Government of Canada issues a Call for Proposals for Understanding the Early Years

OTTAWA—Social Development Canada today issued a Call for Proposals to select up to 25 communities for Understanding the Early Years, a Government of Canada initiative. Each community will lead a three-year project to improve the well-being of its young children.

"We recognize that the early years critically influence children’s long-term health and well-being," said the Honourable Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development. "These projects play an important role in helping communities and families prepare their children for a successful future."

Understanding the Early Years is a community-focused initiative, involving parents, teachers, schools, and community agencies. Through community level research and mapping, the initiative provides communities with high-quality data on their children’s readiness to learn and on family and community factors that influence children’s development. The goal is for communities to better understand their children’s readiness to learn and to develop action plans to respond to their needs.

The Understanding the Early Years initiative began in 1999 as a research pilot project. The Government of Canada announced the expansion of this initiative in 2004 and allocated $68 million to extend it to as many as 100 communities over the next seven years.

The Call for Proposals is open to communities that have at least 300 five-year-old children entering senior kindergarten or an equivalent level, have an established community coalition, can ensure local school board participation, and have potential candidates for the community coordinator role.

The Call for Proposals closes on April 11, 2005.

To find out more about Understanding the Early Years, visit www.sdc.gc.ca.

This news release is available in alternative formats on request.

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For further information:

Media Relations
Social Development Canada
(613) 941-1110
www.sdc.gc.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Call for Proposals — Understanding the Early Years

Understanding the Early Years is a Government of Canada initiative that helps Canadian children get the best possible start in life. The early years (from birth to age six) critically influence children's long-term health and well-being. During these years, children establish the foundation for their future learning, behaviour, and health. Children generally thrive in families and communities that meet their physical and developmental needs.

Understanding the Early Years is based on the following principles:

• A good start in the early years of life is critical for long-term success in adulthood.
• Communities play a significant role in shaping experiences for children and their families.
• Research and knowledge are critical to informed policies and programs that affect early childhood.
• Children's readiness to learn, and the influence of family and community factors, affects children's well-being and their future.

Understanding the Early Years gives communities information on:

• children's readiness to learn,
• family and community factors influencing their children's development, and
• local resources supporting young children and their families.

What is "readiness to learn" and why does it matter?

Readiness to learn refers to a child's ability to meet school demands (such as listening and being cooperative) and his or her ability to learn the curriculum when beginning school. Children who are ready to learn will benefit more from all that school offers, both academically and socially.

Monitoring and reporting on readiness to learn guides policy, program, and investment decisions for young children and their families. This helps governments, communities, schools, and families prepare children for a successful future.

Understanding the Early Years communities

Each community participates in a three-year cycle, during which the following data are collected:

• teacher assessments of children's readiness to learn;
• direct assessments of children's readiness to learn;
• information from parents on the family and community; and
• local-level information on services and resources available to children and their families.

The success of Understanding the Early Years depends on community involvement. Communities play key roles as sponsor, coordinator, and coalition, which are essential to the successful implementation of the project.

These communities must have a defined geographic location and must be prepared to take action regarding children's readiness to learn. Eligible communities must also have:

• at least 300 five-year-old children entering senior kindergarten or equivalent;
• an established community coalition;
• local school board participation; and
• potential candidates for the community coordinator role.

See www.sdc.gc.ca for the Call for Proposals accompanying guidelines and more information on community eligibility.