Canadian Council on Social Development 441 MacLaren Street 4th/e Floor/Étage Ottawa, ON K2P 2H3

Conseil canadien de développement social Tel: (613) 236-8977 Fax: (613) 236-2750 E-mail: council@ccsd.ca Internet: www.ccsd.ca

Income and Child Well-being:
A new perspective on the poverty debate

by David P. Ross and Paul Roberts

CONTENTS

• List of Charts
• Acknowledgements
• Executive Summary
• Introduction

• PART I: Family Income and Children's Development
  • Children's Environments
    • Family
      • Family functioning
      • Parental depression
      • Parents who experienced trauma during their childhood
      • Chronic stress
      • Exposure to adult smokers in the home
      • Frequent school changes
      • Living in substandard housing
      • Access to a home computer
    • Community
      • Problem neighbourhoods
      • Neighbourhood safety
      • Friendly, helpful neighbours

  • Child Outcomes
    • Behaviour
      • Indirect aggression
      • Emotional problems
      • Hyperactivity and inattention
      • Delinquent behaviours
      • Hanging around with children in trouble
    • Health
      • General health
      • Ability to function
    • Learning Outcomes
      • Vocabulary development
      • Math scores
      • Reading for pleasure
      • Need for special education
    • Cultural and Recreational Participation
      • Organized sports
      • Unorganized sports
      • Music, dance and art lessons
      • Club, group and community program participation
      • Teens neither employed nor in school

• PART II: Linking Poverty to Child Outcomes
  • Measuring poverty
  • Poverty lines and children's development
  • Recent trends in family income distribution
  • Relating public policy development to family incomes

• Conclusion
• Technical Notes
• Appendix
• Endnotes

Copyright © 1999 by the Canadian Council on Social Development. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The analysis, views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of the Laidlaw Foundation or Human Resources Development Canada. Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Ross, David P. Income and child well-being: a new perspective on the poverty debate Also issued in French under title: Le bien-être de l'enfant et le revenu familial. ISBN 0-88810-468-5 1. Child development - Canada. 2. Income - Canada. 3. Family - Economic aspects - Canada. 4. Poverty - Canada. 5. Quality of life - Canada. I. Roberts, Paul, 1962- II. Canadian Council on Social Development. III. Title. HQ792.C3R67 1999 305.231'0971 C99-900544-8 Income and Child Well-being is published with the support of the Laidlaw Foundation. The CCSD also wishes to thank the Social Development Partnerships Program of Human Resources Development Canada for its ongoing support of the Council's research. Cover design: Aubut & Nadeau Services Inc. Published by: Canadian Council on Social Development 441 MacLaren, 4th Floor Ottawa ON K2P 2H3 Tel: (613) 236-8977; fax: (613) 236-2750 E-mail: publications@ccsd.ca; Internet: www.ccsd.ca Online Order Form: www.ccsd.ca/ordinfo.html Copies can also be obtained from Renouf Publishing: Tel: (613) 745-2665; fax: (613) 745-7660

 

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