|
December 7, 1998
Progress of Canada's Children: Record Shows Mixed Results
Ottawa – Improvements in the lives of Canadian children and youth have been offset by negative social and economic trends, according to the Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD). The Council released its third annual Progress of Canada's Children report today in Ottawa.
"Another year of discussion and debate about kids has passed. We've seen some improvements in learning outcomes and physical safety in the 1990s. But after years of talk, Canada has failed to reverse the negative trends in other important areas – most notably in the life prospects for poor children and the health conditions for all children and youth," said report author Louise Hanvey.
Of the nine broad areas examined by the Council in this year's Progress report, more than half show negative or mixed trend lines.
"The number of poor Canadian children is growing and their lives are getting worse. Income disparities between poor and rich kids are growing. Poor children have fewer opportunities than in past years. One reason is that community resources such as housing, child care and post-secondary education are becoming more expensive," said CCSD Executive Director David Ross.
Even for children from higher-income families, negative trends identified by the Council are of concern, including the following: Divorce and separation rates have tripled in the last 20 years. Children living with single parents are at greater risk of having mental health and learning problems. -
Almost 50% of young women lack self-confidence, and a significant minority have a poor self-image.
Teen pregnancy rates are increasing. Some youth are becoming sexually active at a younger age. -
Teen smoking rates have risen dramatically – to nearly 30% of all 15- to 19-year-olds.
To change these trend lines, the CCSD is calling on governments to move forward with a National Children's Agenda, which would include the following measures: 1. Increase the federal contribution to the National Child Benefit to a total of $2.5 billion annually by 2000. 2. Deliver a long-promised national child-care program, and improve services for children and youth who are at risk. 3. Develop a coherent, long-term and adequately financed approach to health care. 4. Improve the economic security of families through increased funds for post-secondary education; -
increased Employment Insurance benefits and strengthened active measures for the long-term unemployed and for people who have never been employed; -
reform of the tax system to make it more equitable for low- and moderate-income earners.
"It's no longer good enough simply to talk about children. It's now time to act," said Ross. The Progress of Canada's Children 1998 is the third annual edition of this report which measures indicators of the well-being of children and youth from year to year. The Council analyses existing data and conducts original research to examine nine broad areas of social and economic well-being. This year's report has a special focus on youth aged 15 to 24 years, and it contains new data on Aboriginal and immigrant children and those in the northern territories. – 30 –
The Progress of Canada's Children 1998 - Related Material
Canadian Council on Social Development,
309 Cooper Street, 5th Floor,
Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0G5
Tel: (613) 236-8977, Fax: (613) 236-2750, Web: www.ccsd.ca, Email: council@ccsd.ca
| 