In September 2000, the Government of Canada, and its provincial and territorial government* partners, announced the Early Childhood Development Agreement to foster the well-being of Canada’s young children.
Under this Agreement, the Government of Canada is providing $2.2 billion over five years, beginning in 2001/02, to help provincial and territorial governments improve and expand early childhood development programs and services in four areas:
To help Canadians track progress, governments will report regularly on their investments in programs and services. Starting this fall, each participating government will report on its current early childhood development expenditures and activities, as a starting point for tracking future progress.
To fulfil this commitment, the Government of Canada has produced a report entitled “Federal/Provincial/Territorial Early Childhood Development Agreement: Report on the Government of Canada Activities and Expenditures 2000-2001.” This document provides a brief overview of that report.
*The Government of Quebec shares the same concerns as other jurisdictions on early childhood development, but it does not participate in the federal/provincial/territorial agreement. Quebec is receiving its share of funding from the Government of Canada for early childhood development.
| Expenditures on Children Under Age 6 2000-2001* |
|
|---|---|
| Healthy Pregnancy, Birth and Infancy | |
Canada Prenatal Nutrition ProgramIs a comprehensive community-based program that supports pregnant women who face conditions of risk that threaten their health and the development of their babies. |
$37,666,000 |
Reducing the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)Aims to raise public and professional awareness of SIDS and how to reduce babies' risk. |
$40,000 |
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE)Aims to prevent FAS/FAE, to reduce its effects and to strengthen supports to affected children, families and communities. |
$4,000,000 |
Postpartum Parent Support ProgramProvides consistent parenting information to families of newborn children and ensures liaison and referral between hospitals and community health centres. |
$100,000 |
Family-Centred Maternity and Newborn Care: National GuidelinesAssist hospitals and other health care agencies in planning, implementing and evaluating maternal and newborn programs and services. |
$15,000 |
Employment Insurance: Maternity and Parental BenefitsProvide maternity and parental benefits for up to one year to eligible parents with a child born or placed in their care for adoption on or after December 31,2000. |
$1,194,600,000 |
| Parenting and Family Supports | |
Nobody's PerfectA parent support and education program for at-risk parents of children under age 6. |
$140,000 |
Community Action Program for ChildrenFunds community groups to establish and deliver services that address the developmental needs of children under age 6 living in conditions of risk. |
$59,500,000 |
Child Health RecordA tool to assist parents in keeping track of important facts about their child's development. |
$105,000 |
National Literacy Secretariat -Family Literacy ProjectsFunds projects to support parents in improving their literacy skills and in reading to their children. |
$3,416,000 |
| Early Childhood Development, Learning and Care | |
Child Care Expense DeductionTax deduction to help pay a portion of eligible child care costs. |
$424,000,000 |
Canada Child Tax Benefit Program -SupplementSupport to low-and middle-income parents who care for a young child at home. |
$284,200,000 |
Military Family Resource CentresDeliver a range of services to promote the health and well-being of Canadian Forces families. |
$4,000,000 |
| Community Supports | |
National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime PreventionHelps equip Canadians with the knowledge, skills and resources they need to advance crime prevention efforts in their communities. |
$1,370,000 |
| Dedicated Services for First Nations and Other Aboriginal Children and Families | |
Child/Day-care Programs -Ontario and AlbertaAgreements that aim to ensure on-reserve child care services are comparable to those offered to residents of the province in general. |
$15,806,000 |
Aboriginal Head Start -New BrunswickHelps maintain the strength of families, assist children with physical, emotional, social and/or educational difficulties and protect children from harmful environments. |
$1,804,000 |
Elementary Education (Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten)Supports education services for Status Indian or Inuit children aged 4 and 5. |
$65,000,000 |
First Nations National Child Benefit ReinvestmentSavings garnered from federal increases in the Canada Child Tax Benefit are "reinvested" by First Nations into community-based programs and services for low-income families with children. |
$23,700,000 |
First Nations and Inuit Child Care InitiativeProvides First Nations and Inuit communities with improved access to affordable, quality child care. |
$41,000,000 |
Brighter FuturesAssists First Nations and Inuit communities in developing community-based approaches to health programs. |
$20,000,000 |
First Nations Head StartAn early intervention program for young First Nations children on reserve (ages 0 to 6) and their families intended to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional and psychological needs to prepare the children for school. |
$24,250,000 |
Aboriginal Head Start (Urban and Northern Communities)An early intervention program for First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and their families living in urban centres and large northern communities that prepares young Aboriginal children for school by meeting their spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical needs. |
$22,500,000 |
| Research and Information | |
National Longitudinal Survey of Children and YouthLong-term study of Canadian children that tracks their development to early adulthood. |
} $7,742,000 |
Understanding the Early Years InitiativeResearch initiative that aims to increase a community's knowledge about young children's development and how best to meet their needs. |
|
Social Development Partnerships ProgramSupports research and development projects to advance national knowledge related to early childhood, learning and care (formerly the Child Care Visions Program). |
$5,224,000 |
Intercountry Adoption ServicesProvides co-ordination and consultative services to provincial and territorial governments for international adoptions. |
$500,000 |
Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-BeingTo effectively collect and disseminate advanced knowledge on key issues of children's health to those individuals or groups who need it most. |
$525,000 |
National Clearinghouse on Family ViolenceA national resource centre for all Canadians seeking information about violence within the family and looking for new resources being used to address it. |
$886,000 |
Child Health SurveillanceSurveillance programs to support reproductive and child health, including: programs in perinatal health; injury, abuse and neglect; infectious and chronic diseases; and immunization. |
$4,904,000 |
Health Warning and Information Labels and Infotobacco.com Web siteIncrease public awareness of the dangers of smoking during pregnancy, and effects of tobacco smoke on newborns. |
$360,000 |
Population Health FundSupports initiatives that facilitate coordinated action among voluntary organizations, service providers, governments and the private sector to improve the population’s health. |
$2,337,000 |
Health Transition FundSupports evidence-based decision-making in health care reform, primarily by supporting pilot and evaluation projects that explore innovative approaches to health care delivery. |
$3,774,000 |
* Note that all figures are estimates. In some cases, estimates include expenditures for older children when it was not possible to isolate the proportion that is spent on children under age 6. Detailed explanations and descriptions are provided in the full text of the report.
Copies of "Federal/Provincial/Territorial Early Childhood Development Agreement: Report on the Government of Canada Activities and Expenditures 2000-2001" are available at http://socialunion.gc.ca or by calling 1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-6232).
More information on several of the initiatives in this report, and on other Government of Canada services for children and their families, can also be found in: Services for Children: Guide to Government of Canada Services for Children and Their Families available at: www.cio-bic.gc.ca/children-enfants or by calling 1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-6232), TTY/TDD: 1 800 465-7735.