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"When governments don't invest in national programs that support families, children are the ones that suffer most." - James Clancy, NUPGE National President.
Ottawa (20 Nov. 2013) - National Child's Day was proclaimed in Canada in 1993 in recognition of the United Nations' adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Canadian government enacted the Child Day Act establishes the human rights to which children, under the age of 18, are entitled to by law. The Act promotes awareness and teaches children they have rights, like adults do, under the law.
Canada signatory to legislation protecting and promoting the well being of chldren
By signing on to these UN Conventions, Canada promised to adhere to and protect the following rights for children:
- the right to survival
- to develop to the fullest
- to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation
- to participate fully in family, cultural and social life
More work to ensure children are free from harm and are able to grow to their full potential
According to a 2013 UNICEF report, 13.3 per cent of Canadian children live in poverty, compared to 11 per cent across the 35 "economically advanced countries" studied. According to one study, half of First Nations children in Canada live in poverty.
Lack of affordable housing, healthy diets, access to education and a stable family income continue to be issues that affect the well being of children across the country. The fact that many parents are working unstable, temporary jobs with no benefits and low wages does not help children get further ahead. When families struggle, children struggle.
According to the Coalition on the Rights of the Child, it reports that
- over 67,000 children are in state care, without a permanent home, and many leave state care at age 16 or 18 without the support that most other youth get from their families
- Canada has a lower rate of adopting chidren who need homes than many other countries
- over 50 per cent of children with disabilities lack access to aids they need because of cost
- Canada spends much less on early child development than comparable countries do
- Canada ranks low for inter-generational fairness because of its low level of support for children
- government's need to invest more in children and programs to help children succeed
Growing income inequality hurts children and their families
Many of the changes implemented over the last 10 years in Canada under the Harper government have actually hurt the chances of children to have opportunity. Spending cuts to social programs, reduction in transfer payments to provinces, downloading of programs to municipalities in lieu of corporate tax cuts have all had a negative impact on the lives of children and their families.
"Revenue that could be otherwise used to support investment in children such as early childhood learning, a national child care program, an affordable housing strategy, improvements to health care and education, children's support initiatives are being squandered to please corporate shareholders," says James Clancy, National President of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE). "When governments don't invest in national programs that support families, children are the ones that suffer most. The federal government has a role to play in addressing the growing probelm of income inequality which would go a long way to improving the lives of children."
"We know that Canada's children have many more opportunties than many children around the world especially today, "Clancy says. "But there is so much more we can do as a nation to provide more opportunities for children and our young people. They deserve more than they are getting and that needs to change."
NUPGE members witness the lack of investment in children every day
"Our members are on the frontlines seeing how this lack of investment in children affects families and communities directly," continues Clancy. "Working in community social services, NUPGE members support children and their families to access dwindling resources and help them cope with the every day situations that many of us take for granted. This is where investment is needed. As a society we need to recognize the valuable role these services - public services - play in ensuring all children are able to succeed. Governments need to step up like never before and we are committed to forcing them to do just that."
More information:
Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children - 10 Steps for Children in Canada
We care to make a difference - Community Social Services
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE