|
2001-126 GOVERNMENT OF CANADA RELEASES REPORT ON EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) ACTIVITIES AND EXPENDITURES OTTAWA - The Government of Canada today released the
Federal/Provincial/Territorial Early Childhood Development Agreement:
Report on Government of Canada Activities and Expenditures 2000-2001,
in keeping with its continued commitment to help children get a good
start in life. The release of this report on current federal early
childhood development activities and expenditures was announced by
Human Resources Development Minister Jane Stewart and Health Minister
Allan Rock. At a meeting of First Ministers in September 2000, the
Government of Canada and provincial and territorial governments (with
the exception of the Government of Quebec) announced the Early Childhood
Development Agreement. All governments committed to report annually
to Canadians on their progress in enhancing early childhood development
programs and services. Today’s report is the Government of Canada’s
fulfillment of its first reporting commitment under the Agreement
to provide baseline information for tracking future progress. This
report will give Canadians a picture of the variety of early childhood
development programs and services the Government of Canada provides
to help children get a good start in life. "Governments have identified early childhood development
as a priority through the National Children’s Agenda," said
Minister Stewart. "The best way to help children reach their
full potential is to provide programs and services that make a real
difference in the lives of Canadian families and their young children." "The health and well-being of children is an important
priority for the Government of Canada," said Minister Rock. "We
recognize the early years of life are critical to the development
and future well-being of children." The Federal/Provincial/Territorial Early Childhood Development
Agreement: Report on Government of Canada Activities and Expenditures
2000-2001 is a comprehensive overview of the Government of Canada’s
current activities and expenditures in the area of early childhood
development. It includes descriptions of each activity and the number
of children and families benefiting from Government of Canada programs
and services. As part of the Agreement, First Ministers agreed on
the following four key areas for action: promoting healthy pregnancy,
birth and infancy; improving parenting and family supports; strengthening
early childhood development, learning and care; and strengthening
community supports. The Government of Canada is providing $2.2 billion
over five years to provincial and territorial governments to support
their investments in any or all of these areas. As of April 1, 2001
the Government of Canada transferred a total of $300 million through
the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) for early childhood development
programs and services to provinces and territories in 2001-2002. For more information on the Early Childhood Development Agreement, or to obtain copies of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Early Childhood Development Agreement: Report on Government of Canada Activities and Expenditures 2000-2001 and Highlights summary document, please refer to the Social Union Website at www.socialunion.gc.ca. - 30 - Backgrounder: Federal/Provincial/Territorial Early Childhood Development Agreement: Report on Government of Canada Activities and Expenditures 2000-2001 (33510) Media Inquiries: Ghyslain Charron Selena Beattie Margot Geduld Public Inquiries (Health Canada): Health Canada news releases are available on the Internet
at
|