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January 25, 2000
Progress of Canada's Children
shows the need for a National Children's Agenda
Ottawa - The Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD) has called on the First Ministers to move quickly on the National Children's Agenda, citing the findings of its annual report - The Progress of Canada's Children - as evidence of the need for action.
The fourth annual edition of Progress - the most comprehensive annual review of how Canadian children are faring - was released today in Ottawa.
"The First Ministers need to get down to business on the National Children's Agenda, starting when the Premiers meet next week in Quebec City. The findings of Progress 2000 show that our kids can't wait," said Marcel Lauzière, executive director of the CCSD.
The CCSD predicts worse - not better - outcomes for children and families unless we reinvest in public services, change attitudes in the boardrooms, and protect the environment. The trends right now are moving in the opposite direction from where the Prime Minister has said he wants to be headed.
Progress 2000 tracks social and economic indicators in a number of areas affecting the lives of Canadian children at home, at school and in their neighbourhoods. Some of the worrisome trends noted in this year's report include the following:
Access to early childhood care is stagnant or declining in most provinces. Public spending on education is declining in relation to the GNP. University tuition rose 125% over the 1990s. Reported asthma rates among children and youth are growing. Smoking rates among teens are rising. An alarming 45% of 20- to 24-year-olds from Quebec smoke. The number of people reporting conflict between work and family life grew significantly throughout the 1990s. Two-thirds of Canadians report no improvement in their finances over the past 2 to 3 years.
Serious problems for a smaller number of Canadian children are growing more entrenched:
More children are under the care of child welfare agencies. Children are a noticeable part of the growing number of homeless. Almost half of food bank users are under 18 years of age.
The Progress of Canada's Children also shows where young people are doing better:
Fewer young people are killed in car crashes. Youth crime rates are declining. The majority of young teens feel safe at school most of the time. The infant mortality rate continues to fall. Breast feeding rates are climbing. Young people value kindness and honesty.
"Any Canadian parent need look no farther than their paycheque, their daily commitments at home and at work, or their child's school to know that our children's lives are being compromised by the sacrifices we all made in the 1990s," said Progress 2000 project director Louise Hanvey.
These negative trends run counter to the stated vision of the First Ministers for a National Children's Agenda that was released in May 1999, after two years of discussions. In spite of a consensus on a shared vision, Ottawa and the provinces seem to be making little progress towards a concrete agreement that will make a difference for Canada's children.
Today, the CCSD urged Ottawa to declare its upcoming budget as a children and families budget.
"The federal government should demonstrate its commitment to reaching an early agreement with the provinces and territories on a National Children's Agenda by including a significant down payment towards new early childhood development services in the February budget," said Lauzière.
The CCSD also called on the premiers and territorial leaders to agree to an early deadline for conclusion of an agreement with the federal government.
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Progress of Canada's Children 1999/2000 - 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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