BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE FOR  CHILDREN'S WELL-BEING ANNOUNCED IN THE SPEECH FROM THE THRONE SEPTEMBER 23, 1997 The commitment  "The federal, provincial and territorial governments agreed in January 1997 to work together to develop the National Children's Agenda, a comprehensive strategy to improve the well-being of Canada's children.  Federal, provincial and territorial governments will work together to develop this broader agenda for children, including clear outcome measures by which to gauge success.  As part of this national agenda, the federal government will ... establish Centres of Excellence to deepen our understanding of children's development and well-being and to improve our ability to respond to their needs."    Speech from the Throne, September 23, 1997    Why establish Centres of Excellence? The overall purpose of the Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being is to enhance the understanding of and responsiveness to the physical and mental health needs of children (up to age 18 years) as well as the critical conditions for healthy development. Consultation with researchers, non-governmental organizations and federal and provincial officials in fields related to child health, development and well-being will determine the broad parameters of the Centres' governance and functioning. In addition, Health Canada is undertaking a review of existing models of Centres and related research initiatives to determine current capacities, needs, gaps and lessons learned. While the consultations and review of existing models will be used to clarify the governance, mandate, objectives and role of the Centres, it is anticipated that potential functions of the Centres could be to collect and analyse health information; conduct research on key child health and development issues; provide policy advice to governments and child-serving organizations; generate information and communicate it to a wide range of audiences; and build networks of individuals and groups involved in children's well-being.   Fulfilling the commitment - current status In late August 1997, Health Canada conducted "Stakeholder Awareness" to inform stakeholders in various sectors of the intention to develop the Centres, and to gather preliminary views. In addition, Health Canada undertook an environmental scan to analyse existing models for the Centres. Information from the initial discussion and research phase will be synthesized into a report as a platform for further consultations to more fully develop the concept of the Centres. It is anticipated that this phase would lead to development of options for the Centres in terms of governance, mandate, function, etc. and the establishment of an advisory committee to guide the implementation phase. For further information on the Centres of Excellence on Children's Well-Being, please contact: Brian Ward Director Childhood and Youth Division Health Canada (613) 941-0316   [ Top ] [ Menu | Previous | Français ] © 1998 Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada