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March 27, 2001
The Progress of Canada's Children 2001
The Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD) produces The Progress of Canada's Children annually in order to provide Canadians with a comprehensive overview of how our children are doing. CCSD has tracked progress on a wide range of indicators over the past five years, conducting original research, mining statistical databases and reviewing existing research.
Summary of findings in The Progress of Canada's Children 2001
The bad news:
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Children's access to quality recreation is threatened by higher user fees. Participation in quality recreation is a strong predictor of children's outcomes.
School-aged children are not active enough for optimal growth and development - and they get less active as they age. Special-needs education experts warn of problems in access, especially in rural areas. Canada's income gap is widening: The most affluent households increased their income by $20,000 between 1993 and 1998, while those at the bottom of the income ladder lost just under $1,000 in the same period. And poverty hurts child development. Canadian families say they are more stressed and less satisfied, increasing pressures on family life. Children continue to be exposed to environmental toxins, as standards fail to keep up with new information on hazards. Families are finding it increasingly difficult to access safe and affordable housing, which is strongly associated with positive outcomes for children.
The good news:
Deaths rates caused by injury are falling among school-aged children. Canadian students' access to computers and the Internet are among the best in the world. Youth crime rates continue to decline. The employment rate for teens has increased from 37 percent in 1997 to 41 percent in 1999. A modest level of part-time work among teens is associated with better school performance. More youth are staying in school. The Early Childhood Development Agreement announced last September signaled a willingness on the part of governments to fulfill commitments towards the implementation of a National Children's Agenda.
There are two key areas of new research conducted by the CCSD that highlight growing social exclusion among school-aged children and youth.
Recreation:
Recreation is extremely important for school-aged children. It includes organized activities such as aquatics, music and art programs and team sports that contribute significantly to a child's physical and emotional health. Recreational activities can build self-esteem, improve social skills and challenge children and youth to realize their full potential. CCSD's national survey of 167 municipal recreational facilities shows that over 90 percent charge user fees for aquatics, athletics and arts programs with 88% identifying numerous other barriers to the participation of children in recreational activities. Evidence shows that rates of participation in recreational activities are lower for children in low-income families and higher for children in high-income families.
Special Education:
Progress 2001 also points to some disturbing trends in the area of special education in Canada - in particular with regard to children with emotional disturbances. According to a key informant survey of 17 special education experts from across Canada, the special education system is inadequately funded with too few professionals to meet the needs of children. The majority of the experts surveyed reported a considerable disparity in the services available for emotionally disturbed children in rural areas as compared to services in urban areas.
What is needed?
The threat of an economic slowdown makes it more critical than ever to build an inclusive foundation for the future development and well-being of our children. Social investment, in combination with an improving job market, has enormous potential to reverse some of our more dismal trends - including rising inequality and exclusion.
The Prime Minister, in his response to the 2001 Speech from the Throne, said that "In the 21st century, our economic and social goals must be pursued hand-in-hand," and that the Government of Canada is committed to establishing "an investment timetable that will allow us to make real progress in ensuring opportunity for all Canadian children."
The Canadian Council on Social Development is calling on all governments to make this investment timetable a reality. We need to build on the progress made with the early childhood development initiative by ensuring that the needs of school-aged children and youth are not forgotten.
The Progress of Canada's Children 2001 - Related Material
Canadian Council on Social Development,
190 O'Connor Street, Suite 100,
Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2R3
Tel: (613) 236-8977, Fax: (613) 236-2750, Web: www.ccsd.ca, Email: council@ccsd.ca
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