FRANCAIS

September 08, 2003

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA—The Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development, and the Honourable Tim Sale, Chair of the Government of Manitoba’s Healthy Child Committee of Cabinet and Minister of Energy, Science and Technology, announced today a five-year (2002-2007) agreement between Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) and the Government of Manitoba. The agreement supports the ongoing collaboration on early childhood research, evaluation and accountability for public expenditures that began in October 1998.

Ministers Stewart and Sale also released a first report under the agreement, A New Generation of Canadian Families Raising Young Children: A new look at data from national surveys. The report shows how dramatically the family environment in which young children are growing up in Canada has changed over the last two decades. It demonstrates the Government of Canada’s support of national surveys and research on kids and families as they relate to human development and well-being.

"It is absolutely essential that our children get a solid start in life. When children have what they need in the early years, it means better lives for them and a more prosperous future for the country. That’s why the Government of Canada, in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, is investing heavily in early childhood development," said Minister Stewart. "Partnerships, such as this one with the Government of Manitoba, will help to improve access to affordable, quality, regulated child care and early learning right across the country."

"The best decisions are informed decisions and through this partnership with HRDC, we will learn even more about what works for children and families," said Minister Sale. "Governments need good information to help focus public resources where they can help the most to foster the development of healthy children and strengthen families. Parents and everyone concerned about children can use practical, up-to-date information to ensure all youngsters receive the best we can give them."

Healthy Child Manitoba works across government departments in Manitoba and brings a community development approach to the well-being of children, families and communities. Led by Minister Sale, the Healthy Child Committee of Cabinet includes the Ministers of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs; Culture, Heritage and Tourism; Education and Youth; Family Services and Housing; Health; Justice; and the Status of Women. Since April 2000, the Manitoba Government has increased investments in early childhood development programs and services by over $50 million.

The agreement includes joint efforts in the areas of research, planning, and data analysis; data linkage (using provincial and federal data) and analysis; building capacity for training for reliable longitudinal data collection; building capacity for analysis using longitudinal data; and joint publication of research findings on child development.

A New Generation of Canadian Families Raising Young Children: A new look at data from national surveys summarizes and analyses government, academic and other research findings on child development since 1980. A significant amount of data was available as a result of the Government of Canada’s investment in the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. The report is a collaborative publication between Human Resources Development Canada and Healthy Child Manitoba.

The report shows that today’s young children are born into many different types of families. Many children—as early as in the first five years of their lives—experience a significant change in their family circumstances as their parents separate, divorce or remarry.

Research showed that sustained, quality child care provides important benefits to all children, especially those in low-income families. Overall results demonstrate that improved vocabulary development is among those benefits.

Results also showed that parents continue to have the largest impact on the outcomes of their children, through parenting and child-rearing decisions. Despite the increase in time pressure arising from balancing work and family when both parents are employed, parents are finding more time for their young children. Research suggested that the greatest increase in time spent with children has occurred among parents with at least one child under six.

In September 2000, the Government of Canada and provincial and territorial governments reached an agreement to improve and expand the services and programs they provide for children under six and their families. In the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Early Childhood Development Agreement, Canada’s First Ministers committed to helping young children reach their potential, and to helping families and the communities in which they live support their children.

Under the Agreement, the Government of Canada is transferring $500 million per year to provincial and territorial governments to help them improve and expand programs in four key areas: healthy pregnancy, birth and infancy; parenting and family supports; early childhood development, learning and care; and community supports.

On March 13, 2003, the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for Social Services agreed on a framework to improve access to affordable, quality, provincially and territorially regulated early learning and child care programs and services. Under this framework, the Government of Canada is providing $900 million over five years to support provincial and territorial government investments in early learning and child care.

For more information on A New Generation of Canadian Families Raising Young Children: A new look at data from national surveys, call 1 800 O-Canada or visit the Healthy Child Manitoba Web site at www.gov.mb.ca/hcm.

- 30 -

There is increasing evidence that investing in the early years of a child’s development can pay big dividends in later life for that child and for society. The Government of Canada is committed to working with provincial and territorial governments as well as educational institutions, communities, educators, businesses and families to meet the challenges facing children and youth in Canada.

The five-year (2002-2007) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Human Resources Development Canada and the Government of Manitoba in January 2003 supports collaborative efforts to improve the lives of Canadian children and families. Under the MOU, the two parties have agreed to report regularly to the public on their progress in improving the quality of life of young children.

The MOU includes joint efforts in the areas of research, planning and data analysis; data linkage (using provincial and federal data) and analysis; capacity building for training in reliable longitudinal data collection; capacity building for analysis using longitudinal data; and joint publication of research findings on child development.

The first report produced under the MOU, A New Generation of Canadian Families Raising Young Children: A new look at data from national surveys, demonstrates the Government of Canada’s support for national surveys and research on children and families as they relate to human development and well-being.

The collaboration between the governments of Canada and Manitoba builds on commitments First Ministers made in the September 2000 Early Childhood Development Agreement. In the Agreement, governments committed to regular public reporting on their progress in improving the well-being of young children, using a common set of indicators. In addition, governments committed to working together on research and knowledge related to early childhood development, sharing information on effective practices that improve child outcomes and working together to disseminate the results of research.

• The definition of a Canadian family has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. Today’s young children are born into many different types of families: married couples, common-law couples, lone-parent families and blended families.
• Many children will experience a significant change in their family circumstances as their parents separate, divorce or remarry. However, almost 90 percent of children under six live with two parents.
• The overall infant mortality rate for Canada has dropped sharply since 1960.
• Mothers are older at the birth of their first child, compared to mothers in the 1960s.
• Mothers of young children are more educated now than were mothers in the 1960s.
• Children with mothers who have higher education levels are less likely to have delayed vocabulary skills.
• Despite changes in family life, parents continue to have the greatest impact on the outcomes of their children, through parenting and child-rearing decisions.

Children in lone-parent families, especially boys, are more likely to have developmental difficulties, such as high levels of aggression.