Transcript Document

Best Start Annual Conference 2006
BMO Institute for Learning
Scarborough, Ontario
January 18, 2006
Louise Hanvey, Project Director
The Progress of Canada’s Children and Youth
Canadian Council on Social Development
Who is the Canadian Council on Social
Development?
• A national, self-supporting, membership-based
organization
• Our main product is information, our main
activities are research and communicating
research results
• Our areas of interest are: economic security; child
and family well-being; disability; non-profit and
voluntary sector
• Our Mission is to: “develop and promote
progressive social policies inspired by social
justice, equality and the empowerment of
individuals and communities through research,
consultation, public education and advocacy”
What is Progress?
• Bilingual report series on the well-being of children
and youth
• Published since 1996
• Provides accessible and credible information in
both a popular magazine format and web format
• Is based on indicators measured with national,
population-based data sources
• Discusses the influences shaping the lives of
children and tracks the well-being of children and
youth (aged from birth to 24 years) over time
How is Progress structured?
• Progress considers the
child or youth at the
centre of all analysis
• Progress looks at ‘inputs’
– or the context of the
lives of children and youth
• Progress also looks at
‘outputs’ – or how well
children and youth are
faring
What are the ‘inputs’?
•
•
•
•
Family life
Economic security
Physical safety
Community
resources
What are the outputs?
•
•
•
•
Health status
Social engagement
Learning
Labour force
participation of youth
Why is Progress important?
• Progress is the only comprehensive, panCanadian indicator report of its kind
• It adopts an ecological approach to child and
youth development
• It is expressly designed to engage a broad
audience
• It seeks to include the voices of children and
youth
Why is Progress important?
Progress contributes to the well-being of all
Canadian children and youth by:
• Measuring and monitoring their situation
through the analysis of national, populationbased research data
• Providing credible, accessible information that
can be used in developing policies and
programs for children and youth
• Providing a vehicle to highlight specific
conditions of marginalized children and youth
What have we found in Progress 2006?
• There is good news and bad.
• In some cases the context of children’s
lives has improved, in others it is
deteriorating.
• In some situations, the well-being of
children has improved, in others it is
deteriorating.
• Some children are losing out more than
others
For example…
• Family life
• The physical
environment
• Early childhood
education and care
• Economic security
• Health outcomes
Who and where are the young children in Canada?
• There are over 2.3 million children under 6 in
Canada
• They make up over 7% of the population
• Young children are declining both in numbers
and as a proportion of the population
• They are an increasingly diverse population.
Number of children 0 to 6 years, Canada
2,600,000
2,500,000
2,400,000
2,300,000
2,200,000
2,100,000
2,000,000
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Source: Statistics Canada Custom Data Runs
2005
Number of immigrant children under 5 years arriving in
Canada, 2003/04, by province of residence
Canada
18,997
Newfoundland & Labrador
70
Prince Edward Island
19
Nova Scotia
196
New Brunswick
71
Quebec
4,182
Ontario
10,113
Manitoba
688
Saskatchewan
178
Alberta
1,166
British Columbia
2,291
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using Statistics Canada’s Annual Demographics, 2004.
Number of children under 5 reporting
Aboriginal identity, 2001
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
NF
PEI
NS
NB
QC
ON
MB
SK
AB
BC
YK
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using Statistics Canada's
Census of the Population, 2001
NT
NU
Family life
• The majority of young
children live in families
where parents are
supportive and positive in
their parenting style
• Mothers of young children
are increasingly in the
workforce
• Families are having
difficulty balancing work
and family life
Percent of children under 2 years living in families with
positive parenting styles
100%
80%
91%
91%
92%
1994
1998
2002
60%
40%
20%
0%
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using Statistics Canada's NLSCY
Workforce participation rate (%) of mothers
by age of youngest child
< 3 years
3 to 5 years
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
1995
1998
2001
2003
Source: CCSD calculations using Statistics Canada's Labour Force Historical Review , 2003
Work-life conflicts, 2001
60%
Time spent with children
Relationships with children
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Positive impact
No impact
Negative impact
Source: Linda Duxbury and Chris HIggins. Work-Life Conflict in Canada in the New Millennium :
A Status Report, 2003
Economic security
• Average incomes of
families with children
have grown but inequities
are increasing
• The depth of poverty is
increasing for some
families
• Certain children are more
likely to be poor
• Low income families are
finding it hard to make
ends meet
Average annual income of Canadian families with children
under 18, 1993 to 2003 (in constant 2003$), by income level
Lowest income group
Highest income group
Canada average
$250,000
$200,000
$150,000
$100,000
$50,000
$0
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: Caclulations by the CCSD using Statistics Canada's SLID
2002
2003
Depth of child poverty among working, female led loneparent families with children under 18 (in constant 2003$)
-$5,000
-$6,000
1998
2000
2002
2003
-$7,000
-$8,000
-$9,000
-$10,000
-$11,000
-$12,000
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using Statistics Canada's SLID
Child poverty rates (children under 18)
among selected groups, 2001
Recent
immigrants
49.0%
Aboriginal identity
40.0%
Visible minority
33.6%
27.7%
With disability
18.4%
All children
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Calculations by the CCSD using Statistics Canada's Census of the Population
Amount of money left at the end of the month after all family
expenditures, families with children, 2002
$800
$664
$600
$400
$200
$0
-$200
Lowest income
`
Middle income
Highest income
-$178
-$400
-$600
-$568
-$800
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using Statistics Canada's Survey of Household Ependitures
Community resources – early childhood education and care
• The majority of children
under six are in some
form of child care
• There has been an
increase in the number of
regulated child care
spaces in Canada – but
there are still only enough
spaces for a small
proportion of children
• Children with disabilities
have challenges in
accessing ECEC
• The future is uncertain
Percent of children currently using child care
by age, 2002
100%
80%
60%
51.8%
54.1%
52.6%
40%
20%
0%
6 mo - 3 years
4 & 5 years
Under 6 years
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using Statistics Canada's NLSCY
One in five children under 5 who have disabilities
have been refused child care
• 12% have been refused child care at a child care centre or
nursery school.
• 9% have been refused child care in someone else’s
home.
• 6% have been refused child care in their own home.
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using Statistics Canada’s PALS, 2001
Number of regulated child care spaces in Quebec and
the rest of Canada
Quebec
Rest of Canada
Canada total
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
1992
1995
1998
2001
Source: Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada-2004.
Martha Friendly and Jane Beach, 2005.
2004
Percent of children 0 to 12 for whom a regulated child
care space is available, 2004
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
SK
NL
AB
NS
ON
NB
NU
NT
BC
MB
PE
Source: Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada-2004,
Martha Friendly and Jane Beach, 2005
YK
QC
Main child care arrangement, children
6 months to 5 years, 2002
Other, 5%
Other's home, nonrelative, 30%
Child care centre,
28%
Own home, relative,
14%
Other's home,
relative, 16%
Own home, nonrelative, 8%
The future of child care in Canada
?
The Physical Environment
• Fewer children are living
with environmental
tobacco smoke in their
homes
• The outdoor air quality is
deteriorating
Percent of children under 12 regularly
exposed to ETS at home
30%
24%
25%
19%
20%
16%
14%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2000
2001
2002
2003
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using the Canadian Tobacco
Use Monitoring Survey, 2000-2003
Peak levels of ground-level ozone, selected regions
Southern Ontario
Eastern Ontario and Quebec
British Columbia
90
80
Parts per billion
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: CEC: Children's Health and the Environment in North America,
September, 2005
2002
Child well-being
• The majority of children
are healthy at birth
• Infant mortality has
declined somewhat
• But, not all groups of
infants are as likely to
survive
• The rate of pre-term birth
is increasing
Percent of children under 6 whose parents claim they
had ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ health at birth
Excellent
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1994
1996
Very good
1998
2000
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using Statistics Canada's NLSCY
2002
Infant mortality rate per 1,000 births, Canada
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
6.1
6.3
6.3
6.1
5.6
5.5
5.3
5.3
5.3
5.4
5.2
5.3
2
1
0
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using Statistics Canada's Catalogue no. 84F0211-Deaths
2003
Not all Canadian infants have equal chances of survival
• In 1999, the First Nations infant mortality rate
was 1.5 times higher than the Canadian infant
mortality rate.
• In a study in British Columbia, infant mortality
rates were more than twice as high among First
Nations people as non-First Nations people in
2000.
• In 1996, the infant mortality rate among the
lowest income group in urban Canada was 1.6
times that of the highest income group.
Pre-term birth* rate as a percent of live births
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
*Gestation less than 37 weeks
Source: Statistics Canada's Canadian Vital Statistics, Birth Database
2003
Child well-being
• More babies are being
breastfed
• Respiratory illness is
increasing
• The rate of childhood
obesity is increasing
• Childhood hunger
continues to be a problem
Percent of children under 2 years whose mother
reported breastfeeding
100%
79%
80%
82%
82%
82%
75%
60%
40%
20%
0%
1994
1996
1998
2000
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using Statistics Canada's NLSCY
2002
Percent of children under 6 who have been diagnosed with
asthma by a health professional
15%
9.9%
10%
8.3%
10.0%
8.9%
9.4%
5%
0%
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using
Statistics Canada's NLSCY
Percent of children 2 to 17 years
overweight and obese
1978/79
2004
30%
25%
18%
20%
15%
12%
8%
10%
3%
5%
0%
Overweight
Obese
Source: Statistics Canada's CCHS, 2004 ; CHS, 1978/79
What do parents do when their children
are hungry?
50%
40%
30%
30%
30%
21%
20%
10%
0%
Use food
banks
Seek help Skip meals or
from relatives
eat less
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using the NLSCY, 2000
Conclusions
Acknowledgements
The Canadian Council on Social Development
gratefully acknowledges the support of
Social Development Canada