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Memo

To:	Members of the Halton Community
From:	Joey Edwardh, PhD
Date:	October 12, 2000
Re:	National Children's Agenda

The National Children's agenda is an opportunity to develop a policy framework and plan of action to implement a set of services to children, youth and their families across Canada. The purpose of this memo is to outline the developments associated with the National Children's Agenda, and to identify a role for Halton in supporting an agenda that meets the needs of children and their families.

History

In February 1999 the results of important negotiations between the Government of Canada and the Provincial and Territorial Governments led to an agreement, A Framework to Improve the Social Union for Canadians (1999). This Agreement is based upon mutual respect between orders of government and a willingness to work more closely together to meet the needs of Canadians. The Agreement contains: guiding principles for social policy; commitments to ensure social programs support the mobility of Canadians; commitments to strengthen government accountability to citizens; collaborative practices between governments on social programs; federal commitments on the use of its spending power; and a process for solving disputes between governments.¹ It is a mechanism to development a national agenda to protect the national dimensions for social policy and undertake the reforms necessary to enhance the effectiveness of social programs in Canada. In December 1997, Canada's First Ministers asked the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Council of Ministers on Social Policy Renewal to engage the public in developing, within the Framework Agreement, a vision for enhancing the well being of Canada's children. In an effort to move forward the Council recognized that a national agenda for children requires a shared vision and a common understanding of children's changing circumstances and needs, both as children and as future adults. Two documents were released to facilitate debate and discussion. They are² :

A National Children's Agenda - Developing A Shared Vision
A National Children's Agenda - Measuring Child Well-being and Monitoring Progress

These studies informed a community consultation which took place during the spring of 1999, culminating in the June 2000 release of the consultation document, Public Dialogue on the National Children's Agenda-Developing a Shared Vision. National non-governmental organizations (NGOs) submitted briefs and held forums across Canada attempting to influence the deliberations of the Council of Ministers on Social Policy Renewal. The intricacies, posturing and squabbling inherent in intergovernmental relations has not made input easy and in the not-for-profit sector has often led to cynicism, submission depression and consultation fatigue.

In an attempt to create public awareness around the elaboration of a National Children's Agenda and to pressure all levels of government, a number of coalitions concerned with the health and well being of children highlighted the issues of and advocated for the National Children's Agenda. They include the following groups ³ :

Campaign 2000⁴
The National Children's Alliance
Sparrow Lake Alliance

These organizations have documented the need for a national framework guiding the development of a range of services that reflect the complexity of family life and the diversity of the communities in which families live. They have addressed issues of scope - what services are included, accessibility, equity, adequacy, entitlement - universal vs. target, delivery system - normative or stigmatizing. These coalitions have pushed in the area of long-term federal/provincial investments that would lead to long-term sustainable programs. They have monitored the progress and set backs in the long path of putting in place a National Children's Agenda.

What is the National Children's Agenda?⁵

The National Children's Agenda represents a commitment of our federal, provincial and territorial governments to act to ensure that all Canada's children have the best possible opportunity to develop to their full potential as healthy, successful and contributing members of society. The National Children's Agenda, when fully elaborated, will act as a far-reaching, long-term action plan for coordinating and advancing actions in a wide range of children's issues. The vision, values and goals of the National Children's Agenda are:

A) Our Vision: What do we, as a society, want for our children?

We want all of our children to be loved and to thrive.
We want every child to be valued and to develop his or her unique physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual and creative capacities.
We want every child to be respected and protected, and in turn, to respect and protect the rights of others.
We want all of our children to belong and contribute to communities that appreciate diversity, support different abilities and share their resources.

B) Our Values: What do we, as a society, believe about our children?

We believe that children thrive within families and communities that can meet their physical needs, as well as provide security, nurturing, respect and love. We believe we can support children by helping parents, families and their communities provide the resources their children need.
We believe our children must be recognized for their inherent worth and valued for who they are as much as who they will become. We believe that children's voices must be respected in determining their best interests. We believe that protecting children's interests is a basic social responsibility.
We believe in the importance of parents, elders and extended families in nurturing Aboriginal children. We value the voices of Aboriginal children, and honour their traditional and spiritual significance in Aboriginal communities.
We believe our goals for children must reflect Canada's rich traditions and cultures. We believe our goals must be achieved in partnership with the communities we live in.
We believe that the protections granted to children by Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Untied Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child must be preserved.

C) Our Goals: What do we hope to achieve?

The following goals incorporate knowledge we have about influences on child development. They are directed by the National Children's Agenda's vision for children and the values this vision embodies. The goals are focused on four measurable areas: health; safety and security; success at learning; and social engagement and responsibility. We can track our progress in achieving these goals by measuring and reporting on key indicators and influences on children's lives.

As a nation, we aspire to have children who are:

Healthy-Physically and Emotionally
Children who are as physically and emotionally healthy as they can be, with strong self-esteem, life skills and enthusiasm. Children, who are physically and mentally active, live healthy lifestyles, are free of preventable disease and injury, and enjoy healthy environments.
Safe and Secure
Children whose basic needs are met, including love, shelter, food, clothing, recreation and play. Children who are protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation and dangerous environments, and who are given support by caring adults.
Successful at Learning
Children who achieve physical, emotional and social development, language skills, literacy, numeracy and general knowledge to the best of their capabilities. Children who are ready for learning throughout their lives so they can gain the abilities they need for present and future fulfillment.
Socially Engaged and Responsible
Children who can form stable attachments to nurturing adults when they are young and develop supportive relationships within and outside their families. Children who value Canada's cultural heritage and diversity, and who develop an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of belonging to a wider society. Children who respect themselves and others through being respected, and understand the personal and social consequences of their choices.

All provinces, with the exception of Quebec, have signed the Social Union Framework Agreement and the National Children's Agenda.⁶ Some of the programs that are considered part of the National Children's Agenda are⁷ :

the National Child Tax Benefit
extended parental leave under Employment Insurance (EI)
aboriginal head start programs
early childhood development services program⁸

Community Concerns related to the National Children's Agenda

National associations, grass roots community organizations and broad coalitions raise important issues associated with the attributes of the programs that fall under the National Children's Agenda. The most salient concerns are:

that a full National Children's Agenda includes: income security measures, early childhood development and care services, strategies to develop affordable housing, additional investment in post-secondary education, and initiatives to improve the supply of good jobs that can adequately support families
that each program that comprises the National Children's Agenda will meet the following conditions:
- that funding is sufficient
- that universality, accessibility, portability are ensured
- that quality services, that are coherent and comprehensive, integrated and seamless are provided
- that clear accountability exists
- that research is valued as knowledge to inform policy and program
- that programs respect diversity and regional uniqueness
that parents and families have the primary responsibility for children and that families of all types need support and this must be codified in a National Children's Agenda
that a National Children's Agenda is for young children, children and youth. A first phase focusing only on early childhood or children under 6 years is important but not sufficient
that a Life Cycle approach/perspective is needed as part of the framework
that national standards are developed that reflect the principles and goals of the Social Union Framework Agreement
that flexibility in programming exist to respond to regional and community uniqueness
that all the discussion and policy debates between the federal government and the provinces leave out key actors such as the municipalities⁹ and the not-for-profit sector
- services must be "community based and community paced"
that new and additional services be built on existing frameworks by recognizing not only what exists but also expertise
that strengthening the opportunity for collaborative partnerships is imperative
that the ideological polarization between social investment vs. tax cuts dominates political discussion and envelops present policy formation. This has led to the reduction of public resources to finance services valued by our communities.
that inequality and the poverty of so many Canadian children is a political choice
that a fiscal framework should be based on conditional grants such that provinces add to the number and quality of their services¹⁰
that long-term financial commitments of governments are a necessary condition to create a sustainable infrastructure for quality services
that funding mechanisms must be transparent and easily identify the sources of existing funding, new funding, transferred funding and designated contributions from federal ministries and their provincial ministry counterparts.

Why are we in Halton interested in advancing a National Children's Agenda?

A collective window of opportunity exists to influence governments at all levels to implement a full National Children's Agenda within the principles of the Social Union Framework which recognizes the equality of all Canadians and the need to treat all with equity and fairness. This would create the circumstance for the development of an adequate and integrated continuum of services in local communities. This would contribute to the work of the not-for-profit sector as they affect positively the lives of children and youth in our community.

What can we do in Halton to support the National Children's Agenda?

Sign the petition, Sign on for Canada's Kids, in an effort to push for a full National Children's Agenda by December 2000 to be reflected in the federal budget 2001.¹¹
Make the issues of the National Children's Agenda more public - organize meetings or events in our community to highlight children's issues
Write and meet with your MP and MPP and local officials establishing the urgency of a full National Children's Agenda and raise your local issues of concern. They need to know that citizens, grass roots groups and our not-for-profit sector are:
- committed to the development of a common strategy, common standards and a shared goal
- anxious for long-term federal/provincial/ investments
- demanding that the conditions for young children are significantly better and that the Agenda continues for children older than six years and for youth
- committed to a National children's Agenda that does not equivocate on the need for high quality, affordable, accessible child care service for all families in all provinces¹²
- redefining the public perception of taxes such that services to children are not jeopardized
- supportive of a National Children's Agenda that provides governments with the opportunity to develop a more collaborative model of intergovernmental relations
- insisting that mechanisms be developed to involve the voluntary sector, that is civil society, in a meaningful dialogue and in the processes of developing policy and programs for children and youth
- urging that new ways to share research, experience, best practices, and information be put in place

Endnotes

¹ The Social Union Framework Agreement (SUFA) allows 6 provinces to define the conditions of a fiscal framework for new federal funding. It no longer requires that the 6 provinces represent a majority of people in Canada, therefore, Ontario and Alberta are not essential in putting forward serious proposals. It recognizes that conditioned grants from the federal government to the provinces have enabled the introduction of new and innovative social programs and to ensure that they are available to all Canadians. The Agreement states: " The use of the federal spending power under the constitution has been essential to the development of Canada's social union." (p.3). Also, from the vantage point of community, the Social Union Framework Agreement establishes the importance of promoting the full and active participation of all Canadians in Canada's social and economic life and to work in partnership with individuals, families, communities, voluntary organizations, business and labour, and ensure appropriate opportunities for Canadians to have meaningful input into social policies and programs." (p. 1). The Social Union Framework Agreement can be found on the web at http://www.socialunion.gc.ca

² These documents can be found on the website: http://www.socialunion.gc.ca

³ See Appendix 1 for a membership list of Campaign 2000 and the National Children's Alliance.

⁴ The Halton Social Planning Council is a member of Campaign 2000. As part of our participation in Campaign 2000, we produce the Halton Report Card on Child Poverty.

⁵ This section quotes the vision, values and goals directly from, Public Dialogue on National Children's Agenda-Developing A Shared Vision, Section vi, pp. 1-3.

⁶ Quebec agrees in principle with the vision, values and goals of the National Children's Agenda.

⁷ Analyses exist related to the limitation of these programs and the terms guiding their implementation. It is not the purview of this memo to discuss these programs. For example, see "The New Canada Child Tax Benefit," Community Dispatch. December 1998, Vol.3 No.2 Moreover, extended parental leave under EI was not a negotiated benefit as it falls within the federal government's jurisdiction.

⁸ On September 11, 2000 the First Ministers announced unanimously an agreement to make young children a national priority. The Early Childhood Development Services initiative is a $2.2 billion investment over 5 years to expand early childhood development services in four key action areas: i) promoting healthy pregnancy, birth and infancy; ii) improving parenting and family supports; iii) strengthening early childhood development, learning and care; and iv) strengthening community supports.

A comprehensive early childhood development services program is long overdue but as presented there is no guarantee that the provinces will develop programs in all four areas. The Agreement fails to encourage the development of a comprehensive coherent system serving children and youth. There is no requirement that provinces spend additional dollars. Funding is not adequate.

⁹ Municipalities deliver 90 % of the services.

¹⁰ Community groups and not-for-profit agencies within provinces such as Ontario and Alberta raise the concern that a grant that is not conditional may be diverted or invested in other areas rather than the building of a continuum of services needed for children and youth.

¹¹Visit the Sign on for Canada's Kids website: www.signonforcanadaskids.org

¹² In 1997 Quebec introduced a universal childcare program that offers parents up to 10 hours of childcare per day for a cost of $5. This program is for children from birth to four years old and in many cases includes children from 5 to 12 years of age. British Columbia will follow Quebec's example in January 2001 implementing a similar childcare program for children 5 to 12 years of age. It will cost $7 per day.

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