minions of the Fraser Institute, but from the Tyee?? Yech.
(Read the Comments section immediately below the article for similar helpful advice to Mr. Annandale.)
</end Leap of Logic rant.>

From CBC:

* B.C.'s child poverty rate worst in Canada: First Call report (November 26)
* Child poverty rate in Manitoba remains too high: Social Planning Council of Winnipeg (November 26)

From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:

Survey: Poor kids’ lot gets worse
November 27, 2007
The national child poverty rate may be the same as it was in 1989, but life for poor Nova Scotia families isn’t, says a new report on child poverty.

Poverty Quiz - Test your knowledge of child and family poverty in Canada.

Addressing the Falling Fortunes of Young Children and their Families: A Community Building Approach
This is a two-year national project (January 2006 through March 2008) which aims to identify strategies to improve the income and wages, including the living wage, of young families and their children.

Regional Partner Organizations
(Click the link above to access the websites of the organizations listed below)
* Community Services Council, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Family Service Association of Toronto
* Women's Habitat (Toronto)
* North End Women's Centre (Winnipeg)
* Social Planning Council of Winnipeg
* First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition

Canada’s Child Poverty Levels not Budging -
New report shows child poverty “entrenched” in Canada over 25 Years
Campaign 2000
23 November 2006
The rate of child and family poverty in Canada has been stalled at 17-18% over the past 5 years despite strong economic growth and low unemployment, according to a new report by Campaign 2000.

---

2006 report card on child poverty in Canada

Oh Canada! Too Many Children in Poverty for Too Long [pdf, 6pp, 311KB]

Version française:
Oh Canada! Trop d'enfants pauvres et depuis trop longtemps [pdf, 6pp, 331KB]

Earlier editions of the
report card on child poverty in Canada - reports in English and French going back to 2002
TIP: if you scroll to the bottom of the earlier editions page, you'll also find links to a 2002 report to the UN Special Session on Children entitled A report on a decade of child and family poverty in Canada and a November 2001 Campaign 2000 Bulletin entitled Family Security in Insecure Times: Tackling Canada's Social Deficit.

Related Links:

Aboriginal children are poorest in country: report
B.C. and Newfoundland have highest rates; Alberta and P.E.I. have lowest rates
November 24, 2006
A national network of advocacy groups released a report on Friday that paints a bleak picture of poverty facing First Nations children in Canada. In its report, called Oh Canada! Too Many Children in Poverty for Too Long, the advocacy group Campaign 2000 says First Nations children are suffering the greatest levels of poverty of all children in the country.
Source:
CBC News

Google Web Search Results:
"Campaign 2000, child poverty reports, 2006, Canada"
Google News Search Results:
"Campaign 2000, child poverty reports, 2006, Canada"
Source:
Google.ca

Campaign 2000 Calls for an Ontario Action Plan to Address Child Poverty
News alert
March 2, 2006
"A new report by Ontario Campaign 2000 finds that 443,000 children in Ontario are living in poverty and the child poverty rate is stalled at 16%, despite strong economic growth."

Complete report:

Putting Children First:
2005 Report Card on Child Poverty in Ontario (PDF file - 346K, 8 pages)

Version française:
Les enfants d’abord : Rapport 2005 sur la pauvreté des enfants en Ontario (fichier PDF - 278Ko., 8 pages)
Le 2 mars 2006

Source:
Campaign 2000
Campagne 2000 (version française du site)

Poverty hits one in six kids in Ontario
Study blames increase in part-time, contract work
Report urges hike in minimum wage, quality child care
March 2, 2006
One in six children in Ontario lives in poverty, a study being released today found. That's 443,000 people under 18 across the province.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Google Web Search Results : "2005 Report Card on Child Poverty in Ontario"
Google News search Results : "2005 Report Card on Child Poverty in Ontario"
Source:
Google.ca

Reducing Child Poverty to Increase Productivity: A Human Capital Strategy
Brief to the Standing Committee on Finance (PDF file - 89K, 8 pages)
Pre-Budget Consultation
September, 2005
By Laurel Rothman
National Coordinator, Campaign 2000
"The fact that 15% of our youngest citizens are growing up in poverty does not bode well for Canada’s future productivity performance, which is the focus of the 2005 Pre-Budget Consultations. Broad based investment in our human capital is essential for a productivity agenda. "Canada’s Fiscal Outlook projects surpluses of almost $30 billion over the next five years. With consecutive multi-billion dollar budget surpluses, Canada has the resources to make substantial progress. We call on the federal government to commit a portion of these surpluses to invest in children, as they have committed portions for healthcare and equalization payments."

Submission to the Federal Labour Standards Review - Excerpts
September 26, 2005
Campaign 2000
"Campaign 2000 maintains that federal labour standards should be modernized to reflect leading standards and 'best practices'in other advanced economies. They need to be updated to reflect changes in the labour market and workforce over the past 40 years, with a particular emphasis on ensuring protection for vulnerable workers."

Complete brief:

Submission to the Federal Labour Standards Review Commission
Re: Part III of the Canada Labour Code (PDF file - 57K, 7 pages)
August 15, 2005
From: Laurel Rothman, National Coordinator

Related Link:

Federal Labour Standards Review Commission

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

Editorial: Renew pledge on child poverty
May 10, 2004
"(...)Nearly half a century ago this nation decided that none of its citizens should have to forgo needed health care just because his or her family didn't have enough money to pay for it. So how can it be that we still expose more than 1 million children to the risks of poor health and lost opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment just because they were born into families that happened to be poor? Because they couldn't answer that question in 1989, MPs promised to make every effort to rid the country of child poverty by 2000. And because they still cannot answer that question, they need to renew their pledge, and this time to follow through on it."
Source:
The Toronto Star
NOTE: this article is about the Campaign 2000 report Pathways to Progress (see the next link below)

Low wages condemn families to poverty
News Alert
May 5, 2004

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

Pathways to progress:
Structural solutions to address child poverty
By Christa Freiler, Laurel Rothman and Pedro Barata
May 2004
Executive Summary [PDF -14pp 95KB]
Full paper [PDF - 82pp 360KB]

Version française:
Les voies du progrès : solutions structurelles pour s'attaquer à la pauvreté infantile
Résumé [16pp 105KB]
Rapport [83pp 390KB]

"Child poverty remains firmly entrenched in Canada. Pathways to Progress: Structural Solutions to Address Child Poverty challenges governments to work together on a social investment strategy that will forge pathways out of poverty for one million children today, and will secure pathways to the future for generations to come."

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

Jobs alone not a pathway out of poverty, study shows
News Alert
November 23, 2003
"More than half of all children living in poverty have parents who are in the paid labour force, says a report released today by Campaign 2000."

Complete report:

Honouring Our Promises
Meeting the Challenge to End Child and Family Poverty
2003 Report Card on Child Poverty in Canada (PDF file - 183K, 12 pages)
"Fourteen years ago, the House of Commons unanimously resolved to "seek to achieve the goal of eliminating poverty among Canadian children by the year 2000". Despite consecutive years of economic growth more than one million children, or almost one child in six, still live in poverty in Canada."
[ version française - format PDF - 190Ko., 12 pages]

Earlier Campaign 2000 child poverty reports - links to 2002 child poverty report, A Report on a Decade of Child and Family Poverty in Canada (May 2002), The UNSSC: Putting Promises Into Action, Family Security in Insecure Times: Tackling Canada's Social Deficit (November 2001)

Provincial child poverty report cards : incl. British Columbia - Manitoba - Nova Scotia - Ontario - Saskatchewan

............................................

Diversity or Disparity?
Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada (ECEC)
Second Report, Community Indicators Project
October 2003

For the first time, the number of child care spaces declines in Canada
News Alert
October 28, 2003
Release of Diversity or Disparity? Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada (ECEC), Second Report, Community Indicators Project
"...cuts to child care budgets in the three richest provinces - British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario - resulted in an overall loss of spaces"

Media Kit: contains media release, Q&A. (PDF file - 178K, 3 pages)
Full Report - HTML (NOTE: the table of contents is in the left-hand margin of the report page)
Full Report - PDF - 288K, 16 pages

Related Links:

About the Community Indicators project
Project reports - links to HTML and PDF versions of this year's report and last year's (released in October 2002), as well as French versions of reports for both years.

............................................

Poverty Amidst Prosperity - Building a Canada for All Children
Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Canada, November 2002
Campaign 2000
"For the first time in a decade the number of children living in low-income families has dropped from one in five, to one in six, says a new report released by Campaign 2000. The change follows four consecutive years of falling child poverty rates. But that figure is still higher than in 1989, when one in seven children were poor, prompting the House of Commons to pass a unanimous resolution to eliminate child poverty."
News Alert - November 21, 2002
Complete report online (HTML)
[NOTE: If you're using Netscape 4.7, the "HTML" link above may not work - use Opera or Internet Explorer, or else download the pdf version of the report]
Complete report (PDF file - 107K, 4 pages)
Version française:
La pauvreté en période de prospérité – bâtir un Canada pour tous les enfants (fichier PDF - 11Ko., 4 pages)
Source:
Campaign 2000

Campaign 2000 Media Conference: Failing Grades for Canadian Child Care
October 24, 2002
"Whatever the indicator - availability of spaces, affordable fees for parents, helping low income families or meeting quality standards Canadian child care services receive a failing grade, says a new study sponsored by Campaign 2000."
Early Childhood and Care Community Indicators Project - description of the initiative
Project reports

Back Up Child Poverty Promises with Real Money, PM Urged
News Alert
October 1, 2002
"The real test of the government's commitment to fight child poverty will be in the investment priorities of the next budget, said child poverty advocates following the Speech from the Throne."
[For other links to analysis of the federal government's Speech from the Throne (Sept. 30/02), go to the Canadian Social Research Links General Federal Government Links page]

Campaign 2000 UN Special Session on Children website
The UN Special Session on Children: A Promise to Act
- incl. links to : Introduction - Resolution - Letter to the PM - 6 steps you can take - Status report - Related links - Contacts

End Child/Family Poverty: Meeting with Your MP National Campaign
July 17, 2002
"Campaign 2000 is currently engaged in an intensive all-party national awareness campaign to ensure that child and family poverty becomes a key component of the upcoming federal budget."

Putting Promises Into Action : A Report on a Decade of Child and Family Poverty in Canada, May 2002 (PDF file - 297K, 16 pages)
May 2002
[version française]
"A comprehensive plan of social investments for children will promote an inclusive society and contribute to an enriched economic and social environment. These investments are essential to providing Canada's, and the world's children, with the best start and an equal opportunity to succeed."

Note: on the Campaign 2000 Home page, you'll also find these two related links:
- Canada's PM develops stage fright for UN Children’s Session (April 30)
- Letter to Prime Minister Chretien on the occasion of the UN Special Session on Children (April 16)

Family Security in Insecure Times: Tackling Canada's Social Deficit
Almost one in five children still lives in poverty in Canada -an increase of 39%since 1989
November 2001 Bulletin
Press Release
Complete Report (PDF file - 4 pages, 666KB]
Related Press Releases

Child Poverty - A National Disgrace
November Initiative 2001
On November 26th Campaign 2000 opened a photo exhibit at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and in nine other locations.
Photo Exhibit Online

Get on with the job of a National Children's Agenda, groups urge Premiers
Press Release
July 27, 2001
Toronto - Today a national coalition exhorted Canada's Premiers to make children a top priority by taking action to eradicate Canada's persistent levels of child poverty. Campaign 2000, a national coalition of over 85 groups, released a detailed open letter in anticipation of next week's annual Premiers' Conference
Open Letter (HTML).
Open Letter (PDF file - 77K, 7 pages)Also from Campaign 2000:
The Relationship Between Reliable Child Care and Lone Mothers' Attachment to the Labour Force: Mothers' Voices and the Public Policy Perspective
Campaign 2000 public forum on child care
June 2001- incl. links to almost a dozen reports and presentations, such as:
The Early Childhood Development Initiative: A Vision for Early Childhood Development Services in Ontario - April 2001(PDF file - 229K, 10 pages)
Stacking the Deck: The Relationship between Reliable Child Care and Lone Mothers' Attachment to the Labour Force - May 2001(PDF file - 1,182K, 20 pages)

Campaign 2000 continues: Keep the promise to eliminate child and family poverty in Canada
June 5, 2001

Stacking the Deck: The Relationship between Reliable Child Care and Lone Mothers' Attachment to the Labour Force
PDF file - 1,182K, 20pp
Summary Report from the Interviews, May 2001

The Early Childhood Development Initiative: A Vision for Early Childhood Development Services in Ontario
Ontario Campaign 2000 Consultation Paper
PDF file - 10pages, 229KB
April 9, 2001
Developed in consultation with representatives from: Campaign 2000, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, Ontario Association of Family Resource Programs, Toronto Public Health, Metro Association of Family Resource Programs and Toronto Coalition for Better Child Care.

Campaign Against Child Poverty
Campagne contre la pauvreté des enfants
"The Campaign Against Child Poverty is a national, non-partisan coalition of citizens from faith-groups, social justice groups, charities, child welfare organizations and others concerned about the unacceptably high levels of child and family poverty in Canada. We are also concerned about the hazards to the future educational, social, physical, developmental and employment success of those children presently living in poor families. (...) We are affiliated with no political party, and our only special interest is to reduce the numbers of poor children in Canada. We are funded by private citizens across Canada, by foundations, faith communities and NGO's, all of whom share our vision of a poverty-free country."
- incl. links to : Who we are - What we do - Why we do it - Public education messages - Links to sponsors

Maybe it’s time we had a commission investigating child poverty...
April 23, 2005
The Campaign Against Child Poverty ran this full-page ad in the Toronto Star on April 23. It talks about the 15% of our children - more than 1,000,000 kids – who live below the poverty line, about how, more than 15 years ago, Canadian Parliament voted unanimously to end child poverty, and how Europe and Scandinavia have proven conclusively that child poverty rates can be dramatically reduced with no risk to national economies. It talks about the need for a national early childhood education and care plan, affordable housing, a livable minimum wage, and support for the National Child Tax Benefit.
Source:
Campaign Against Child Poverty

Canada Without Poverty

From Rob Rainer,
Executive Director of
Canada Without Poverty:
November 24, 2009

We are pleased to report some good news in the journey to more effectively combat poverty in Canada.
Today, the House of Commons passed the following motion as agreed to by the
House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and
Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities ("HUMA"):

"That, with November 24th, 2009 marking the 20th anniversary of the 1989 unanimous resolution of this House to eliminate poverty among Canadian children by the year 2000, and not having achieved that goal, be it resolved that the Government of Canada, taking into consideration the Committee’s work in this regard, and respecting provincial and territorial jurisdiction, develop an immediate plan to eliminate poverty in Canada for all."
Source:
Report 6 - Poverty Reduction in Canada
Adopted by the Committee on November 17, 2009;
Presented to the House on November 20, 2009;
Concurred in by the House on November 24, 2009.

---

With the motion now passed, there is Parliament’s commitment to a federal plan for the elimination of poverty. This is a major step towards accomplishing the first of the three goals of Dignity for All: The Campaign for a Poverty-free Canada. The challenge now is for parliamentarians and civil society – including those with the lived experience of poverty – to work together even more closely to determine the substance and timely delivery as well as the accountability mechanisms of the plan. And, to root the entire effort within a framework of Canada’s commitment to economic and social rights (food, housing, adequate standard of living etc.) such as enshrined within international human rights law to which Canada is signatory.

Today’s welcome motion came about thanks to the leading efforts of Laurel Rothman and her team at Campaign 2000, working with certain members of the HUMA Committee and other civil society groups. Kudos to Campaign 2000 and to the members of the HUMA Committee for today’s result!

Related links:

Promises to end child poverty easier than progress
November 24, 2009
By Laurie Monsebraaten
Erica Vergara was born into a struggling immigrant family three months after federal MPs unanimously resolved to end child poverty by 2000. Today, on the 20th anniversary of that pledge, Vergara, 19, and her 3-year-old daughter Alizah, are the face of federal failure. They are among some 637,000 children – or almost one in 10 Canadian kids – living in poverty. That's down slightly from 11.9 per cent, or 792,000 children who were poor in 1989, says Campaign 2000, a national coalition that has been tracking the lack of progress on the federal promise for years. (...) National programs for child care, affordable housing and employment equity to help level the playing field for immigrants and people of colour who experience high rates of child poverty would make a huge difference for Vergara and other poor families raising children, says Campaign 2000's report. But ultimately, Canada needs a broader poverty reduction strategy.
Source:
Parent Central
[ Toronto Star ]

---

20th anniversary of Canada's broken promise to end child poverty
By Lynne Melcombe
November 24, 2009
Across Canada, individuals and groups are marking today as the 20-year anniversary of a unanimous vote in the House of Commons to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000.
Source:
DigitalJournal.com

Source:
Campaign 2000
Campaign 2000 is a cross-Canada public education movement to build Canadian awareness and support for the 1989 all-party House of Commons resolution to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. Campaign 2000 began in 1991 out of concern about the lack of government progress in addressing child poverty. Campaign 2000 is non-partisan in urging all Canadian elected officials to keep their promise to Canada's children.

---

20th Year Since Parliament’s Pledge to Eradicate Child Poverty by 2000
October 19, 2009
November 24, 2009 marks the 20th year since Parliament’s pledge in 1989 to eliminate child poverty in Canada by 2000. Instead, in 2000 18.1% of children and youth (under 18) lived in low income. While this rate of child and youth poverty fell steeply to 11.9% by 2007 (latest year of data available, using the Market Basket Measure of low income), it is nonetheless shockingly high and completely unacceptable – particularly given Canada’s status as one of the world’s wealthiest nations. Indeed, in September 2009, even the Conference Board of Canada could only give Canada a “C” grade for its progress in child poverty.
Source:
Canada Without Poverty

- Go to the Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm

CanChild
"CanChild is a centre for childhood disability research that seeks to maximize the life quality of children and youth with disabilities and their families. CanChild is comprised of a multi-disciplinary team working in the field of childhood disability. The aims of this research centre are to:
• take a leadership role in identifying emerging issues for research, practice, policy and education
• conduct high-quality research
• effectively transfer knowledge into practice at clinical and health system levels
• provide education for consumers, service providers, policy makers and students"
- incl. links to: What's New - Our Research - Online Publications - List of Articles & Books - Measures & Multimedia - Browse by Theme - External Links - Order Form - Contact Us
Source:
McMaster University Faculty of Health Science

Canadian Association for Young Children

Offord Centre for Child Studies (formerly the Canadian Centre for Studies of Children at Risk)
- The mission of the Canadian Centre for Studies of Children at Risk is to improve life quality of children in Canada by reducing the suffering and disadvantage associated with children's emotional and behavioural problems.

Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children - " ...for the promotion and protection of children's rights in Canada and abroad"
"The mandate of the Coalition is to ensure a collective voice for Canadian organizations and youth concerned with the rights of children as described in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the World Summit for Children Declaration. Formed in 1989 after the unanimous adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the United Nations General Assembly, the Coalition has grown to include over 50 national and provincial non-government organizations (NGOs) committed to promoting and protecting the rights of children in Canada and abroad."
- incl. links to : More About the Coalition - Our members, and links to their sites - UN Special Session on Children - How Does Canada Measure Up? Say it Right - Quiz

Canadian Council on Social Development

Sample reports:

New report says NAFTA ignores economic well-being of our kids ( PDF - 74K, 2 pages)
Media Release
September 17, 2008

The Economic Well-being of Children
in Canada, the United States and Mexico (PDF - 1.2MB, 59 pages)
- examines a range of different measures to determine the economic security of children living in Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Source:
Growing Up in North America series

Related links:

Children in North America Project website
The Children in North America Project aims to highlight the conditions and well-being of children and youth in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Through a series of indicator reports, the project hopes to build a better understanding of how our children are faring and the opportunities and challenges they face looking to the future.

Partners in the project:

Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation (U.S.)
Population Reference Bureau (U.S.)
Red por los Derechos de la Infancia (Mexico)

Child Health and Safety
June 4, 2007
In conjunction with our partners in Mexico and the United States, the Canadian Council on Social Development has released Child Health and Safety, a new report in the Children in North America series. It provides indicator data on the physical, mental and environmental health of children.
- incl. links to Growing Up in North America (May 2006) and other related material

Complete report:
* Child Health and Safety in Canada, the United States and Mexico
(PDF file - 1 MB, 64 pages)

* Executive summary: Child Health and Safety in Canada, the United States and Mexico
(PDF format, 241 kb)

Français:
* Le bien-être des enfants au Canada, aux États-Unis et au Mexique (format PDF, 1 Mo)
* Sommaire executif: Le bien-être des enfants au Canada, aux États-Unis et au Mexique (format PDF, 244 kb)

Related Links:

Children in North America Project website
The Children in North America Project aims to highlight the conditions and well-being of children and youth in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Through a series of indicator reports, the project hopes to build a better understanding of how our children are faring and the opportunities and challenges they face looking to the future.

Partners in the project:

Canadian Council on Social Development
The Annie E. Casey Foundation (U.S.)
Population Reference Bureau (U.S.)
Red por los Derechos de la Infancia (Mexico)

First-of-its-Kind Report Examines Child Well-Being in Canada, United States and Mexico:
Economic and Social Integration Have Profound Effect On 120 Million Children in North America (PDF file - 36K, 2 pages)
Press Release - May 2, 2006
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report that examines the state of child well-being in North America – Growing Up in North America: Child Well-Being in Canada, the United States & Mexico – reveals that gains in human development across the continent have not kept pace with the last decade’s dramatic advances in technology, trade, and investment. In this first-of-its-kind report issued today, the three project partners – the Canadian Council on Social Development, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en México – call for attention to child well-being against a backdrop of economic and social change in North America.

Growing Up in North America:
Child Well-being in Canada, the United States and Mexico
May 2006
- includes links to:
* Complete report (PDF file - 1MB, 50 pages)
* Executive Summary (PDF file - 92K, 2 pages)
* Fact Sheet (PDF file - 35K, 2 pages)
* Press Release: Economic and Social Integration Have Profound Effect On 120 Million Children in North America (see above)
* From canada.com (May 1): Well-being of children may be overlooked as Canada, U.S., Mexico grow closer
* CCSD Op Ed [March 2006]: Message to Harper, Bush and Fox: Shortsighted to ignore 120 million kids
* Grandir en Amérique du Nord [French] (PDF file - 1.2MB., 56 pages)
* Creciendo en América del Norte [Spanish] (PDF)
* Children in North America Project website

Project partners:

Annie E. Casey Foundation
Since 1948, the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) has worked to build better futures for disadvantaged children and their families in the United States. The primary mission of the Foundation is to foster public policies, human service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today's vulnerable children and families.

Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en México (site available only in Spanish)

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

Some families losing ground
in effort to provide stable family incomes
Media Release
April 26, 2006
OTTAWA – One-third of Canadian children living in poverty have a parent who works at a full-time job, according to a new report by the Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD). The Progress of Canada's Children and Youth 2006 also shows that this situation is deteriorating. In 1993, one-quarter of poor children had a parent who worked full time. "Family income is recognized as one of the keys to healthy child development," says Dr. Peter Bleyer, CCSD President. "Yet job security eludes many Canadian parents, and that has an enormous impact on what their kids eat, how they learn, and where they play." Temporary, part-time, contract, and seasonal employment now make up 37% of Canadian jobs, compared to 25% in the mid-1970s. The CCSD report also shows that investing in children through government transfers brought the child poverty rate down from 27% to 18% in 2003.

Complete report:

The Progress of Canada's Children & Youth
HTML version
- incl. links to : Portrait - Family Life - Economic Security - Physical Safety - Community Resources - Civic Vitality - Health Status - Social Engagement - Learning - Labour Force Profile of Youth - Data Sources - Web-Only Supplementary Data - Tools - Contact Us - Français
PDF version (2.5MB, 84 pages)
Tools - links to individual PDF files for each chapter of the report, plus fact sheets, press release, etc.

Source:
Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD)

Child Care for a Change!Shaping the 21st Century
Childcare & Early Learning Conference
November 12-14, 2004
Winnipeg Convention Centre

"The Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD) is the host of the conference “Child Care For A Change! Shaping the 21st Century." The conference will take place at the Winnipeg Convention Centre, in Winnipeg, from November 12th to 14th, 2004. This exciting pan-Canadian conference will feature inspiring speakers such as UN Special Envoy Stephen Lewis and Quebec Education Critic Pauline Marois. It will provide ample time for a rich dialogue and debate during sessions like the special Town Hall Meeting on Child Care. It is expected that the ideas generated from the conference will influence public policy and public perception about early learning and child care and help set the agenda for the next decade."
General Info - Program (incl. list of 15 workshops)- Speakers - Papers - Registration - Accommodation

 

The Progress of Canada's Children 2002 November 4, 2002 - incl. links to : Communiqué - Highlights - Backgrounder - Ontario Backgrounder - Speaking Notes The Progress of Canada's Children 2001 Canadian Council on Social Development March 27, 2001 Communiqué Backgrounder Highlights Section 1: Table of Contents, Intro, Highlights (Acrobat Reader required) We need to build on the National Children's Agenda and take it beyond early childhood development, to create a national, coherent approach to providing supports for children of all age groups.

National Child Day is here – but will children with special needs be celebrating?
Communiqué
November 20, 2001
Ottawa – The Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD) today marked National Child Day with the release of a report highlighting the difficulties and barriers facing children with special needs – problems which should be diminishing, given the Prime Minister’s public commitment to Canada’s children in the last Speech from the Throne, but which in fact remain daunting.
Executive Summary
Full Report Online (PDF file - 281K, 56 pages)

The Incidence and Depth of Child Poverty in Recession and Recovery: Some Preliminary Lessons on Child Benefits
Background Notes for a Presentation to the House of Commons Subcommittee on Children and Youth at Risk
June 6, 2001
Andrew Jackson
"While the NCB itself appears to be working as intended, higher provincial social assistance benefits are clearly needed to reduce the depth of child poverty."

Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance, detailing our priorities for the 2000 federal budget
October 26, 1999
- "To lay the conditions for future social cohesion and sustainable economic prosperity shared by all, the CCSD is calling for a Children's Budget focused on the critical needs of Canadian children, youth and families"
- incl. "Reinvesting in the Social Infrastructure" - improvements to the NCA and NCB, for example...
"The CCSD also recommends that the government index the child benefit system to inflation (at an estimated cost of $200 million per year) and ensure that benefits flow to all poor children, including those living in families that rely on social assistance."

Income and Child Well-being: A new perspective on the poverty debate
by David P. Ross and Paul Roberts
May 1999

Rethinking Child Poverty - David Ross,summer 1999

Child Poverty in Canada: Recasting the Issue - David Ross, Toronto April 1998
"According to the Fraser [Institute] analysis, child poverty is really only a problem among those who live in families where incomes are so low that the parents cannot even afford adequate food and shelter (...) let me remind them that Canada is not a Third World country."

Canadian Child Care Federation
"The overall mission of the Canadian Child Care Federation is to improve the quality of child care services for Canadian families."
- incl. links to : Affiliates -About Us - Membership - Networks - Press Room - Projects - Publications - Search - Links

Links to Affiliates - links to the websites of 14 affiliates of the CCF

Canadian Children's Rights Council
"The Canadian Children's Rights Council was formed in the early 1990's to monitor compliance of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in Canada. (...) We are a non-profit, non governmental educational and advocacy organization dedicated to supporting the rights and responsibilities of Canadian children. (...) We are a member of the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN), an international, world-wide organization which is comprised of over 2000 member children's rights organizations."
- highly recommended site - tons of content!
- covers many aspects of children's rights, including child poverty, child and youth justice, children's identity rights, child protection, parental alienation syndrome and much more...
- large section devoted to education about the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child + analysis of the Government of Canada's actions and reports to the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Canadian Children's Rights Council Links
- 200+ links in the following areas:
* United Nations * Human Rights Commissions in Canada * Human Rights Commissions in countries other than Canada * Child Genital Mutilation * Child Abuse * The Child Rights Information Network (CRIN ) * Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) * Youth Suicide * Children's Identity Rights / Children's Identity Fraud / Paternity Fraud * Child Poverty * ADHD - Ritlan * National Child Day * Canadian Family Law / Parent support Groups * Canadian University Human Rights Related Sites * International Children's Rights Links * Non-Canadian University / College Human Rights Related Sites * Canadian University Law Schools * Other Links of Interest

Table of Contents - large collection of online resources, mostly news articles

Canadian Education on the Web - Everything from soup to nuts about education in Canada, including: Boards of Education, Canada-Wide Organizations, Commercial Education Sites, Community Colleges, including Cégeps in Quebec Databases, Clearinghouses and Directories, Distance Education, Education Journals,Education Libraries, Educational Networks, Educators and Education Resources, Elementary and Secondary Schools, Faculties of Education, Independent Institutions, Jobs in Education, Ministries of Education, Private School Organizations, Provincial Organizations, School Board Organizations, Student Newspapers, Student Organizations, Teachers' Organizations, Universities and Colleges, and Other Canadian Education Internet Lists.

Canadian Foster Parent Home Page

Canadian Health Network

Canadian Policy Research Networks - CPRN
Réseaux canadiens de recherche en politiques publiques - RCRPP
"We are one of Canada's leading think-tanks, specializing in social and economic policy research and public engagement. We are a private, non-partisan, non-profit organization. Our mission is to help make Canada a more just, prosperous and caring society."

Research Themes
18 themes in all (only the main themes dealing with kids appear below),incl. links to the following content for each theme: Sub-Themes - Publications - Partners - Events - Links
Research themes focusing on families and children:
Cities and Communities
Citizenship and Diversity
Governance and Social Policy
Kids Canada Policy Digest [coming soon!]
Social Cohesion Nexus Family Network
The Best Policy Mix for Canadians Family Network
Urban Nexus Family Network

Publications : Links to 300+ CPRNreports

Newsroom
- incl. links to News Releases - CPRN in the News - e-network - NetworkNews - Policy Direct

Site Map --- links to all major pages in the website; good way to get around...

Canadian Symposium For Parental Alienation Syndrome
March 27-29, 2009
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto
The Canadian Symposium For Parental Alienation Syndrome (CS - PAS), is an educational conference for Canadian and international mental health professionals, family law attorneys and other professionals dedicated to the prevention and treatment of Parental Alienation and Parental Alienation Syndrome.

- incl. links to : * About CS-PAS * Registration * Even and Hotel Information * Speaker Profiles * Directory of Endorsed Vendors * Referral Services (Attorney / Mental Health / Mediator) * Continuing Education Credits * Sponsorship Affiliation * Contact

Promotional Video Clip of the
Parental Alienation Syndrome Conference

Parental alienation syndrome
"...a disturbance in which children are obsessively preoccupied with deprecation and/or criticism of a parent. In other words, denigration that is unjustified and or exaggerated."
Source:
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

COMMENT:
When the link to the above event was first suggested to me, I felt that the theme of the symposium was somewhat distant from the focus of my site, and I considered passing up the opportunity to promote the event. However, the request to link to that event made me think back to how my own marital split in the early 1980s was largely unacrimonious and unalienating, and how I've always thought that my/our child from that marriage is a better person for it. According to the organizer of this event, "...hundreds of thousands of children in Canada suffer from this form of child abuse." If this symposium can help reduce those numbers, I'm pleased to be able to help spread the word about the event. [Gilles]

Canadian Union of Public Employees

From patchwork to excellence in child care
November 2, 2004
"OTTAWA – Canada will go from patchwork to excellence if all levels of government work together to create the public, not-for-profit child care system that Canadians deserve and need, said Paul Moist, CUPE national president. Moist made the remarks as he joined with child care workers, parents and children to greet Minister Dryden Tuesday morning as Dryden began his day-long meeting with provincial social development ministers to discuss the child care program."
- incl. links to the following related articles:
* Wages for child care workers: the link with quality
* URGENT: Tell Ken Dryden to make child care history
* CUPE’s analysis of the federal speech from the throne
* CUPE blasts throne speech as blueprint for weak federalism
* Rapid response wins reprieve for BC college child care centre

For more on the current (late 2004) round of federal-provincial-territorial negotiations concerning child care,
go to the Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd.htm

CanLearn Interactive
"Welcome to CanLearn Interactive, the one-stop online source for information on post-secondary education in Canada. Whether you're a student, a teacher, a counsellor, or a parent, CanLearn Interactive has everything you need to help plan and finance education and learning. You will find information about Canadian universities and colleges, scholarships, and much more. CanLearn Interactive also includes the National Student Loans Service Centre, where you will find all the information you need to apply for, maintain and repay your student loans."

Centre for Families, Work & Well-Being
The Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being at the University of Guelph conducts research and outreach to workplaces on work-family conflict, workplace policies, and community supports. The Centre website includes a large selection of resources and links related to work and family.

Father Involvement Research Alliance (FIRA)
FIRA is a pan-Canadian alliance of individuals, organizations and institutions dedicated to the development and sharing of knowledge focusing on father involvement, and the building of a community-university research alliance supporting this work.
- incl. links to the following Research Clusters:
* Immigrant Fathers * Gay/Bi/Queer Fathers * Separated and Divorced Fathers * New Fathers * Indigenous Fathers * Young Fathers * Fathers of Children with Special Needs

FIRA online resources - papers, books, articles, reports, and
and excellent collection of links to parenting resources and father resources.

Inventory of Policies and
Policy Areas Influencing Father Involvement (PDF file - 2.4MB, 160 pages)
By Donna S. Lero, Lynda M. Ashbourne and Denise L. Whitehead
May 2006
The purpose of this inventory is "to begin to identify the various ways current policies and institutional practices may affect fathers in diverse subpopulations and social circumstances across Canada, and to encourage discussion, analysis and debate about how policies and practices might better serve to support fathers."

Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa

Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
"The Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC) arose from the second Canadian conference on Child Care held in Winnipeg in 1982. Over 700 delegates from all Provinces and Territories called for an effective voice to pursue child care issues at the federal level and to promote a broad consensus of support within all regions of Canada. We are an incorporated, non-profit, bilingual Association."

Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU)
"The Childcare Resource and Research Unit focuses on early childhood care and education research and policy.  Its mandate is to advance the idea of a publicly-funded, universally accessible, comprehensive, high quality, not-for-profit system of early childhood care and education in Canada."

[NOTE: The Childcare Resource and Research Unit left
the University of Toronto in spring 2007, and is now incorporated as a non-profit organization.]

Current developments in Early Childhood Education and Care: Provinces and territories
Regularly updated
"This resource is a collection of useful online readings about current early childhood education and care policy and program delivery issues in each province and territory. Within each jurisdiction, information is organized into three sections: news articles, online documents and useful websites."

Also from CRRU:

What's New? - Links to 100+ Canadian, U.S. and international resources from Jan 2000 to the present.
Child Care in the News - 200+ media articles from January 2000 to the present
ISSUE files - links to 20+ theme pages, each filled with contextual information and links to further info
Links to child care sites in Canada and elsewhere
CRRU Publications - links to ~60 briefing notes, factsheets, occasional papers and other publications

IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY...MARCH 8, 1986
by Martha Friendly
Childcare Resource and Research Unit
March 2006
International Women’s Day 2006 is the twentieth anniversary of the Report of the federal government’s first and only Task Force on Child Care. The key recommendation of the "Katie Cooke Task Force" was a universal system of child care – co-funded by federal and provincial governments. It would have affordable parent fees, would be designed and managed by the provinces under national standards and would be built through a gradual increase in the supply of regulated child care until the year 2001 when it would serve all children and families. The cost at that time, the Task Force calculated, would be $11.3 billion.

Source:
Childcare Resource and Research Unit

Also from Martha Friendly:

Child Care and Canadian Federalism in the 1990s:
Canary in a Coal Mine (PDF file - 275K, 49 pages)
Martha Friendly
Childcare Resource and Research Unit
August 2000

Related Links:

Indepth: Day care in Canada
Source:
CBC

Un Québec fou de ses garderies - [français]
Source:
Archives Radio-Canada

Early learning and child care: Getting the next steps right:
Brief to the Standing Committee on Finance
By Martha Friendly
Published 18 Nov 04
Posted Online December 21
"Based on the history and condition of Canadian ELCC, the commitment to develop a universal system of high quality ELCC by the Liberal government, the high expectation that this time the promises on child care will be fulfilled, and the extensive knowledge about policy learned from work such as the OECD Review, three recommendations about financing ELCC beginning in the 2005 federal budget follow. These financing recommendations propose ways to help ensure that the next steps toward a universal national system of high quality early learning and child care will be the right steps."
Complete Brief (PDF file - 188K, 7 pages)
Source:
Childcare Resource and Research Unit

Selected links to CRRU site content - part of the Canadian Social Research Links Early Learning and Child Care NGO Links page.

Child Welfare League of Canada (CWLC)
"The CWLC advocates for public policies, legislation and funding, to achieve a supportive, respectful, effective, coordinated, rational and accountable system of support for children and families. To achieve this goal the CWLC works with other national, provincial, local and Aboriginal organizations to identify shared goals to ensure that the needs of vulnerable children and families are met. As well, the CWLC monitors Canadian public policy and legislative activities and proposes effective and accessible initiatives on behalf of all children and families."

Child Welfare League of Canada E-News service
The Child Welfare League of Canada e-newsletter is the CWLC's way of keeping in touch with you. In it, you will find articles of interest about child protection, child rights, child and youth mental health, youth justice, along with sections on upcoming conferences and events, recent publications in your area of interest, job postings and announcements.

Selected content from the latest e-newsletter (January 2008):

Addressing the Falling Fortunes of Young Children and their Families: A community building approach - Published by Campaign 2000
This is a two-year national project (January 2006 - March 2008) which aims to identify strategies to improve the income and wages, including the living wage, of young families and their children.

Children as Change Agents: A review of child participation
in the periodic reporting on the Convention of the Rights of the Child (773K, 20 pages)
Published by Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) and World Vision Canada
This report examines "meaningful" and "ethical" children's participation but essentially, it means that children's participation must be guided by the general principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, namely: non-discrimination, the best interest of the child, the right to life, survival and development and respect for the child's views.
Access the full report here.

Children as Change Agents: Guidelines for child participation
in the periodic reporting on the Convention of the Rights of the Child (PDF file - 1.7MB, 76 pages)
[Summary + links to further resources]
Published by Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) and World Vision Canada
Report analyses alternative reports that have included children. The guidelines respond to the gap in information concerning children's involvement in the reporting process, and hope to promote and strengthen children's meaningful participation within this area.

Centre for Research on Children in the United States (CROCUS)
CROCUS at Georgetown University has worked on a variety of research projects relating to children and public policy. Faculty and students have also examined child traffic fatalities, juvenile justice, and the strategies of child advocacy groups, among other research projects.

When Youth Age Out of Care - Where to from there? (PDF file - 1.8MB, 62 pages)
By Deborah Rutman, Carol Hubberstey and April Feduniw
Based on a three-year longitudinal study and presents findings from 4 waves of interviews. Youth from this study were found to to have a lower level of education; be more likely to rely on income assistance as their main source of income; have a more fragile social support network; experience considerable transience and housing instability; and be parenting. In relation to criminal activities, youths' involvement with the criminal justice system declined over time. However, subsequent to leaving care, they continued to be victimized in various ways.

[ more reports on children leaving the child protection system ]
- click the link above, then scroll down the next page to "Promoting Positive Outcomes for Youth From Care"
- from the University of Victoria School of Social Work

Related link:

Youth Leaving Care – How Do They Fare?
Briefing Paper (PDF file - 242K, 31 pages)
September 2005
By Anne Tweddle
Source:
Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults ("MISWAA") - they produced the report
Laidlaw Foundation (they funded the report)

Subscribe to the Child Welfare League of Canada E-News service
NOTE: this is a link to the CWLC home page; the link to the email newsletter is near the bottom right-hand corner of that page
OR
Send an email message to info@cwlc.ca (CWLC Communications)
asking to be added to the list (service également disponible en français)

The Welfare of Canadian Children : It’s Our Business
A Collection of Resource Papers for a Healthy Future
for Canadian Children and Families (PDF file - 911K, 164 pages)
October 2007
In 2002, the Board of Directors of the Child Welfare League of Canada began a review of key child welfare issues in Canada in order to identify concerns and priorities that will inform actions required to ensure a healthy future for generations to come. The result is this collection of resource papers.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements
Background and Introduction
Chapter 1: History of Child Welfare in Canada
Chapter 2: Lexicon
Chapter 3: Key International Instruments and Federal/Provincial/Territorial Legislation on Children
Chapter 4: Child and Family Services in Canada by Jurisdiction
Chapter 5: History and Mandate of the Child Welfare League of Canada
Chapter 6: Child Welfare in Canada: Framework for Action
Chapter 7: Resource Papers (various authors)
--- Children in care in Canada: A summary of current issues and trends with recommendations for future research
--- Child Protection in Canada
--- Aboriginal.children,.families.and.communities
--- Youth homelessness: Facts and beliefs
--- Children’s Mental Health
Appendix A: A national perspective on children’s mental healt (7 papers)

Source:
Child Welfare League of Canada

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.

Children's Services Division (City of Toronto)
"Children's Services is designated as the City's 'child care service system manager' under provincial legislation and as such has responsibility for planning and managing a broad range of child care services. These child care services include fee subsidy, wage subsidy, family resource centres, special needs resourcing and summer day camps. In addition to its service management responsibilities for child care, the Children's Services Division also directly operates 58 child care sites."
- incl. links to : Children's Services - About us - Looking for child care - Applying for subsidy - Information for child care providers - Child Care Advisory Committee - Reports - Facts & figures - Calendar - Contact us - Child care finder (Maps and listings by city ward) - Facts & Figures (Statistics on child care and children in the city) - Services for children with special needs - Toronto Children's Agenda - City operated child care - Family resource programs - Toronto First Duty Project - Other resources for children and families

Toronto Report Card on Children
2003 Update (Volume 5)
January 2004
"This 5th edition of The Toronto Report Card on Children measures the health and well-being of children using a variety of social indicators. Changes in the condition of children over time are monitored to ensure that targets for improvement are developed and adequate resources are allocated to allow every child, regardless of their circumstance, to thrive and grow."

2003 Update - complete report
- incl. HTML and PDF versions of each section of the complete report : Introduction - Environment for children: setting the stage - Determinants and outcomes ( Economic security * Health * Safety * Access to developmental opportunities * Positive parenting) - Determinants and outcomes (Economic security *Health * Safety * Access to developmental opportunities * Positive parenting * Conclusion * Interactive Maps & Overlays

Previous volumes of the Toronto Report Card on Children (back to 1997)

Source:
Children's Services
[ Community and Neighbourhood Services ]
[ City of Toronto ]

Toronto Children and Youth Action Committee (CYAN)
CYAN News
- incl. the following (PDF files):
A New Deal for Child Care in Toronto : Child care in Toronto is in crisis!
Join the campaign to find a solution.
A brochure for every family in Toronto that values child care
Campaign background paper: Preserving Child Care in Toronto: The Case for New Ontario Government Funding
Action Plan for Children 2003 (Released in response to the 2002 Toronto Report Card on Children)
Source : City of Toronto

It's the Journey, not the destination
13th National Child and Youth Care Conference
Calgary
October 13, 14, & 15, 2004
Conference at a Glance
- table with active links to more complete descriptions of the program; Keynotes, Sessions and Tour Destinations all have active hyperlinks.
Conference Hosted by:
Child & Youth Care Association of Alberta
"An organization of child care professionals who have common interests, concerns and objectives in providing quality services to children and youth."

Conference Sponsored by :
Council of Canadian Child and Youth Care Associations

Related Link:
International Child and Youth Care Network

For more info on conferences, see the Canadian Social Research Links Conferences and Events Links page.

Daily Bread Food Bank

How much difference would the NCBS make for food bank families? (PDF file - 138K, 2 pages)
Research Bulletin #4 - A review of the impact of the "clawback" of the National Child Benefit Supplement is affecting children whose families are on social assistance.
August 31, 2004
"...it is possible to extrapolate that approximately 13,500 children in the Greater Toronto Area alone would no longer need to use a food bank if their families received the National Child Benefit Supplement."
Source:
Publications

Ed Broadbent, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre
"(...) In his final speech in Parliament, in December 1989, he moved a motion, unanimously adopted, which committed the government of Canada to end child poverty in the country by the year 2000."
- "Why I Am Running" : Statement by Ed Broadbent (December 18, 2003)
"(...) Today, while the real-life experiences of average and poor Canadians have suffered a setback, Paul Martin’s limited notion of “democratic deficit” is restricted to reform of Parliamentary committees and rules. The more serious deficit is found outside the House of Commons in the lives of ordinary people. Consider what has happened during the time when Paul Martin was Minister of Finance: Child poverty in Canada is now over one million – which is up, not down from 1989 when Paul Martin and other Liberals promised to abolish it.(...)"

Family Service Canada
"Family Service Canada is a not-for-profit, national voluntary organization representing the concerns of families and family serving agencies across Canada. Membership includes family service agencies, corporations, government agencies and interested individuals."
- incl. links to : Our Mission - Board of Directors - Our Team - Members' Directory - Resource Centre - Our Programs - Our Projects - Calendar of Events - Family Service's Awards - How to Contact Us - Key Projects (National Conference 2003 and National Family Week [both in October] - Families and Schools Together Canada) - Links - Sitemap

Father Involvement Research Alliance (FIRA)

First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada
"The purpose of the Caring Society is to promote the well being of all First Nations children, youth, families and communities with a particular focus on the prevention of, and response to, child maltreatment."
- incl. links to : About the FNCFCS (mission, mandate, org chart, strategic plan, board of directors) - Membership - Projects (First Nations Research Site, Voluntary Sector Initiative, Disabilities Research) - Publications (Databases, On-Line Journal, Fact Sheets, FNCFCS publications, recommended readings) - Resources (Agency List, Child Welfare Law, Links) - Event

Sample content from the FNCFCS website:

Canadian Human Rights complaint on First Nations child welfare filed today by
Assembly of First Nations and First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada
February 23, 2007
Today, the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada formally filed a complaint today with the Canadian Human Rights Commission regarding lack of funding for First Nations child welfare. “There are more than 27,000 First Nations children in state care. This is a national disgrace that requires the immediate and serious attention of all governments to resolve,” said National Chief Phil Fontaine. “Rational appeals to successive federal governments have been ignored. After years of research that confirm the growing numbers of our children in care, as well as the potential solutions to this crisis, we have no choice but to appeal to the Canadian Human Rights Commission.”
Source:
Assembly of First Nations (AFN)

Also from AFN:

First Nations Child and Family Services - Questions and Answers
February 2007

Leadership Action Plan On First Nations Child Welfare (PDF File - 1.5MB, 16 pages)
November 2006

Related link:

Cindy Blackstock Speaking Notes
Human Rights Complaint News Conference (PDF file - 107K, 6 pages)
February 23, 2007
Ottawa
Source:
First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada

Building a Future Together:
Issues and Outcomes for Transition-Aged Youth (PDF file - 1.2MB, 69 pages)
November 2006
By Carrie Reid and Peter Dudding
The Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare, along with the Child Welfare League of Canada and the National Youth in Care Network, are proud to announce the release of Building a Future Together: Issues and Outcomes for Transition-Aged Youth. This paper examines the complex issues facing youth as they transition out of state care and into adulthood. Eight areas are discussed: relationships, education, housing, life skills, identity, youth engagement, emotional healing and financial support. Also included is an examination of international practices in this area as well as the results of a survey of transition to adulthood programs and policies in each province and territory.

Related Links:

Centre of Excellence for Child welfare
Child Welfare League of Canada
National Youth in Care Network
World Forum 2006 - Future Directions in Child Care
November 19 – 22, 2006 (Vancouver, BC)

Wards of the Crown (PDF file - 841K, 2 pages)
Wards of the Crown is a new Canadian documentary following the lives of four youth as they leave government care.
About the Filmmaker - Andrée Cazabon

Jordan’s Principle Joint Declaration to Resolving
Jurisdictional Disputes Affecting Services to First Nations Children
"Jordan's Principle presents a child first policy to resolving inter and intra governmental jurisdictional disputes that arise around services for a Status Indian child which are otherwise available to other Canadian children. All provincial/territorial and federal governments are encouraged to endorse this cost neutral policy without delay. Jordan's Principle was unanimously endorsed by the Chiefs in Assembly of the Assembly of First Nations in December. For more information on Jordan’s Principle, please visit the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada’s website."

Related Link:

Call For Papers - First Peoples Child & Family Review
A Journal on Innovation and Best Practices in Aboriginal Child Welfare Administration, Research, Policy and Practice
- Go to the First Nations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/1stbkmrk.htm

Indigenous child welfare conference features Canadian, U.S., international perspectives
Child advocates, political leaders share common goal to build better foundation for child welfare system
October 24, 2005
"An unprecedented gathering of Canadian, U.S., and international child advocates and political leaders convenes in Niagara Falls on Oct. 26, to begin meaningful reform of Indigenous child welfare systems.
Reconciliation: Looking Back, Reaching Forward—Indigenous Peoples and Child Welfare is a three-day event, Oct. 26 to 28, at the White Oaks Conference Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario. “Our intention is to start a sustainable movement to reshape child welfare systems, which have disproportional numbers of Aboriginal children in both Canada and the U.S. We need to recognize the rights and abilities of Indigenous peoples to make the best decisions for Indigenous children,” said event organizer Cindy Blackstock, Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society.

Conference Link:

Reconciliation: Looking Back, Reaching Forward—Indigenous Peoples and Child Welfare conference
Niagara Falls, October 26 - 28, 2005
You'll find detailed information about the Niagara Falls conference under Initiatives on that page (see "Participants' Information")
--- and don't miss the excellent Resources section!

Source:
NEWS@UofT (University of Toronto)

Related Links (Sponsoring Organizations):

First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada
National Indian Child Welfare Association
Child Welfare League of America
Child Welfare League of Canada
Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare
Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations
Six Nations Council
First Nations Orphans Association

A Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography
on Aspects of Aboriginal Child Welfare in Canada (PDF file - 2.8MB, 254 pages)
Second Edition - 2005 (File dated June 2005)
By Marlyn Bennett, Cindy Blackstock and Richard De La Ronde
"This comprehensive and user friendly literature review and annotated bibliography has been prepared at the request of the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada as part of the research activities undertaken by the First Nations Research Site as noted in its 2002 Work Plan to the Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare. It was designed to incorporate research and articles from all disciplines relevant to Aboriginal children, youth and the well being of the Aboriginal family. This literature review includes many unpublished papers, program descriptions and reports produced by, or for, Aboriginal Child Welfare agencies, as well as resources from many provincial, state, and federal governments in Canada and the United States. In addition, this review includes a consideration of some of the research conducted and produced by Masters and Doctoral students within Canada in relation to matters that touch on child welfare and/or social related issues benefiting or impacting on all aspects and well-being of Aboriginal children, families and communities."
Source:
The First Nations Research Site of the Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare and
The First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada (FNCFCS)

Also from FNCFCS:

Fall 2005 Newsletter (PDF file - 1.9MB, 4 pages)
Second Edition of the First Peoples Child and Family Review - National Policy Review Phase Two Research Project Update - United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples: Promoting Indigenous Child Rights

Related Link:

Aboriginal Children’s Circle of Early Learning (ACCEL) "is a fully-functioning bilingual, web portal clearinghouse on Aboriginal early childhood development (ECD). You can consult the site to review, research and discuss best and promising practices; to exchange with a highly engaged network of Aboriginal ECD practitioners and researchers; and to keep in touch with the emerging needs of communities across Canada. (...) The ACCEL is being developed by and for Aboriginal communities in partnership by two national non-profit organizations –the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society (FNCFCS) and the Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF)."

- Go to the First Nations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/1stbkmrk.htm

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

First Peoples Child & Family Review
A Journal on Innovation and Best Practices in
Aboriginal Child Welfare Administration, Research, Policy and Practice
First Nations Research Site On-line Journal
Volume 1, Number 1, 2004
September 2004
"The First Peoples Child & Family Review is a new, online journal, published jointly by the First Nations Research Site, Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare, and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada. This e-journal focuses primarily on First Nations and Aboriginal child welfare practices, policies, and research. It is a journal that privileges the "voice and perspectives" of First Nations and Aboriginal child welfare scholars, researchers, practitioners, trainers, students, volunteers and community developers. The journal was developed by the First Nations Research Site, Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare and First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada, Inc. and will be published twice a year."

Journal Table of Contents - incl. links to each of the eight articles (individual PDF files) in this 110-page online journal
Sample content:
Foreword by Cindy Blackstock (PDF - 540K, 1 page)
Editorial by Marlyn Bennett (PDF - 600K, 3 pages)
[NOTE: the editorial includes a synopsis of each of the articles in the journal]

Related Link:

First Nations Research Site (FNRS) - includes links to more info about the First Nations Research Site and the work of FNRS
- FNRS Organizational Chart - shows the relationship of the FNRS with the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and the Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare (University of Toronto)

Foster Care Council of Canada
The Foster Care Council of Canada is a non-profit organization made up of people who have lived in foster care and their supporters. (...) The Council's mission is to involve current and former child-welfare service clients and their supporters in the process of improving the quality and accountability of child-welfare services through a strong and united voice.
- founded by John Dunn, former foster child (Crown Ward) of the Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto.
- includes links to :
* NEWS * About Us * Campaigns * Enforcement * Message Board * Resources * Contact Us

Foster Care News (blog)
The Foster Care Council of Canada, keeping you informed of child-welfare related matters in Canada including enforcement issues, legislative updates, public campaigns and more.

Message Board - discussion forum on a variety of issues related to child welfare

Related link:

Canada Court Watch Program - Family Justice Review Committee
A program of the National Association for Public and Private Accountability
"Protecting the public's interest in the administration of Justice"
Canada's only independent media source dedicated exclusively to news and information related to the Canadian Justice System and Canada's system of child protection

Personal note:
John and I had exchanged e-mails several years ago when he had a website in Charlottetown, and I was quite impressed with his passion for justice for kids who are victims of abuse while they're in the foster care system. John is a foster care survivor with sixteen years' experience in foster care, in a total of thirteen foster homes. He's in his thirties now, and currently living in Ottawa; he's the founder of the Foster Care Council of Canada. I had the good fortune to meet him at a social policy event taking place in Ottawa around 2003, and we spent some time chatting. It was a thrill for me to meet someone who is so passionate about the rights of abused children in foster care AND who's actually doing something about it.
John, you're an inspiration, and I wish you all the best in everything you do...

Institute for Research on Public Policy

Strengthening Canada's social and economic foundations:
Next steps for early childhood education and child care
by Martha Friendly, March 12, 2004.
"Compared with Western European countries, Canada is a laggard in terms of progress toward a system of universal, high quality early childhood education and child care (ECEC). Martha Friendly, one of Canada’s most ardent advocates of such a system, reviews Canada’s evolution in this domain and, most importantly, charts the way to creating a universal daycare program."

Complete paper (PDF file - 61K, 6 pages)

Source:
Policy Options - March 2004 Issue
[ Institute for Research on Public Policy ]

Related Link:
Child Care Resource and Research Unit

Also from the Policy Options March 2004 Issue:

* Family policy and preschool child care (by Gordon Cleveland) - (PDF file - 172K, 6 pages)
* Quebec's innovative early childhood education and care policy and its weaknesses (by Pierre Lefebvre) (PDF file - 12K, 6 pages)
* Conciliation travail-famille : quand les pays dits « libéraux » s'en mêlent (by Caroline Beauvais and Pascale Dufour) - (PDF file - 60Ko., 5 pages)
* more...

Back Issues of Policy Options (back to 1997, full text of hundreds of articles)

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IRPP Study: Child Tax Benefit Ineffective in Addressing Child Poverty
June 10, 2003
"An exhaustive examination of Canada’s family policy concludes that recent federal and provincial government initiatives are misguided and have not efficiently addressed the problems of child poverty. 'The Child Tax Benefit is a dead end'assert Pierre Lefebvre and Philip Merrigan in 'Assessing Family Policy in Canada: A New Deal for Families and Children,' released today by the Institute for Research on Public Policy."
News Release (small PDF file)
Summary (small PDF file)
Complete Study (PDF file - 395K, 100 pages)

Invest in Kids "The years before five last the rest of their lives"
"Invest in Kids is a national, charitable organization dedicated to ensuring the healthy social, emotional and intellectual development of children from birth to age five. Guided by a staff of experts in child development and parenting, our research, parent education and professional education initiatives are aimed at strengthening the parenting knowledge, skills and confidence of all those who touch the lives of Canada’s youngest children."

- Great resource site for parents raising young children and the professionals who work with them
- content in the parents' section is broken up into different children's age groups from zero to five years
- professional section includes links to : Who We Are - Research - Professional Education - Public Education - Polling the Pros - We Recommend - Store

Sample links:
Who We Are - links to the following : Our People - Research - Public Awareness and Education - Professional Education - Fundraising Events - Annual Report - Media Centre - Contact Us
We Recommend - links to the following info : Recommended websites, books for parents and for children, magazines, videos for parents and for children,TV Shows for parents and for children
This is a site with a lot of excellent content, well worth exploring - and you'll keep on finding new content...

International Bureau for Children's Rights
The International Bureau for Children's Rights was founded in Paris on 20 November, 1994, at the initiative of Judge Andrée Ruffo of the Quebec Juvenile Court (Canada). The Bureau's mission is to protect, defend and promote the rights and the welfare of all children in every corner of the globe.

Laidlaw Foundation (Toronto)
"The Laidlaw Foundation uses its human and financial resources in innovative ways to strengthen the environment for children, youth and families, to enhance opportunities for human development and creativity and to sustain healthy communities and ecosystems.

Building Inclusive Cities and Communities is the focus of the Children's Agenda Program of the Laidlaw Foundation. It follows a two-year process whereby the Foundation adopted social inclusion as a tool for evaluating and advancing social policy in support of children and families. The Foundation commissioned 12 working papers that have contributed to understanding social inclusion and pointed to the importance of cities and communities as places where inclusion and exclusion are first experienced by children and families."

The Laidlaw Foundation releases three new working papers on Social Inclusion:
Release
March 27, 2003
Poverty, Inequality and Social Inclusion - by Andrew Mitchell and Richard Shillington (PDF file - 1.4MB, 44 pages)
The Role of Recreation in Promoting Social Inclusion - by Peter Donnelly (PDF file - 1.3MB, 38 pages)
The Dynamics of Social Inclusion: Public Education and Aboriginal People in Canada - by Terry Wotherspoon (PDF file - 1.4MB, 42 pages)
- These papers and over a dozen more can be downloaded from the Laidlaw Foundation web site (click on the "Release" link above or go to the Laidlaw Foundation website home page and click on Children's Agenda Programme--- Resources---/Working Papers Series on Social Inclusion)

Wards of the Crown

Andrée Cazabon's important film Wards of the Crown made its English debut on CBC Newsworld's The Lens on March 7.

Wards of the Crown: A New Documentary on Youth in Care
"At age 13, Andrée Cazabon was briefly placed in a group home. Marked by this experience, she decided to track four young people for 10 months as they prepared to leave foster care. “I wanted to reveal the impact of an institutional upbringing,” she says. “When these young people were brought in, they were told they would be taken to someplace safer and better…..But were they really?” The result is Wards of The Crown / Enfants de la couronne, a stirring documentary about a little-known reality, available in both an English version and a French version." [total running time: 45 minutes]

More info about the filmmaker
Andrée Cazabon and her two films about youth

More info about the movie
- from the National Film Board

Version française:
Les enfants de la Couronne
(infos de l'Office national du film)

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

Foster Care Council of Canada
"Mission: to give children, youth and their family members who have been separated by child welfare authorities a voice, bring accountability to child welfare, provide support for anyone affected by the foster care system and to disseminate important foster care related information and resources for public education."

National Children's Alliance
"The National Children's Alliance is a network of 52 national organizations committed to improving the lives of children and youth in Canada. Since its
inception in 1996 the Alliance has worked to:
- facilitate dialogue on children's issues with government
- strengthen the network of national voluntary organizations and NGOs
- develop policy recommendations
- engage provincial/territorial/regional constituent organizations in working collaboratively on issues, and
- promote the development and implementation of a national children's agenda."

List of NCA Member Organizations (just the list, no links)

Links - to almost 50 related websites, including many member organizations

National Children’s Alliance Newsletter - December 2003 (PDF file - 291K, 9 pages)
In this Issue:
- Towards Working Together for Aboriginal Children in Canada– A National Children's Agenda (NCA) Workshop - October 29th 2003
- Community Infrastructure Fund Update
- Keeping the Promise – The Role of Monitoring in the Advocacy of the NCA” - NCA Workshop November 27th –28th, 2003
- National Plan of Action
- Brief to the Standing Committee on Finance
- China Delegation Visit (November 11)
- Meeting with Minister Stewart (October 20, 2003)
- National Children’s Alliance Member News
- more...

Brief to the Standing Committee on Finance
October 7, 2003

Children in Care in Canada : A summary of current issues and trends with recommendations for future research (PDF file - 296K, 26 pages)
Cheryl Farris-Manning and Marietta Zandstra
Foster LIFE Inc.
April 2003
Source: National Children's Alliance
Overview of the child protection system in Canada, with a special focus on issues, e.g., shortage of placement resources - lack of national standards - increased workload for child protection workers - child welfare legislation (themes and issues) - impact of funding frameworks - current challenges in foster care - broadening permanency options - adoption issues - geographic jurisdiction - delegation of children’s services to First Nations agencies - services to older youth - transition-to-adulthood services - special needs of Children (identifiable
populations) - national trends - recruitment, assessment and training for all family-based caregivers - permanency planning models - outcome measures for children in care - adherence to and relevance of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - recommendations for future research - about the authors - bibliography - glossary of terms

First National Roundtable on Children with Disabilities
December 9 and 10, 2002 - Ottawa
The National Children’s Alliance held a national roundtable on December 9th and 10th, 2002 on the topic of Children with Disabilities.
The objective of this participatory event was to link research to practice and to policy using the lens of children with disabilities and their families.
Full agenda (PDF file - 31K, 5 pages)

Related Link:

Children with Disabilities and Their Families in Canada (PDF file - 118K, 33 pages)
A discussion paper commissioned by the NCA for the First National Roundtable on Children with Disabilities
Louise Hanvey
November 2002

NCA Brief to the Finance Committee (October 24, 2002)
NCA Submission to Review the Social Union Framework Agreement (October 2002)

National Children's Alliance Newsletter Spring 2002 (PDF file - 93K, 10 pages)
Posted July 3, 2002
- incl. : The Alliance National Symposium: March 22/24 2002 - Alliance Strategic Directions for 2002 to 2004 - Third Party Monitoring of the Early Childhood Development Initiative & Child Outcome Indicators - Developing an Alliance National Strategy for Children Aged 6 to 12 - The Health Care System Reform Process - The National Children’s Alliance: Members & Membership

National Symposium : “Building Momentum” (PDF file - 108K, 38 pages)
March 22-24, 2002
Symposium proceedings, posted May 2002
"The National Children’s Alliance invited its members across the country to participate in three days of strategy development around the Alliance priorities for the next two years. Sixty-five plus representatives of the membership came to Ottawa to share their best ideas and thoughts in the discussions."
Reports and Papers - links to over 20 symposium papers, discussion papers, position papers and summary reports from the National Children's Alliance
National Children's Alliance
April 23, 2002

Response from the National Children’s Alliance to Knowledge Matters (PDF file - 11K, 3 pages)
"...a working group of the National Children’s Alliance met to review the paper and provide feedback to HRDC. (...) As a starting point, the working group highlighted some key areas that were not clearly identified in the paper that need be addressed in the consultation process."

December 2001 National Children's Alliance Bulletin (PDF file - 50K, 10 pages)
By Dianne Bascombe – National Children’s Alliance
- incl. Challenges for a National Children’s Agenda - Early Childhood Development Agreement Update - ECD Accord Update - National Children’s Alliance Regional Contacts - Provincial/Territorial Government Contacts - ECD Announcements made by Provincial and Territorial Governments
Source : National Children’s Alliance

Brief to the Standing Committee on Finance
October 30, 2001
National Children's Alliance
"...the voluntary / NGO sector’s participation in the monitoring of the ECD is vital to establish guidelines and partnerships in monitoring and research and to develop working relationships."

First Baby Steps Taken Towards a National Children's Agenda
Press Release
April 4, 2001
After many years of planning, advocacy work and policy development, members of the National Children's Alliance - a coalition of voluntary and NGO organizations dedicated to children's issues - are finally seeing results. The federal government's $2.2 billion dollar investment in early childhood development came into force on April 1st with the start of five
years of funding going to the provinces and territories.

Simon Says "Take a Giant Step Forward": Advancing the National Children’s Agenda - Summer 2000
Regional Forum Responses: Input into the Principles and Essential Services of a National Children’s Agenda - September 2000

National Council of Welfare

Bolder action needed to give Aboriginal children and youth a decent life
September 18, 2007
Press Release
A new report released today concludes that bolder, more innovative government action is 73

to give Aboriginal children and youth a decent chance in life. The report, First Nations, Métis and Inuit Children and Youth: Time to Act, was prepared by the National Council of Welfare (NCW), a federal advisory body, to draw attention not only to the discrimination and poverty faced by many Aboriginal children and youth but also to the many success stories. It combines statistical evidence with interviews with Aboriginal women and men who work with children and youth. The report notes that Council members, in the process of researching the report, were astounded at the patience of Aboriginal people and themselves felt a sense of frustration and impatience for bolder action.

Ottawa Street Survival – meeting street survivors of Canada’s capital city
June 29, 2007
Matthew Murray, a graduate of Carleton University’s social work program, has met, interviewed and with their permission photographed a number of people who survive on the streets of Ottawa. A testimonial to the spirit and resilience of these people has been captured in Matthew’s Ottawa Street Survival presentation.
- Affiliated with the National Anti-Poverty Organization

National Film Board of Canada*:
[ * In commemorating the 20th year of the all-party resolution to end child poverty, the National Film Board is working with a number of organizations and agencies, including Campaign 2000, in a series of film screenings and community forums of Four Feet Up. ]

Four Feet Up is an intimate portrayal of child poverty in Canada by award-winning photographer and documentary filmmaker Nance Ackerman.
Twenty years after the promise of the House of Commons "to eliminate poverty among Canadian children," 8-year-old Isaiah contemplates what "less fortunate" means as he finds his voice through his own magical drawings and photographs. Astute about the fact that his parents don't make a lot of money, Isaiah is unaware of their constant worry about putting food on the table, affording any after-school opportunities, and keeping stereotypes at a distance.
[Click the link for information about screenings on Nov. 23 & 24 in seven locations across Canada. ]

Related link:

Promise to world's children remains unkept after 20 years
Even in a rich country like Canada, poverty continues to stunt too many young lives
By Miles Corak
November 18, 2009
(... Over the last 20 years, the world of work has become increasingly challenging for young families. Labour market inequality has increased tremendously, with only the very very richest among us gaining from the almost 15 years of uninterrupted economic growth since 1993. Families are more stressed, and the lack of a comprehensive child care system has had the effect of making families convenient for the labour market, rather than the other way around. It is no wonder that separation and divorce rates are higher. And it is no wonder that just as many children find themselves poor as a generation ago. While our governments can't be held entirely accountable for this failure, they are not free from blame. Child poverty simply has not been a priority for public policy.
Source:
The Toronto Star
[Miles Corak is Professor of economics with the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of O

Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN) - British Columbia
"PLAN is a registered non-profit charity created by and for families who have a relative with a disability.
We have two main functions:
1. To assist families plan a good life for their relative with a disability both now and in the future.
2. To ensure a safe and secure future by fulfilling the wishes of parents, after they die, or are otherwise unable to. We do this by supporting, monitoring and advocating for their son/daughter for the rest of their lives."
- incl. links to : About PLAN -Publications - Media Articles - Member Services - Forum - Our Vision & Our Beliefs - What We Do - Who We Are - Future Planning - Personal Networks - PLAN for Younger Families - Workshops - Join PLAN - Site Policy Statement - more...

Securing a Good Life for Our Family Members with Disabilities: A Proposal for Federal Reforms (PDF file - 179K, 7 pages)
August 22, 2003
- includes a number of proposals to help families plan for the time when they can no longer take care and provide financial assistance for their relative with a disability
- proposals include a new Registered Disability Savings Plan and Disability Expense Tax Deduction, improvement of the RRSP/RRIF rollover provisions, and better harmonization between Old Age Security with provincial disability pensions.

PLAN Affiliates
- contact and (where available) website URL for organizations in BC, Alberta, Sakatchewan, Ontario and Quebec as well as Seattle (Washington) that are affiliated with PLAN.

The next link below is to the PLAN affiliate in Ottawa.
I had the pleasure of speaking with a gentleman and his son who are part of the LNO during a recent fund-raising garden tour.
After visiting the PLAN and LNO websites, I thought this would be worth promoting, to ensure that families in these difficult situations are aware of this tremendous resource.
[Use the link above to visit other PLAN affiliates]

Lifetime Networks Ottawa (LNO)
"LNO is a registered non-profit charity created by and for families who have a relative with a disability. We have two main functions. We help create a safe, secure and full life for their relative with a disability, and we make a commitment to provide lifetime advocacy and monitoring for people with disabilities. Lifetime Networks Ottawa helps ensure a safe and secure future by fulfilling the wishes of parents, after they die, or are otherwise unable to. We do this by supporting, monitoring and advocating for their son/daughter for the rest of their lives."

Related Links:

New Ingredients for the Fiscal Pie
December 2003
By Sherri Torjman
"...argues the need for exploring possible methods of expanding the ‘fiscal pie.’ It explores one possible model put forward by PLAN (Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network), a group of parents of children with severe disabilities. The group proposes a combination of private savings and public spending to help develop caring communities. (...) The proposal represents one idea in a range of possible savings and investment mechanisms to expand the fiscal pie – a direction which we should be debating seriously as a nation."
Complete report (PDF file - 19K, 3 pages)
Source:
Caledon Institute of Social Policy

Save the Children Canada
Save the Children Canada is a non-political, non-sectarian organization that has spent 80 years working to protect the children of the world from neglect, cruelty and exploitation. The organization's role has ranged from giving emergency aid to starving young victims, to supporting children, families and communities in developing countries and at home in Canada.

Government of Canada Announces Funding for the Children's Rights Project
March 13, 2003
"Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Parliament (Vancouver South-Burnaby), on behalf of Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps, today announced funding of $64,750 for Save the Children Canada. The funding will help the association expand their Right Way project over two years."
Source: Canadian Heritage

Canadian NGO's Unite in International Children's Rights Campaign 'Say Yes for Children' initiative takes hold around the world '
Press Release
April 26, 2001
Save the Children Canada

UKChildcare
"The information contained within this site is geared primarily towards a Canadian audience with an interest in improving the quality of child care in our country. British models of policy, practice, and training are outlined in an attempt to help you with your research endeavors. If we may further assist you in any way, please feel free to contact us. Funds for the development of the website were provided by Child Care Visions, Social Development Partnership Program, Human Resources Development Canada to Dr. M. Kaye Kerr, Psychology, University of Winnipeg. The site is hosted and resides at the University of Winnipeg."
Excellent resource --- incl. Policy and Legislation - Education and Training - Resources - Recommended Reading - Practices - Current Research - Organizations - Glossary

UNICEF Canada

UNICEF Canada Report on Aboriginal Children’s Health Shows Disparities
Between Aboriginal Children and National Averages a Major Children’s Right Challenge
Health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children Well Below National Averages
News Release
June 24, 2009
Toronto - UNICEF Canada is marking the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child with the release today of a report called Aboriginal Children’s Health: Leaving No Child Behind- the Canadian Supplement to State of the World’s Children 2009. UNICEF Canada partnered with the National Collaborating Centre on Aboriginal Health to produce the report, which examines the health of Aboriginal children in Canada through the perspectives of national experts and analysis of existing data. The report concludes that health disparities between First Nations, Inuit and Métis children relative to national averages is one of the most significant children’s rights challenges facing our nation.

Aboriginal Children’s Health: Leaving No Child Behind:
The Canadian Supplement to State of the World’s Children 2009
* Complete report (PDF - 6.6MB, 61 pages)
* Summary (PDF - 379K, 4 pages)
* Highlights (HTML)

[ Other UNICEF Canada Publications ]

Source:
UNICEF Canada
Since 1955, UNICEF Canada has grown into a recognized national symbol for the world’s children and the most visible United Nations presence across the country. UNICEF Canada’s mandate is to raise funds in support of UNICEF’s work for children in more than 150 countries and territories and build awareness among Canadians about the issues facing the world’s children.

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Related link from UNICEF:

The State of the World’s Children, 2009:
Maternal and Newborn Health
January 2009
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."

[ Previous editions of The State of the World's Children reports - back to 1996]

Source:
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Related link:

Aboriginal children's health below national averages: UNICEF
By Amy Minsky, Canwest News Service
The infant mortality rate across Canadian First Nations reserves is up to seven times higher than among the general population, according to a report released Wednesday from UNICEF Canada. And between 2002 and 2006, the tuberculosis rate among the Inuit was 90 times higher than in the non-Aboriginal population in Canada, the study said. The report's authors said this disparity is a symptom of a larger problem — not all Canadian children are treated equally when it comes to health care.
Source:
Canada.com

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Best Interest of the Child : Meaning and Application in Canada
A Multi-Disciplinary Conference
Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
February 27 and 28, 2009
Sponsored by the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children; the Faculty of Law and David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights, University of Toronto; UNICEF Canada; and Justice for Children and Youth. Supported by The Department of Canadian Heritage

The Best Interests of the Child is one of the basic principles in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It has been interpreted and applied in different ways in a variety of different contexts in Canada. In 2003, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended that Canada work toward a common understanding and more consistent application of the principle, at the level of public policy formation as well as in decision-making for individual children. The objective of this conference is to deepen understanding of the principle, share experiences of its application, and identify good practices for implementation in Canada. The intended outcome of the initiative is a more common understanding of the principle

Notice and Call for Expression of Interest (PDF - 1.5MB, 1 page)

Source:
UNICEF Canada

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

Just released [11 Dec 08] by the
UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre:

The child care transition: A league table of
early childhood education and care in economically advanced countries
[including Canada]
Innocenti Report Card #8
By Peter Adamson drawing on research by John Bennett
Publication date 11 Dec 08

* The child care transition 1(report) - (PDF - 602K, 40 pages)
* The child care transition (summary) - (PDF - this link was not working on Dec. 11)
* Canada's status at a glance
"(...) Canada invests about 0.2 per cent GDP in early child care and education (for 0-6 years) according to the OECD Canada Review (2006). Investing in quality services available to all children who need them would cost about 1 per cent of GDP."

Background information:
* Early childhood services in the OECD countries
* Benchmarks for early childhood services in OECD countries

Related resources:
* Press releases - UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (incl. summary, other press material, background papers, etc.)

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

Response from UNICEF Canada:

UNICEF Canada calls for measurable standards,
guidelines, appropriate funding for child care, and solutions by 2009
UNICEF Canada press release
Publication date 11 Dec 08

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

Opposition parties respond to UNICEF report card
* New Democrat Olivia Chow to send UNICEF card to Harper to highlight report of Canada missing the mark in childcare. 11 Dec 08
* UN report shows Conservatives’ failed childcare strategy: Canada ranks last among OECD countries. Liberal Party of Canada, 11 Dec 08
Source:
Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU)
CRRU focuses on research and policy resources in the context of a high quality system of early childhood education and child care in Canada
NOTE: the links above are from the CRRU website, the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre website and the UNICEF CAnada website

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

From CTV.ca :

Canada tied for last in UNICEF child care ranking
December 11 2008
Canada is tied for last place in a UNICEF ranking of the early child-care services offered by 25 developed countries. Canada failed to meet nine out of 10 of the proposed benchmarks UNICEF used to rank the countries. The 10 proposed benchmarks included parental leave of one year at 50 per cent or more of salary, a national plan with priority for the disadvantaged, and child poverty rates of less than 10 per cent.

University of Western Ontario

Estimated Economic Costs of Child Abuse in Canada More Than $15 Billion
September 24, 2004
"The economic costs of child abuse in Canada top $15 billion, according to a new study at The University of Western Ontario."
Source:
Media Newsroom - University of Western Ontario

Complete report:

The Economic Costs and Consequences of Child Abuse in Canada
Audra Bowlus, Katherine McKenna, Tanis Day and David Wright
March 2003
HTML version
PDF version (409K, 172 pages)
Posted to the website of the Law Commission of Canada
NOTE:
Law Commission of Canada abandoned by Conservative government
The Law Commission of Canada was informed on the 25th of September, 2006, of the federal government’s decision to eliminate the Commission’s funding.
(From the now-defunct LCC English homepage)
Try doing a Google search on the title of the report)

Vancouver Youth Outreach Team (City of Vancouver)
The Youth Outreach Team is made up of youth, hired on as city staff to move forward the Civic Youth Strategy, the City of Vancouver's 1995 policy commitment to supporting youth and involving them in decision making. Hiring youth as staff in 2003 was a new step for the municipality. With youth staffs dedicated to improving youth involvement in the municipality, the City can now tap into their expertise and connections in the community to move forward the four
goals of the Civic Youth Strategy:
- Ensure that youth have "A PLACE" in the City
- Ensure a strong youth VOICE in decision-making
- Promote youth AS A RESOURCE to the City
- Strengthen the SUPPORT BASE for youth in the City

The Youth Outreach Team is a model of youth engagement for the Civic Youth Strategy. The primary role of the Team is to increase the meaningful participation of youth in municipal decision making by:
* Providing expertise to City staff around youth engagement to programs and projects that have a mandate to engage citizens including youth
* Acting as a bridge between City staff, youth (ages 13-24) and youth organizations
* Functioning as "guides" for youth to access the municipal system
* Convening youth and City staff to address issues or working on projects of mutual interest

Vanier Institute of the Family
The Vanier Institute of the Family, established in 1965 under the patronage of Their Excellencies Governor-General Georges P. Vanier and Madame Pauline Vanier, is a national, charitable organization dedicated to promoting the well-being of Canadian families. It is governed by a volunteer board with regional representation from across Canada.

On the home page, you'll find links to : What's New - News Room - Virtual Library - Membership Info - Links - About VIF - Contact Us - Guestbook - Help - Search

Virtual Library - incl. links to : Contemporary Family Trends - Transition magazine - Wealth - Work and Family - Families and Health - Family Facts - Did You Know? - Publications - Profiling Canada's Families II - Speeches

Publications - links to two dozen publications, most free online

Selected VIF reports:

October 27, 2009
Two New Studies Released by Vanier Institute:
Two studies released today by The Vanier Institute of the Family say Canadian cities, in many ways, are failing to meet the needs of their youngest citizens. The reports raise critical questions about the impact of urban design and development on the health and safety of children and youth.
Juan Torres from the Université de Montréal's Institut d'urbanisme looks at the ways in which urban planning has evolved to accommodate the needs of the automobile and the negative impact that has on healthy child development and the evolution of vibrant, user-friendly communities.
Belinda Boekhoven of Carleton University adds to the dialogue by asking important questions about children's access to free playtime and outdoor space in cities. Her study finds that young people today are much more likely to be involved in organized activities than in the past. And while structured participation in activities has been shown to be beneficial for child development, there are also risks if children and adolescents don't have enough free time and safe spaces to exercise their imaginations and develop traits such as self-motivation and self-reliance.
These papers make the case that we would all benefit if children and youth figured more prominently in the urban planning process.

Children & Cities: Planning to Grow Together (PDF - 353K, 24 pages)
By Juan Torres

"Caution! Kids at Play?" Unstructured Time Use among Children and Adolescents (PDF - 342K, 27 pages)
By Belinda Boekhoven

Source:
Contemporary Family Trends Papers
Contemporary Family Trends is a series of occasional papers authored by leading Canadian experts in the field of family studies. These papers have been commissioned by The Vanier Institute of the Family as a contribution to discussion and as a source for the development of the Institute's perspective on family issues.
Themes:
* Aboriginal Families * Aging families * Cohabitation * Divorce * Emotional Intelligence * Family and the Environment * Family Finances * Family & Food * Family Policy * Family Strengths * Family Time * Gambling * Life Transitions * Media and Family * Parenthood * Same-Sex Couples * Urban Planning * Work and Family

VIF Publications List

Virtual Library
- incl. links to * Reports * Magazines * Books * Resources

Source:
Vanier Institute of the Family
Our Vision : To make families as important to the life of Canadian society as they are to the lives of individual Canadians.
Our Mission : To create awareness of, and to provide leadership on, the importance and strengths of families in Canada and the challenges they face in their structural, demographic, economic, cultural and social diversity.

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The Current State of Canadian Family Finances : 2008 Report
January 2009

Already-Stressed Family Budgets To Take The Brunt Of Recession (PDF - 21K, 2 pages)
News Release
OTTAWA, January 22, 2009
A Vanier Institute of the Family study released today predicts the effects of the current economic downturn will be felt around the kitchen table for years to come. In the 10th edition of its seminal study The Current State of Family Finances – 2008 Report, the Institute puts the current situation into context and finds that it has taken Canadian families a long time to recover from past recessions.

Highlights (PDF - 23K, 1 page)
- Recessions are very hard on families.
- Debt loads are in the danger zone.
- Spending and debt rise much faster than incomes.
- The wealth that went up has now come down.
- Unattached individuals aged 18-64 are the forgotten poor.
- Family Finances report celebrates its 10th anniversary

Complete report:

The Current State of Canadian Family Finances : 2008 Report (PDF - 668K, 29 pages)
January 2009
by Roger Sauvé
People Patterns Consulting

Giving credit where earnings are due (PDF - 38K, 1 page)
PDF file dated February 12, 2009
In a recent study, Statistics Canada1 reported that the median earnings of individuals employed full-time full-year in 2005 was $41,401. In other words, one-half of fulltime earners made more than this amount, and one-half made less. When the agency compared the 2005 fi gure with the median earnings 15 years earlier, in 1990, they found (that after adjusting for increases in the cost of living) median earnings were only about $600 or 1.5% higher. Fifteen years, 1.5%.
Source:
Fascinating Families
Fascinating Families is a web feature that builds on VIF’s expertise in monitoring family trends and in making complex statistics accessible and understandable to a wide audience. Published on the 15th of each month, Fascinating Families highlights timely, family-related facts and uses a “family lens” to frame a brief discussion of the implications for families in Canada.

NOTE: this is the 15th issue in the Fascinating Families series; earlier issues covered such diverse topics as work-family balance, fertility intentions, adoptions, grandparent care, the importance of fathers, and more...
Click the Fascinating Families link above to access the whole list.

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Already-Stressed Family Budgets To Take The Brunt Of Recession (PDF - 21K, 2 pages)
News Release
OTTAWA, January 22, 2009
A Vanier Institute of the Family study released today predicts the effects of the current economic downturn will be felt around the kitchen table for years to come. In the 10th edition of its seminal study The Current State of Family Finances – 2008 Report, the Institute puts the current situation into context and finds that it has taken Canadian families a long time to recover from past recessions.

Highlights (PDF - 23K, 1 page)
- Recessions are very hard on families.
- Debt loads are in the danger zone.
- Spending and debt rise much faster than incomes.
- The wealth that went up has now come down.
- Unattached individuals aged 18-64 are the forgotten poor.
- Family Finances report celebrates its 10th anniversary

Complete report:

The Current State of Canadian Family Finances : 2008 Report (PDF - 668K, 29 pages)
January 2009
by Roger Sauvé
People Patterns Consulting
[ previous reports in the same series - back to 1999 ]

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Work/Family Balance: What do we Really Know? (PDF - 272K, 29 pages)
By Jacques Barrette, Ph.D.
January 15, 2009
The last two decades has seen a proliferation of research on the nature, scope and, implications of work/family conflict. This paper reviews much of this research and endeavours to (1) explain the fundamental causes of the work/family conflict, (2) demonstrate the impacts of this imbalance on families and organizations, (3) discuss the challenges families face, and (4) present possible strategies to improve the situation.

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Family Life and Work Life: An Uneasy Balance (PDF - 272K, 29 pages)
By Roger Sauvé
January 15, 2009
Families are changing and so are the organizations for which they work. Families need and want the work that employers provide and employers need the workers to produce goods and services for sale and distribution. It is a two-way street. This report highlights the dynamic relationship between these two entities and examines whether or not Canadians are achieving an acceptable balance between family life and work life. The result seems to be an uneasy balance.

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Fascinating Families (PDF - 83K, 1 page)
January 15, 2009
This issue of Fascinating Families is based on the above report, Family Life and Work Life: An Uneasy Balance

Earlier issues of Fascinating Families <=== links to 13 issues back to October 2007
Fascinating Families is a web feature that builds on VIF’s expertise in monitoring family trends and in making complex statistics accessible and understandable to a wide audience. Published on the 15th of each month, Fascinating Families highlights timely, family-related facts and uses a “family lens” to frame a brief discussion of the implications for families in Canada.

Source:
Vanier Institute of the Family
The Vanier Institute of the Family, established in 1965 under the patronage of Their Excellencies Governor-General Georges P. Vanier and Madame Pauline Vanier, is a national, charitable organization dedicated to promoting the well-being of Canadian families. It is governed by a volunteer board with regional representation from across Canada.

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

Work/Family Balance: What do we Really Know? (PDF - 272K, 29 pages)
By Jacques Barrette, Ph.D.
January 15, 2009
The last two decades has seen a proliferation of research on the nature, scope and, implications of work/family confl ict. This paper reviews much of this research and endeavours to (1) explain the fundamental causes of the work/family confl ict, (2) demonstrate the impacts of this imbalance on families and organizations, (3) discuss the challenges families face, and (4) present possible strategies to improve the situation.

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

Family Life and Work Life: An Uneasy Balance (PDF - 272K, 29 pages)
By Roger Sauvé
January 15, 2009
Families are changing and so are the organizations for which theywork. Families need and want thework that employers provide and employers need theworkers to produce goods and services for sale and distribution. It is a two-way street. This report highlights the dynamic relationship between these two entities and examines whether or not Canadians are achieving an acceptable balance between family life and work life. The result seems to be an uneasy balance.

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

Fascinating Families (PDF - 83K, 1 page)
January 15, 2009
This issue of Fascinating Families is based on the above report, Family Life and Work Life: An Uneasy Balance

Earlier issues of Fascinating Families <=== links to 13 issues back to October 2007
Fascinating Families is a web feature that builds on VIF’s expertise in monitoring family trends and in making complex statistics accessible and understandable to a wide audience. Published on the 15th of each month, Fascinating Families highlights timely, family-related facts and uses a “family lens” to frame a brief discussion of the implications for families in Canada.

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The Current State of Canadian Family Finances - 2007 Report:
Hourly Earnings Rise, But Family Incomes Don’t Keep Up With Debt
Press Release
February 11, 2008
So reports the ninth annual Current State of Family Finances – 2007 Report, published and released by the Vanier Institute of the Family today. This well-respected and timely report examines the latest trends in incomes, spending, savings, debt and net worth across family and household types.

The Current State of Canadian Family Finances 2007
Report highlights (PDF file - 40K, 1 page)

Complete Report (PDF file - 773K, 31 pages)

Family Finances Series

Fascinating Families Series (monthly web feature)
* Saving Next to Nothing (PDF file - 73K, 1 page)

Empty Spaces on Pantry Shelves: Food Insecurity in a Nation of Wealth
December 21, 2007
www.vifamily.ca/families/families.html

Transition Magazine, Families & Food, Winter 2007-2008, vol. 37-4
www.vifamily.ca/library/transition/374/374.html
[includes Canadian Families Deserve Food Security [PDF file - 110K, 4 pages]]
by David Northcott
[David Northcott is executive coordinator of Winnipeg Harvest and a Board member of The Vanier Institute of the Family.]

Public Lecture:
A Place in time, Families, Family Matters & Why They Matter
by Robert Glossop, Ph.D.
www.vifamily.ca/commentary/glossoplawson.html

Hallmarks of a Compassionate, Civil Society
Press Release
March 27, 2007
Ottawa—Love, sympathy, reason and morality – all evolutionary imperatives according to Darwin – are the hallmarks of a compassionate, civil society. Sadly, our collective reading of Darwin’s theories of human development emphasizes an almost universally accepted notion of human nature as predominantly aggressive, violent, selfish and competitive.

Complete report:

Building Emotional Intelligence: Darwin Reconsidered
by Jenni Tipper
2006
HTML version
PDF version (303K, 36 pages)

Over a Million Canadian Households are Millionaires –
But Probably Not Yours
February 7, 2007
News Release
Ottawa— You may wonder how Canada’s families are faring these days. Not surprisingly, the answer depends on which families you have in mind. Those at the top seem to be doing very, very well. In fact, most of the income and wealth gains recorded over the last fifteen years have gone into their pockets, savings accounts and investment portfolios. But the rest of us – almost 10 million households – have struggled to keep up. With the average hourly earnings of all employees up by only 25 cents in real terms since 1991 (a paltry two dollars a day), many families are struggling just to make ends meet. More are working and the second earner, in couples with children, has never provided more income support than they do currently. And they are doing so based on need, not greed.

Complete report:

The Current State of Canadian Family Finances - 2006 Report
HTML version
PDF version (329K, 33 pages)
- incl. Social Impacts of Financial Stress - I Really Did Give at the Office - Second Earners Coming Through in Record Way - Not Getting There - Growing Inequality - Ka-Ching! Debt Keeps Climbing - Mostly Need and not Greed - and much more...

Canada's One-Parent Families
Causes, Consequences, and Remedies
Press Release
March 4, 2006
"Ottawa— In 2001, over 16% of all families with dependent children were classified as one-parent families (OPFs), whether as a result of marriage breakdown, widowhood, or nonconjugal birth/adoption. Roughly 90% of OPFs are female-led. In a new paper released today by the Vanier Institute of the Family for its Contemporary Family Trends series, author Anne-Marie Ambert shines a spotlight on this population to examine the circumstances and prospects of OPFs and their members in some detail. Her well-supported arguments – particularly those presenting the effects of some forms of OPF on children – serve as a strong critique of our society."

Complete report:

One-Parent Families:
Characteristics, causes, consequences and issues
HTML version
PDF version (722K, 34 pages)

Version française:

Les familles monoparentales :
Caractéristiques, causes, répercussions, et questions
HTML
PDF (2MB, 37 pages)
Communiqué : Les familles monoparentales au Canada - Causes, conséquences et remèdes - [Le 4 mars 2006]

Spring 2005 issue of Transition magazine - Forty Years in the Life of Canadian Families

Summer 2005 issue of Transition magazine - Caregiving and Canadian Families

Autumn 2005 issue of Transition magazine - The Tween Years

Canadian Family Finances: Debt Load Up,
Taxes Down, Incomes Flat, Savings Nil
News Release
January 27, 2005
"Ottawa—Meet the Johnson family. Both parents work outside the home to support two young children. For at least four years, in real terms, their household income has stagnated. Only because they have enjoyed income tax reductions in recent years have they not suffered an income loss. Although they are buying their home and one spouse has a pension plan, they have no money set aside for emergencies. They have many expenses and are indebted to the tune of 120% of their total disposable income. They can sustain this high debt load because of record low interest rates, but will be in trouble when interest rates rise. According to the Vanier Institute of the Family's report, The Current State of Canadian Family Finances, the Johnsons are typical of the average Canadian household, of which two thirds are families. Incomes are flat. Fewer Canadian families are saving and on average have more debt than their annual net incomes. . The rate of bankruptcies is at a near-record high, and the rate for the Atlantic Provinces has increased five- to 10-fold since 1980."

Complete report:

The Current State of Canadian Family Finances - 2004
HTML version
PDF version (507K, 29 pages)

Taking the Pulse of Canada's Families
Press Release
December 6, 2004
"OTTAWA—How do Canadians young and old feel about family life today? How do they feel about marriage and divorce? How many want to be part of a "traditional" family-meaning a married woman and man with children-and how many aspire to a different household arrangement? How will these feelings and desires shape Canadian society in the future? (...) Almost 2,100 Canadians aged 18 and over participated in The Future Families Project: A Survey of Canadian Hopes and Dreams in 2003."

Complete report:

The Future Families Project
A Survey of Canadian Hopes and Dreams
by Reginald Bibby (2004)
PDF version (908K, 18 pages)
HTML version
- table of contents with links to the individual sections of the report : Introduction - Background - Survey - The Nature of the Family - Dating, Sexuality and Cohabitation - Marriage - Children, Hopes and Values - Parenting and Parents - When Relationships End - Responding to Family Hopes and Dreams - What Does It All Mean? - Conclusion

Profiling Canada's Families III - $
November 29, 2004
"Whether you're wondering how satisfied Canadians are with their lives, what percentage of legally married Canadians can expect to divorce before their thirtieth wedding anniversary, how many families have no religious affiliation, which province has the highest foreign-born population, or who earns the most money, you'll find the answer in Profiling Canada's Families III"

Related News Releases (also November 29):

What Do You Know About Canadian Families Today?
Why Business Should Care About Canadian Families?

Transition Magazine - read about the current issue and next issues, subscribe to receive the magazine, or check out Transition Magazine Back Issues (almost two dozen issues online back to 1998)

Transition Magazine - Spring 2004:
Families at the Heart of Our Communities
- Introduction - Families as Architects of a Civil Society - Family and Community Life: Exploring the Decline Thesis - Designing for Civility - Communities for Kids: Search Institute Knows What Kids Need
PDF version (1.4MB, 16 pages)
Version française :
Les familles au coeur de nos communautés
HTML
PDF (901Ko, 16 pages)

Transition Magazine Back Issues (1998 to date)
Numéros précédents du magazine Transition (depuis 1998)

Family Resources
- includes link collections on the following themes :
*Adoption Resources * Child Care Resources * Disability Resources * Family Resources on or about the Net * Resources for and about Fathers * Resources for Lone Parents and Families in Transition * Resources on Death and Dying * Resources on Emotional Intelligence and Related Subjects

Growing Up Slowly: The Impact on Society
Press Release
May 10, 2004
"OTTAWA—Canadians have staged a revolution in life-course patterns over the past 40 years. All the major life transitions of the younger years are happening later; not only are today's Canadians taking longer to finish school and start working full-time, but they're also leaving home later, and waiting longer to get married and to become parents. This revolution in the timing of early life transitions has implications for every stage of life, according to a new report released by the Vanier Institute of the Family."

Complete report:

Delayed Life Transitions: Trends and Implications
"The revolution in life course patterns of the past 40 years has seen later home leaving, later completion of education, later union formation, and later childbearing. This is in marked contrast with patterns into the 1960s that saw earlier home leaving, earlier marriages and earlier ages at childbearing. While the trends are well known, less has been written on the implications of these trends. In order to discuss these implications, it is first necessary to clarify the trends, and to suggest theoretical interpretations. We will then consider the implications for the various phases of the life course, and for the society as a whole"
HTML version
PDF version (228K, 48 pages)

The Current State of Canadian Family Finances - 2003 Report
by Roger Sauvé (People Patterns Consulting)
(February 2004)
Press Release
February 17, 2004
"Ottawa—A record number of families are "Living on the Edge"
A growing number of Canadian families and households are now "living on the edge."
The "edge" has gotten closer over the five years that the Vanier Institute of the Family has been releasing this report on family finances. The pressure points are clear and are getting worse.
* Hourly earnings are shrinking.
* Massive "over-spending" continues.
* A record number of family members, especially those with children are now employed. Canadian families are increasingly becoming "workaholics" in order to make ends meet.
* Even so, the personal savings rate has now fallen to an all-time low.
* Debt has now risen to an all-time high.
* And bankruptcies remain at near-record highs.
* Over the last few years, only the wealthiest twenty percent of families have seen their share of the total income pie increase.

Complete report:

The Current State of Canadian Family Finances 2003
HTML version
PDF version (224K, 25 pages)

Contemporary Family Trends Papers
"Contemporary Family Trends is a series of occasional papers authored by leading Canadian experts in the field of family studies. These papers have been commissioned by The Vanier Institute of the Family as a contribution to discussion and as a source for the development of the Institute's perspective on family issues."
Sample report from this series:
Same-Sex Couples and Same-Sex-Parent Families: Relationships, Parenting, and Issues of Marriage
February 2003

Provincial/Territorial Pages (NGO)

Sparrow Lake Alliance
"The Sparrow Lake Alliance, founded in 1989 [by the late Dr. Paul Steinhauer], is a voluntary coalition of professionals from all Ontario sectors that work with children, including educators, social workers, lawyers, physicians, and many others. The Sparrow Lake Alliance fosters a vision of inter-sectoral collaboration and integration to produce better outcomes for Ontario’s children."
NOTE for the uninitiated: this site is not about Sparrow Lake, as you might think. It's about better outcomes for Ontario's children, but its content will be of interest to anyone working in the field of family and children's services.
Site Map - this is a huge site; I recommend using the site map to get an overview of the rich content you'll find here...
- incl. links to : | What's New | Events | Forum | Alliance | Task Forces | Publications | Links | Site Map | Contact Us | Help + much more
Here's just some of the information you can find here: Current Issues (Ontario's "Clawback" of the National Child Benefit Supplement - The Youth Criminal Justice Act -
Social Inclusion) - The Sparrow Lake Alliance Task Forces - Alliance Resources - Conferences of Interest Conferences of Interest - Archived Conference Proceedings - Key People - Open Discussions - Forum - Donation Form - History of Sparrow Lake Alliance - Tribute Dr. Paul Steinhauer - Children in Limbo Task Force - Education Task Force - Children, Youth & the Law Task Force - Major Papers - Task Force Reports - Address and Contacts - much more

First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy
"The First Call: BC Child & Youth Advocacy Coalition is a cross-sectoral, non-partisan coalition in BC. Our coalition is made up of over 60 provincial organizations and 25 mobilizing communities. In addition, we have a network of thousands of community groups and individuals. Our partners work together on public education, community mobilization, and policy advocacy 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."

Child and Youth Issues - incl. Early Childhood - Youth Transitions - Economic Equality - Safe Communities

Links - good collection of links to provincial (BC), national and international sites, mostly NGO.

First Call Publications - links to seven papers and one video
- 2000 Report Card on Child Poverty in BC (PDF file - 617K, 2 pages)
- First Call Position Paper on Early Childhood Development - May 2000 (PDF file - 116K, 4 pages)  

Media Awareness Network - Réseau éducation-média
The Media Awareness Network offers practical support for media education in the home, school and community and provides Canadians and others with information and "food for thought" on our fast-evolving media culture. It's also a place where educators, parents, students and community workers can share resources and explore ways to make media a more positive force in children's lives.

Canadian Institute of Child Health (CICH) - Institut canadien de la santé infantile (ICSI)

Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies
Good content and links to informative sites.
- incl. links to the following : Accreditation as a Children's Aid Society | Conference | Youth in Care Connections | Foster Care | French Language Services | Looking After Children Project | Child Welfare Training System | Careers in Child Welfare
- don't miss the Statistics and Links sections of the site.

Children's Aid Society of Metropolitan Toronto (CASMT) Communicate Online (The Electronic Newspaper of the CASMT)
Links to Child Welfare and Children's Services Sites (CASMT)

Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care
The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care was founded in 1981 with a mandate to advocate for the development of high quality, non-profit child care services in the province of Ontario. The organization includes representatives from: education, health care, labour, child-welfare, injury prevention, rural, First Nation, Francophone, social policy, anti poverty, professional, student and women’s organizations. In addition, we serve community based child care programs and 15 local coalitions across the province.

Woman Power & Politics
by Kira Heinek
2003
"The Ontario and Toronto Coalitions for Better Child Care announce the publication of their new joint book, Woman Power & Politics. This guide for women on identifying and maximizing power in today’s political systems looks through the lens of child care as it influences women’s lives. Woman Power & Politics invites women to participate in politics, take opportunities and determine their future regarding areas such as education, poverty and domestic violence."
Complete Book (PDF file - 211K, 40 pages)
News Release - October 13, 2003

The Myth of Child Care Spending in Ontario (PDF file- 63K, 3 pages)
October 2002

See also the Canadian Social Research Links Early Childhood Development Links page

GRAVE : Groupe de recherche et d'action sur la victimisation des enfants
(Site available only in French)
GRAVE is a social research and action group based in Montreal focusing on the prevention of child victimization. It is a cooperative effort of contributors from l'Université du Québec à Montréal, l'Université de Montréal, le Centre Jeunesse Montréal and le Département de santé publique Montréal-Centre. Check the site for more information - publications, research activities, monthly newsletter - en français. This group is particularly interested in the study of child negligence, isolation, reject, intimidation and physical violence against children.

Stacking the Deck: The Relationship between Reliable Child Care and Lone Mothers' Attachment to the Labour Force
PDF file - 1,182K, 20pp
Summary Report from the Interviews, May 2001
Source : Campaign 2000

The Early Childhood Development Initiative: A Vision for Early Childhood Development Services in Ontario
Ontario Campaign 2000 Consultation Paper
PDF file - 10pages, 229KB
April 9, 2001
Developed in consultation with representatives from: Campaign 2000, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, Ontario Association of Family Resource Programs, Toronto Public Health, Metro Association of Family Resource Programs and Toronto Coalition for Better Child Care.
Source : Campaign 2000

See the Canadian Social Research Links Early Learning and Child Care Links Page for more ECD links...

Unit for Child Care Research and Professional Development
School of Child and Youth Care
The Unit for Child Care Research and Professional Development provides services and resources to organizations, agencies, individuals, communities, and governments in the areas of early childhood care and education and the delivery of services to children and families

Voices for Children
"Voices for Children is a not-for-profit leadership organization promoting healthy lives for children and their families. In the tradition of late founder Dr. Paul Steinhauer, we are a growing network of academics, citizens, parents, and practitioners who share a vision of children thriving and participating in society."

Enabling Families to Succeed:
Community-Based Supports for Families
By Susan Pigott, C.E.O. and Lidia Monaco, Director of Children, Youth and Family Services
St. Christopher House, Toronto
Presented at Making Children Matter Conference
October 2004
"How can we improve children’s lives? Susan Pigott and Lidia Monaco from St. Christopher House in Toronto argue society must first recognize that children are a part of families. Therefore, to improve the lives of children, our policies and actions must consistently work to enable families to succeed. Pigott and Monaco report on the conditions which disable far too many families and outline four prerequisites for family success."
Complete Text:
HTML version
PDF version (39K, 5 pages)
Source:
Voices for Children
["Voices for Children promotes the well-being of children and youth in Ontario by disseminating information to influence policy, practice and awareness."]
Voices for Children Report Index - links to two dozen reports from 2002 to 2004

Related Link:

St. Christopher House

Check out these related Canadian Social Research Links pages:
-Children, Families and Youth - Canadian Government Links -
- International Children, Families and Youth Links -
- Unofficial Social Union Page (national)
- Unofficial Provincial/territorial Social Union Page -
- Early Childhood Development Links Page -
See these related outside sites also...
- The (official) Social Union website
- The National Child Benefit website

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