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Information

October 2002

Federal strategy on early childhood development for First Nations and other aboriginal children

• In September 2000, Canada's First Ministers established the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Agreement, recognizing the importance of children's early years in shaping long-term outcomes. Its goal is to ensure young children can fulfill their potential to be healthy, safe and secure, ready to learn, and socially engaged and responsible. Under the Agreement, the federal government is transferring $2.2 billion over five years to provinces and territories to improve and expand their ECD programs and services.
• Federal, provincial and territorial governments also agreed to work with Aboriginal peoples to find practical solutions to address the developmental needs of Aboriginal children. This strategy makes significant new federal ECD investments for Aboriginal children and is consistent with federal commitments outlined in the January 2001 speech from the Throne, December 2001 Federal Budget and September 2002 speech from the Throne.
• This strategy will provide $320 million over the next five years to enhance Aboriginal Head Start and First Nations and Inuit Child Care and to support new measures to monitor the well-being of Aboriginal children, and to address Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE) in First Nations communities.
• The federal government will implement the strategy in cooperation with Aboriginal stakeholders, from national organizations to communities. It will also work toward the development of a "single window" approach to ensure better integration and coordination of federal ECD programs for young Aboriginal children and their families.

Context:

• Experiences in the early years lay the foundation for a child's development, affecting lifelong health, well being and learning outcomes. During this period, critical neurological developments related to functions such as vision, emotional control and language take place. While conditions are improving, the general health status of Canada's Aboriginal population ranks below the national average. Infant mortality rates are twice to three times the national average and anecdotal research suggests growing concerns with respect to FAS/FAE and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In addition, poor nutrition and high rates of unhealthy birth weight continue to be significant problems.
• In 1995, the Government of Canada established Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) to enhance healthy child development and school readiness of Aboriginal children living in urban centres and northern communities. The program was expanded to First Nations on-reserve communities in 1998, consistent with commitments made in Gathering Strength: Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan, Securing our Future Together. Locally controlled AHS projects foster: a positive sense of oneself among Aboriginal pre-school children; a desire for learning and readiness for school; increased confidence; and improved family relationships. Each project reflects the uniqueness of the community while focussing on six program components: culture and language; parental involvement; education; health promotion; nutrition; and social support.
• The First Nations and Inuit Child Care (FNICC) initiative provides access to quality child care services to First Nations and Inuit children to support their healthy development and to enable their parents to work or study. FNICC was established in 1995 and in 1999 it became part of the new Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy (AHRDS). FNICC is administered by Aboriginal Human Resource Development Agreement holders as a component of the AHRDS.
• In Canada, FAS/FAE is one of the major known preventable birth defects among children. Initial studies suggest that the rates of FAS/FAE in some Aboriginal communities may be significantly higher than in non-Aboriginal populations. FAS and other related disorders constitute a life-long disability requiring ongoing support. In the 1999 Budget, the existing Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) was expanded to support an increased focus on FAS/FAE and to further improve the health of pregnant women at risk and their babies.
• Federally supported research and surveillance initiatives such as the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY), the Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being and the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System provide a growing body of knowledge about how children in Canada are doing. But there are significant gaps in what we know about young Aboriginal children. For example, the NLSCY does not include First Nations on-reserve, and the sample of Aboriginal children off-reserve is too small for analysis.

New Measures:

Aboriginal Head Start On Reserve:
Now entering its third year of implementation ($25M/year), AHS on reserve serves about 7,700 children in 305 sites. The additional investment of $21.5 million per year for AHS on reserve will:

• develop new sites to increase the reach of the program;
• expand the capacity of existing projects to reach more children; and
• respond to challenges/program gaps, such as children with special needs and parent outreach.

Aboriginal Head Start (Urban and Northern Communities):
Initiated in 1995, AHS (Urban/Northern) serves approximately 3,500 children in 114 sites with $22.5 million annually. Through this investment of $12.6 million per year, AHS (Urban/Northern) will:

• expand the capacity of existing sites;
• establish new sites in priority communities;
• increase the number of special needs and parental outreach workers; and
• enhance special needs training.

First Nations and Inuit Child Care:
The First Nations and Inuit Child Care initiative currently supports over 7,000 child care spaces in over 390 First Nations and Inuit communities with $41 million annually. Through this new strategy, the Government of Canada will invest an additional $9.2 million per year for FNICC to:

• improve the quality of existing child care spaces;
• increase the number of spaces in existing centres; and
• create new child care centres.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects:
The First Nations and Inuit component of the FAS/FAE Initiative ($1.7 million annually) has focused on training for front- line workers. The training assists these workers in supporting, identifying and managing those at risk of FAS/FAE. Another objective is the development of public education tools and resources. With an additional $10 million in 2002-03 and $15 million ongoing, the FAS/FAE strategy will:

• support the development of prevention and early intervention programming in First Nations communities;
• enhance training for service providers;
• develop practical screening tools; and
• improve parent/caregiver supports for families affected by FAS/FAE.

New Research Initiatives:
The strategy includes $4.2 million per year for research to follow Aboriginal children over time, monitor the kinds of supports they are receiving from their families and communities, and explore the conditions in which they live and grow. In consultation with Aboriginal stakeholders, the Government of Canada will:

• Consider how to address gaps in data on the physical, social, emotional and cognitive development of young Aboriginal children and on the factors affecting their development.
• Expand the Understanding the Early Years (UEY) initiative to selected Aboriginal communities. UEY is a community-level research initiative that involves teachers, parents and community agencies to explore the impact of community factors on children's developmental outcomes and to understand how communities can best respond.