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12 Determinants of Health

Key Determinants

Underlying Premises and Evidence Table

KEY DETERMINANT -- 1. Income and Social Status
UNDERLYING PREMISES	EVIDENCE
Health status improves at each step up the income and social hierarchy. High income determines living conditions such as safe housing and ability to buy sufficient good food. The healthiest populations are those in societies which are prosperous and have an equitable distribution of wealth. Why are higher income and social status associated with better health? If it were just a matter of the poorest and lowest status groups having poor health, the explanation could be things like poor living conditions. But the effect occurs all across the socio-economic spectrum. Considerable research indicates that the degree of control people have over life circumstances, especially stressful situations, and their discretion to act are the key influences. Higher income and status generally results in more control and discretion. And the biological pathways for how this could happen are becoming better understood. A number of recent studies show that limited options and poor coping skills for dealing with stress increase vulnerability to a range of diseases through pathways that involve the immune and hormonal systems.	There is strong and growing evidence that higher social and economic status is associated with better health. In fact, these two factors seem to be the most important determinants of health. Evidence from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians Only 47% of Canadians in the lowest income bracket rate their health as very good or excellent, compared with 73% of Canadians in the highest income group. Low-income Canadians are more likely to die earlier and to suffer more illnesses than Canadians with higher incomes, regardless of age, sex, race and place of residence. At each rung up the income ladder, Canadians have less sickness, longer life expectancies and improved health. Studies suggest that the distribution of income in a given society may be a more important determinant of health than the total amount of income earned by society members. Large gaps in income distribution lead to increases in social problems and poorer health among the population as a whole. Evidence from Investing in the Health of Canadians: Social status is also linked to health. A major British study of civil service employees found that, for most major categories of disease (cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, etc.), health increased with job rank. This was true even when risk factors such as smoking, which are known to vary with social class, were taken into account. All the people in the study worked in desk jobs, and all had a good standard of living and job security, so this was not an effect that could be explained by physical risk, poverty or material deprivation. Health increased at each step up the job hierarchy. For example, those one step down from the top (doctors, lawyers, etc.) had heart disease rates four times higher than those at the top (those at levels comparable to deputy ministers). So we must conclude that something related to higher income, social position and hierarchy provides a buffer or defence against disease, or that something about lower income and status undermines defences. See also evidence from the report Social Disparities and Involvement in Physical Activity See also evidence from the report Improving the Health of Canadians See also The Social Determinants of Health: income inequality and food security Are poor people less likely to be healthy than rich people? This question was prepared for the Canadian Health Network by the Canadian Council on Social Development.
KEY DETERMINANT -- 2. Social Support Networks
UNDERLYING PREMISES	EVIDENCE
Support from families, friends and communities is associated with better health. Such social support networks could be very important in helping people solve problems and deal with adversity, as well as in maintaining a sense of mastery and control over life circumstances. The caring and respect that occurs in social relationships, and the resulting sense of satisfaction and well-being, seem to act as a buffer against health problems. In the 199697 National Population Health Survey (NPHS), more than four out of five Canadians reported that they had someone to confide in, someone they could count on in a crisis, someone they could count on for advice and someone who makes them feel loved and cared for. Similarly, in the 199495 National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, children aged 10 and 11 reported a strong tendency toward positive social behaviour and caring for others.	Evidence from Investing in the Health of Canadians: Some experts in the field have concluded that the health effect of social relationships may be as important as established risk factors such as smoking, physical activity, obesity and high blood pressure. An extensive study in California found that, for men and women, the more social contacts people have, the lower their premature death rates. Another U.S. study found that low availability of emotional support and low social participation were associated with all-cause mortality. The risk of angina pectoris decreased with increasing levels of emotional support in a study of male Israeli civil servants. See also The Social Determinants of Health: social inclusion and exclusion and social economy How do relationships with others affect people's health? This question was prepared for the Canadian Health Network by the Canadian Council on Social Development.
KEY DETERMINANT -- 3. Education and Literacy
UNDERLYING PREMISES	EVIDENCE
Health status improves with level of education. Education is closely tied to socioeconomic status, and effective education for children and lifelong learning for adults are key contributors to health and prosperity for individuals, and for the country. Education contributes to health and prosperity by equipping people with knowledge and skills for problem solving, and helps provide a sense of control and mastery over life circumstances. It increases opportunities for job and income security, and job satisfaction. And it improves people's ability to access and understand information to help keep them healthy.	Evidence from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians: Canadians with low literacy skills are more likely to be unemployed and poor, to suffer poorer health and to die earlier than Canadians with high levels of literacy People with higher levels of education have better access to healthy physical environments and are better able to prepare their children for school than people with low levels of education. They also tend to smoke less, to be more physically active and to have access to healthier foods. In the 1996-97 National Population Health Survey (NPHS), only 19% of respondents with less than a high school education rated their health as "excellent" compared with 30% of university graduates. Evidence from Investing in the Health of Canadians: The 1990 Canada Health Promotion Survey found the number of lost workdays decreases with increasing education. People with elementary schooling lose seven work days per year due to illness, injury or disability, while those with university education lose fewer than four days per year. See also evidence from the report: How Does Literacy Affect the Health of Canadians? See also The Social Determinants of Health: education How does education affect health? This question was prepared by the Canadian Council on Social Development.
KEY DETERMINANT -- 4. Employment / Working Conditions
UNDERLYING PREMISES	EVIDENCE
Unemployment, underemployment, stressful or unsafe work are associated with poorer health. People who have more control over their work circumstances and fewer stress related demands of the job are healthier and often live longer than those in more stressful or riskier work and activities.	Evidence from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians: Employment has a significant effect on a person's physical, mental and social health. Paid work provides not only money, but also a sense of identity and purpose, social contacts and opportunities for personal growth. When a person loses these benefits, the results can be devastating to both the health of the individual and his or her family. Unemployed people have a reduced life expectancy and suffer significantly more health problems than people who have a job. Conditions at work (both physical and psychosocial) can have a profound effect on people's health and emotional well-being. Participation in the wage economy, however, is only part of the picture. Many Canadians (especially women) spend almost as many hours engaged in unpaid work, such as doing housework and caring for children or older relatives. When these two workloads are combined on an ongoing basis and little or no support is offered, an individual's level of stress and job satisfaction is bound to suffer. Between 1991 and 1995, the proportion of Canadian workers who were "very satisfied" with their work declined, and was more pronounced among female workers, dropping from 58% to 49%. Reported levels of work stress followed the same pattern. In the 199697 NPHS, more women reported high work stress levels than men in every age category. Women aged 20 to 24 were almost three times as likely to report high work stress than the average Canadian worker. Evidence from Investing in the Health of Canadians: A major review done for the World Health Organization found that high levels of unemployment and economic instability in a society cause significant mental health problems and adverse effects on the physical health of unemployed individuals, their families and their communities. See also The Social Determinants of Health: employment and job security and working conditions
KEY DETERMINANT -- 5. Social Environments
UNDERLYING PREMISES	EVIDENCE
The importance of social support also extends to the broader community. Civic vitality refers to the strength of social networks within a community, region, province or country. It is reflected in the institutions, organizations and informal giving practices that people create to share resources and build attachments with others. The array of values and norms of a society influence in varying ways the health and well being of individuals and populations. In addition, social stability, recognition of diversity, safety, good working relationships, and cohesive communities provide a supportive society that reduces or avoids many potential risks to good health. A healthy lifestyle can be thought of as a broad description of people's behaviour in three inter-related dimensions: individuals; individuals within their social environments (eg. family, peers, community, workplace); the relation between individuals and their social enivronment. Interventions to improve health through lifestyle choices can use comprehensive approaches that address health as a social or community (ie. shared) issue. Social or community responses can add resources to an individual's repertoireof strategies to cope with changes and foster health. In 1996-97: - Thirty-one percent of adult Canadians reported volunteering with not-for-profit organizations in 1996-97, a 40% increase in the number of volunteers since 1987. - One in two Canadians reported being involved in a community organization. - Eighty-eight percent of Canadians made donations, either financial or in-kind, to charitable and not-for-profit organizations.	Evidence from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians In the U.S., high levels of trust and group membership were found to be associated with reduced mortality rates. Family violence has a devastating effect on the health of women and children in both the short and long term. In 1996, family members were accused in 24% of all assaults against children; among very young children, the proportion was much higher. Women who are assaulted often suffer severe physical and psychological health problems; some are even killed. In 1997, 80% of victims of spousal homicide were women, and another 19 women were killed by a boyfriend or ex-boyfriend. Since peaking in 1991, the national crime rate declined 19% by 1997. However, this national rate is still more than double what it was three decades ago.
KEY DETERMINANT -- 6. Physical Environments
UNDERLYING PREMISES	EVIDENCE
The physical environment is an important determinant of health. At certain levels of exposure, contaminants in our air, water, food and soil can cause a variety of adverse health effects, including cancer, birth defects, respiratory illness and gastrointestinal ailments. In the built environment, factors related to housing, indoor air quality, and the design of communities and transportation systems can significantly influence our physical and psychological well-being.	Evidence from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians The prevalence of childhood asthma, a respiratory disease that is highly sensitive to airborne contaminants, has increased sharply over the last two decades, especially among the age group 0 to 5. It was estimated that some 13% of boys and 11% of girls aged 0 to 19 (more than 890,000 children and young people) suffered from asthma in 199697. Children and outdoor workers may be especially vulnerable to the health effects of a reduced ozone layer. Excessive exposure to UV-B radiation can cause sunburn, skin cancer, depression of the immune system and an increased risk of developing cataracts Evidence from Investing in the Health of Canadians: Air pollution, including exposure to second hand tobacco smoke, has a significant association with health. A study in southern Ontario found a consistent link between hospital admissions for respiratory illness in the summer months and levels of sulphates and ozone in the air. However, it now seems that the risk from small particles such as dust and carbon particles that are by-products of burning fuel may be even greater than the risks from pollutants such as ozone. As well, research indicates that lung cancer risks from second hand tobacco smoke are greater than the risks from the hazardous air pollutants from all regulated industrial emissions combined. See also The Social Determinants of Health: housing What affects health more: germs and viruses, or the environment? This question was prepared for the Canadian Health Network by the Canadian Council on Social Development.
KEY DETERMINANT -- 7. Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills
UNDERLYING PREMISES	EVIDENCE
Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills refer to those actions by which individuals can prevent diseases and promote self-care, cope with challenges, and develop self-reliance, solve problems and make choices that enhance health. Definitions of lifestyle include not only individual choices, but also the influence of social, economic,and environmental factors on the decisions people make about their health. There is a growing recognition that personal life "choices" are greatly influenced by the socioeconomic environments in which people live, learn, work and play. These influences impact lifestyle choice through at least five areas: personal life skills, stress, culture, social relationships and belonging, and a sense of control. Interventions that support the creation of suportive environments will enhance the capacity of individuals to make healthy lifestyle choices in a world where many choices are possible. Through research in areas such as heart disease and disadvantaged childhood, there is more evidence that powerful biochemical and physiological pathways link the individual socio-economic experience to vascular conditions and other adverse health events. However, there is a growing recognition that personal life "choices" are greatly influenced by the socioeconomic environments in which people live, learn, work and play. Through research in areas such as heart disease and disadvantaged childhood, there is more evidence that powerful biochemical and physiological pathways link the individual socio-economic experience to vascular conditions and other adverse health events.	Evidence from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians In Canada, smoking is estimated to be responsible for at least one-quarter of all deaths for adults between the ages of 35 and 84. Rates of smoking have increased substantially among adolescents and youth, particularly among young women, over the past five years and smoking rates among Aboriginal people are double the overall rate for Canada as a whole. Multiple risk-taking behaviours, including such hazardous combinations as alcohol, drug use and driving, and alcohol, drug use and unsafe sex, remain particularly high among young people, especially young men. Diet in general and the consumption of fat in particular are linked to some of the major causes of death, including cancer and coronary heart disease. The proportion of overweight men and women in Canada increased steadily between 1985 and 199697 < from 22% to 34% among men and from 14% to 23% among women. Evidence from Investing in the Health of Canadians: Coping skills, which seem to be acquired primarily in the first few years of life, are also important in supporting healthy lifestyles. These are the skills people use to interact effectively with the world around them, to deal with the events, challenges and stress they encounter in their day to day lives. Effective coping skills enable people to be self-reliant, solve problems and make informed choices that enhance health. These skills help people face life's challenges in positive ways, without recourse to risky behaviours such as alcohol or drug abuse. Research tells us that people with a strong sense of their own effectiveness and ability to cope with circumstances in their lives are likely to be most successful in adopting and sustaining healthy behaviours and lifestyles. See also evidence from the report Social Disparities and Involvement in Physical Activity See also evidence from the report Improving the Health of Canadians
KEY DETERMINANT -- 8. Healthy Child Development
UNDERLYING PREMISES	EVIDENCE
New evidence on the effects of early experiences on brain development, school readiness and health in later life has sparked a growing consensus about early child development as a powerful determinant of health in its own right. At the same time, we have been learning more about how all of the other determinants of health affect the physical, social, mental, emotional and spiritual development of children and youth. For example, a young person's development is greatly affected by his or her housing and neighbourhood, family income and level of parents' education, access to nutritious foods and physical recreation, genetic makeup and access to dental and medical care.	Evidence from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians Experiences from conception to age six have the most important influence of any time in the life cycle on the connecting and sculpting of the brain's neurons. Positive stimulation early in life improves learning, behaviour and health into adulthood. Tobacco and alcohol use during pregnancy can lead to poor birth outcomes. In the 199697 National Population Health Survey, about 36% of new mothers who were former or current smokers smoked during their last pregnancy (about 146,000 women). The vast majority of women reported that they did not drink alcohol during their pregnancy. A loving, secure attachment between parents/caregivers and babies in the first 18 months of life helps children to develop trust, self-esteem, emotional control and the ability to have positive relationships with others in later life. Infants and children who are neglected or abused are at higher risk for injuries, a number of behavioural, social and cognitive problems later in life, and death. Evidence from Investing in the Health of Canadians: A low weight at birth links with problems not just during childhood, but also in adulthood. Research shows a strong relationship between income level of the mother and the baby's birth weight. The effect occurs not just for the most economically disadvantaged group. Mothers at each step up the income scale have babies with higher birth weights, on average, than those on the step below. This tells us the problems are not just a result of poor maternal nutrition and poor health practices associated with poverty, although the most serious problems occur in the lowest income group. It seems that factors such as coping skills and sense of control and mastery over life circumstances also come into play. See also evidence from the report Improving the Health of Canadians See also The Social Determinants of Health: early childhood education and care
KEY DETERMINANT -- 9. Biology and Genetic Endowment
UNDERLYING PREMISES	EVIDENCE
The basic biology and organic make-up of the human body are a fundamental determinant of health. Genetic endowment provides an inherited predisposition to a wide range of individual responses that affect health status. Although socio-economic and environmental factors are important determinants of overall health, in some circumstances genetic endowment appears to predispose certain individuals to particular diseases or health problems.	Evidence from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians Studies in neurobiology have confirmed that when optimal conditions for a child's development are provided in the investment phase (between conception and age 5), the brain develops in a way that has positive outcomes for a lifetime. Aging is not synonymous with poor health. Active living and the provision of opportunities for lifelong learning may be particularly important for maintaining health and cognitive capacity in old age. And studies on education level and dementia suggest that exposure to education and lifelong learning may create reserve capacity in the brain that compensates for cognitive losses that occur with biological aging.
KEY DETERMINANT -- 10. Health Services
UNDERLYING PREMISES	EVIDENCE
Health services, particularly those designed to maintain and promote health, to prevent disease, and to restore health and function contribute to population health. The health services continuum of care includes treatment and secondary prevention	Evidence from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians Disease and injury prevention activities in areas such as immunization and the use of mammography are showing positive results. These activities must continue if progress is to be maintained. There has been a substantial decline in the average length of stay in hospital. Shifting care into the community and the home raises concerns about the increased financial, physical and emotional burdens placed on families, especially women. The demand for home care has increased in several jurisdictions, and there is a concern about equitable access to these services. Access to universally insured care remains largely unrelated to income; however, many low- and moderate-income Canadians have limited or no access to health services such as eye care, dentistry, mental health counselling and prescription drugs.
KEY DETERMINANT -- 11. Gender
UNDERLYING PREMISES	EVIDENCE
Gender refers to the array of society-determined roles, personality traits, attitudes, behaviours, values, relative power and influence that society ascribes to the two sexes on a differential basis. "Gendered" norms influence the health system's practices and priorities. Many health issues are a function of gender-based social status or roles.	Evidence from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians Men are more likely to die prematurely than women, largely as a result of heart disease, fatal unintentional injuries, cancer and suicide. Rates of potential years of life lost before age 70 are almost twice as high for men than women and approximately three times as high among men aged 20 to 34. While women live longer than men, they are more likely to suffer depression, stress overload (often due to efforts to balance work and family life), chronic conditions such as arthritis and allergies, and injuries and death resulting from family violence. While overall cancer death rates for men have declined, they have remained persistently stubborn among women, mainly due to increases in lung cancer mortality. Teenage girls are now more likely than adolescent boys to smoke. If increased rates of smoking among young women are not reversed, lung cancer rates among women will continue to climb. See also articles on Rural, remote and northern women - where you live matters to your health and How being Black and female affects your health
KEY DETERMINANT -- 12. Culture
UNDERLYING PREMISES	EVIDENCE
Some persons or groups may face additional health risks due to a socio-economic environment, which is largely determined by dominant cultural values that contribute to the perpetuation of conditions such as marginalization, stigmatization, loss or devaluation of language and culture and lack of access to culturally appropriate health care and services.	Evidence from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians Despite major improvements since 1979, infant mortality rates among First Nations people in 1994 were still twice as high as among the Canadian population as a whole and the prevalence of major chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart problems, cancer hypertension and arthritis/rheumatism, is significantly higher in Aboriginal communities and appears to be increasing. In a comparison of ethnic groups, the highest rate of suicide occurred among the Inuit, at 70 per 100,000, compared with 29 per 100,000 for the Dene and 15 per 100,000 for all other ethnic groups, comprised primarily of non-Aboriginal persons. The 199697 National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth found that many immigrant and refugee children were doing better emotionally and academically than their Canadian born peers, even though far more of the former lived in low-income households. The study suggests that "poverty among the Canadian-born population may have a different meaning than it has for newly arrived immigrants. The immigrant context of hope for a brighter future lessens poverty's blows; the hopelessness of majority-culture poverty accentuates its potency." See also evidence from the report Improving the Health of Canadians

There are several factors which affect health, collectively they are known as the 12 determinants of health:

Income and Social Status

Health status improves at each step up the income and social hierarchy. High income determines living conditions such as safe housing and ability to buy sufficient good food. The healthiest populations are those in societies which are prosperous and have an equitable distribution of wealth.
The evidence: Low-income Canadians are more likely to die earlier and to suffer more illnesses than Canadians with higher incomes, regardless of age, sex, race and place of residence.

Social Support Networks

Support from families, friends and communities is associated with better health. Such social support networks could be very important in helping people solve problems and deal with adversity, as well as in maintaining a sense of mastery and control over life circumstances. The caring and respect that occurs in social relationships, and the resulting sense of satisfaction and well-being, seem to act as a buffer against health problems.
The evidence: An extensive study in California found that, for men and women, the more social contacts people have, the lower their premature death rates.

Education

Health status improves with level of education. Education is closely tied to socioeconomic status, and effective education for children and lifelong learning for adults are key contributors to health and prosperity for individuals, and for the country.
The evidence: Canadians with low literacy skills are more likely to be unemployed and poor, to suffer poorer health and to die earlier than Canadians with high levels of literacy.

Employment and Working Conditions

Unemployment, underemployment, stressful or unsafe work are associated with poorer health. People who have more control over their work circumstances and fewer stress related demands of the job are healthier and often live longer than those in more stressful or riskier work and activities.
The evidence: Employment has a significant effect on a person's physical, mental and social health. Paid work provides not only money, but also a sense of identity and purpose, social contacts and opportunities for personal growth. When a person loses these benefits, the results can be devastating to both the health of the individual and his or her family. Unemployed people have a reduced life expectancy and suffer significantly more health problems than people who have a job.

Social Environments

The importance of social support also extends to the broader community. Civic vitality refers to the strength of social networks within a community, region, province or country. It is reflected in the institutions, organizations and informal giving practices that people create to share resources and build attachments with others. The array of values and norms of a society influence, in varying ways, the health and well being of individuals and populations. In addition, social stability, recognition of diversity, safety, good working relationships, and cohesive communities provide a supportive society that reduces or avoids many potential risks to good health.
The evidence: Family violence has a devastating effect on the health of women and children in both the short and long term. In 1996, family members were accused in 24 percent of all assaults against children; among very young children, the proportion was much higher.

Physical Environments

The physical environment is an important determinant of health. At certain levels of exposure, contaminants in our air, water, food and soil can cause a variety of adverse health effects, including cancer, birth defects, respiratory illness and gastrointestinal ailments. In the built environment, factors related to housing, indoor air quality, and the design of communities and transportation systems can significantly influence our physical and psychological well-being.
The evidence: The prevalence of childhood asthma, a respiratory disease that is highly sensitive to airborne contaminants, has increased sharply over the last two decades, especially among the age group zero to five. It was estimated that some 13 percent of boys and 11 percent of girls aged zero to 19 (more than 890,000 children and young people) suffered from asthma in 1996 / 1997.

Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills

Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills refer to those actions by which individuals can prevent diseases and promote self-care, cope with challenges, and develop self-reliance, solve problems and make choices that enhance health. Definitions of lifestyle include not only individual choices, but also the influence of social, economic, and environmental factors on the decisions people make about their health. There is a growing recognition that personal life "choices" are greatly influenced by the socioeconomic environments in which people live, learn, work and play.
The evidence: In Canada, smoking is estimated to be responsible for at least one-quarter of all deaths for adults between the ages of 35 and 84. Rates of smoking have increased substantially among adolescents and youth, particularly among young women, over the past five years and smoking rates among Aboriginal people are double the overall rate for Canada as a whole.

Healthy Child Development

New evidence on the effects of early experiences on brain development, school readiness and health in later life has sparked a growing consensus about early child development as a powerful determinant of health in its own right. At the same time, we have been learning more about how all of the other determinants of health affect the physical, social, mental, emotional and spiritual development of children and youth. For example, a young person's development is greatly affected by his or her housing and neighbourhood, family income and level of parents' education, access to nutritious foods and physical recreation, genetic makeup and access to dental and medical care.
The evidence: Experiences from conception to age six have the most important influence of any time in the life cycle on the connecting and sculpting of the brain's neurons. Positive stimulation early in life improves learning, behaviour and health into adulthood.

Biology and Genetic Endowment

The basic biology and organic make-up of the human body are a fundamental determinant of health. Genetic endowment provides an inherited predisposition to a wide range of individual responses that affect health status. Although socio-economic and environmental factors are important determinants of overall health, in some circumstances genetic endowment appears to predispose certain individuals to particular diseases or health problems.
The evidence: Studies in neurobiology have confirmed that when optimal conditions for a child's development are provided in the investment phase (between conception and age five), the brain develops in a way that has positive outcomes for a lifetime.

Health Services

Health services, particularly those designed to maintain and promote health, to prevent disease, and to restore health and function contribute to population health. The health services continuum of care includes treatment and secondary prevention.
The evidence: Disease and injury prevention activities in areas such as immunization and the use of mammography are showing positive results. These activities must continue if progress is to be maintained.

Gender

Gender refers to the array of society - determined roles, personality traits, attitudes, behaviours, values, relative power and influence that society ascribes to the two sexes on a differential basis. "Gendered" norms influence the health system's practices and priorities. Many health issues are a function of gender-based social status or roles. The evidence: Men are more likely to die prematurely than women, largely as a result of heart disease, fatal unintentional injuries, cancer and suicide. Rates of potential years of life lost before age 70 are almost twice as high for men than women and approximately three times as high among men aged 20 to 34. While women live longer than men, they are more likely to suffer depression, stress overload (often due to efforts to balance work and family life), chronic conditions such as arthritis and allergies, and injuries and death resulting from family violence.

Culture

Some persons or groups may face additional health risks due to a socio-economic environment, which is largely determined by dominant cultural values that contribute to the perpetuation of conditions such as marginalization, stigmatization, loss or devaluation of language and culture and lack of access to culturally appropriate health care and services.
The evidence: Despite major improvements since 1979, infant mortality rates among First Nations people in 1994 were still twice as high as among the Canadian population as a whole and the prevalence of major chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart problems, cancer hypertension and arthritis/rheumatism, is significantly higher in Aboriginal communities and appears to be increasing.

Source: Public Health Agency of Canada - What Determines Health?

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http://genderandhealth.ca/en/modules/poverty/poverty-introductionandobjectives.jsp

Welcome to the Gender and Poverty Module.

After completing this module you will be able to:

Explain how poverty effects health across the life cycle.
Identify barriers that exist for low income women and men, girls and boys to optimize their health, and describe strategies that may help overcome these barriers.
Describe an approach to individuals whose lives have been affected by poverty in light of your own experiences of poverty and affluence.

We will begin with an exploration of the concepts and language of the module and then we will proceed to an exploration of poverty across the life cycle.
At the end of the first section you will be able to:

Define health and identify the many factors that influence health.
Identify your thoughts about poverty.
Recognize the lack of an official poverty line in Canada and describe the concept of low income cut-offs.
Consider the complex interaction between poverty and health.
Describe the epidemiology of poverty in Canada.

Objectives - The Child’s Experience of Poverty

At the end of this section you will be able to:

describe the scope of child poverty nationally and internationally
explain the relationship between poverty and food security for children
describe the effect of poverty on the key tasks of childhood - play and learning
outline the effect of poverty on child health

Poverty as a Determinant of Health

It is widely acknowledged that health and social status are intimately related such that individuals in higher social classes are healthier and live longer than those in lower classes. This is true regardless of whether income, education or another socioeconomic indicator is used and regardless of the health outcome used.[1] Health improves with each increment in social class. So it is not only the most disadvantaged members of a society that experience poor health, but rather health status decreases with each step down the socioeconomic ladder, thus affecting the health of the entire population.[4]
Consider the following. These are only a few examples of the many ways in which income status impacts negatively upon health.

The risk of depression increases with decreasing income. For women, 13% in the lowest income group reported depression compared with 5% of women in the highest income group.[2]

Women with lower incomes who seek help for mental health issues are more likely to receive medication rather than psychotherapy, leaving them with the same stresses and little social support.[1]
Canadian men in the highest income quintile live on average 6.3 years longer and 14.3 more years without disability then men in the lowest income quintile.[2]

The infant mortality rate in Canada is 5.8 per 1000 live births. However, this rates is 5.0 in the highest income group, and 7.5 in the lowest income group.[2]
Lower income Canadians are more likely to report having seen a physician in the previous year, but are more likely to report unmet health care needs.[2]

In the remainder of the module, we will explore these and the many other impacts of poverty on health. It is important to keep in mind that the relationship between poverty and health is complex, and that not only does poverty contribute to poor health, but poor health may contribute to poverty. This issue will also be addressed elsewhere in the module.

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Child welfare workers second-guess stressful jobs

COLLEEN LONG, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: April 04, 2011 1:31 a.m. Last modified: April 04, 2011 1:36 a.m.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - When child welfare worker Kelly Mares investigates an abuse case, she doesn't know what's going to greet her on the other side of the door. A ferocious dog. Or a gun. Or a meth lab, or angry parents who lash out violently.

She takes those risks willingly, she says, because she believes in protecting the city's most vulnerable. But she's not willing to risk going to jail. After two of her co-workers were charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of a 4-year-old Brooklyn girl under their care, she's rethinking her career.

"I do not want to go to work every day afraid that I'm going to be arrested for doing my job, and right now that's how everybody feels and it's really scary," she said, her voice cracking.

Workers at child welfare agencies around the country tell similar stories of taxing, emotional and frustrating jobs that are low in pay and high in stress because of hostile families, tight budgets and overburdened court systems. Workers juggle several cases, make as little as $28,000 a year and usually burn out after a couple of years.

In Brooklyn, an investigator and supervisor for the New York City Administration for Children's Services are arguing they were too busy to record their work in the case of Marchella Pierce, who died after being beaten, drugged and starved to 18 pounds (8 kilograms), about half of what a child her age should weigh. If and when they go to trial, a central issue will be whether city workers who fall down on the job should be held criminally responsible — and the outcome could set a precedent for how failures are handled in the future.

Critics liken the practice to arresting a police officer for not getting to the scene of a crime fast enough.

"It's impossible to see into the future about these cases," child welfare expert Andrew White said, referring to Marchella's death.

"It's a lot to take the responsibility for something you're only seeing in hindsight . when you're talking about homicide charges," said White of The New School for Management and Urban Policy which publishes the journal Child Welfare Watch.

Prosecutors insist, though, that child welfare workers who are dangerously negligent in their jobs should be held criminally responsible.

Case workers in Philadelphia who skipped home visits to a 14-year-old disabled girl and contractors who invented phoney paperwork after she starved to death in 2006 are serving long prison terms for defrauding the city; her mother is serving 20 to 40 years for third-degree murder.

Florida's system recently came under fire after a child protective investigator failed to call law enforcement during a four-day search for 10-year-old fraternal twins allegedly locked in a bathroom for days. Instead, officials say, she filled out a safety questionnaire indicating the children were not in danger. The girl's body was later found in her father's pickup truck.

In Brooklyn, Marchella Pierce's mother, Carlotta Brett-Pierce, has been charged with murder in her September death; her grandmother has been charged with manslaughter. They have pleaded not guilty.

At the crux of the charges against investigator Damon Adams and his supervisor, Chereece Bell, are whether visits were made to the troubled home. Records and conversations between Bell and Adams were not entered into the computer system until after she died, and prosecutors charge that they were falsified.

The Administration for Children's Services said in an internal report that it appeared no one visited the home in the months before the girl died.

Bell and Adams say some visits took place but weren't recorded because they were so busy. They resigned in October.

"I was so conditioned. ... Every day it was something else coming up that prevented you from doing another. It was so regular to me that it was impossible to get it all done," Bell said.

She said she was undertrained and never got the staff she needed to manage a Brooklyn-based unit that had a high rate of abuse and neglect cases. Adams' attorney said he had dozens of court cases, in addition to open child welfare investigations that took up hours of his day.

But White said that regardless of the hours, good workers get much of their work done, and if they really made the visits, there should be some kind of paperwork to back it up.

New York's child welfare commissioner, John Mattingly, recently announced system changes after Marchella's death and said in a statement that the arrests were troubling and could discourage excellent job applicants.

Child welfare experts say Mattingly's fear is a real possibility, given how difficult the jobs are.

"We're asking people to go into very difficult neighbourhoods, work with families that may not have them there, and do it with poise and calm, in highly charged environments in order to protect children," said Mary McCarthy, a child welfare expert at the State University of New York in Albany. "And then make decisions about the future welfare of that child."

In the past decade, the New York City agency's budget has gone from about $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2000 to about $2.7 billion now. Cases have steadily increased since the death of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown — who was bound to a chair, starved, forced to use a litter box and then beaten to death — shook the city and led to changes in the child welfare system.

The Child Welfare League of America recommends no more than 12 active investigations per worker a month at one time, and no more than 14 combined investigations and court cases at one time.

Child welfare workers in New York on average juggle nine investigations at any given time, plus dozens of other open cases. In Illinois, it's 12. In South Florida, under scrutiny after the case involving the twins, it is nearly 18.

Workers make $28,000 and up. In New York, investigators are paid between $42,000 and $72,000. In Miami, it's $34,000.

Right now, Mares has 22 cases to monitor, including 10 open investigations. She starts early, ends late. She spends as much as five hours at a home and spends days in court on other cases. She needs to obtain medical and school records; examine children physically; and interview parents, teachers, neighbours and friends about potential abuse.

She has to prioritize, and that often means leaving paperwork until the end.

"Look, if this precedent is going to be set, then you might as well arrest me right now, because my notes are late," Mares said. "Does it mean I didn't make those visits? No. Does it mean I don't take good, clear notes? No. Does it mean I didn't do those things I said I did? No."

The stress causes most investigators to burn out quickly, child welfare experts say. In Florida, state agency Secretary David Wilkins said, nearly 56 per cent of investigators have been on the job less than two years.

"I have seen, in over eight years with the Department, several massive exoduses of workers who feel they have come to the end of their line," Florida child welfare worker Leaford McCleary wrote in an internal email to other workers obtained by The Associated Press.

"It is common knowledge that we often neglect our obligations to ourselves and our families in order to meet the demands of this job," she wrote. "And our secret prayer at the end of each day is that nothing goes wrong with a child on our caseload."

The investigator who failed to call law enforcement during the search for the twins is no longer with the agency. Another employee was fired and two others were reprimanded. No criminal charges have been filed.

For New York's Mares, who left a successful career in theatre to do the job, she's not sure what her next move will be. She has been working two years — the mile post for most to get out.

"I wanted to help children, and I wanted to make a difference and I like getting to the heart of things; that's why I chose this position," she said. "I didn't sign up for the two-year turnaround. I signed up to make this my career, and to be honest, all of this is in question now."

Associated Press writer Kelli Kennedy in Miami contributed to this report.

RESPONSE:

Of course they should be charged. They are paid to protect children and they failed to do so. Is this worker confused about her role?

Being too busy is an excuse for this type of abuse didnot happen over night, it happened over a long period of time so how many times did case workers fail to investigate and protect. The issue is also that they are not trained properly, very few case workers actually have enough qualifications to do their job though it does not require a degree to recognized a tortured child. Deflecting accountability by the department is actually what abusive parents do, blame something else for why the child was injured/dead. Please do these children a favour and go work elsewhere, stupid lazy case worker are a threat to child safety and well being.

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First Nations poverty called a drag on Canada

PAT HEWITT

Published: January 25, 2011 8:19 p.m.Last modified: January 26, 2011 12:55 p.m.

TORONTO - Aboriginal children live in poverty that is shameful in a country as rich as Canada, and it's costing them their future, says the former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

"It's a stain on Canada's international reputation," Phil Fontaine told several hundred people gathered at Ryerson University on Tuesday.

Fontaine joined former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin in a lecture hall where they discussed indigenous governance. Both former leaders agreed education is key to improving life for First Nations communities.

Martin said the federal government underfunds aboriginal elementary and high school education 20 to 40 per cent when compared to provincial funding for non-aboriginal education.

Most students on reserves attend schools that Toronto parents wouldn't send their children to, he said.

"Schools that have no science, that have no labs, teachers who can't deal with special cases, schools in certain cases built on toxic dumps," said Martin.

Aboriginal poverty is "an enormous drag" on Canada's ability to create the kind of society it purports to have, said Fontaine.

High suicide rates and the disproportionate number of aboriginals incarcerated are some of the outcomes of poverty, said Fontaine.

He said 27,000-30,000 aboriginal children are in state care — three times the number of students in residential schools at the height of the residential school experience in the 1940s.

"This is largely the consequence of poverty," he said.

"It has nothing to do with the lack of parental love or a willingness on the part of family or communities to look after their children," he said.

"They're just too poor."

Sixty First Nations communities have no schools. Roughly the same number have schools in a terrible state of disrepair, he said.

"We are depriving First Nations children of the opportunity to get a decent, quality education," said Fontaine.

According to a report published in 2006 by the advocacy group Campaign 2000, one in four First Nations children live in poverty.

The high school dropout rate for aboriginal students on reserves is 60 per cent, compared to 9.5 per cent for non-aboriginal Canadians, according to the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative.

Only seven per cent of First Nations people have obtained a university degree, compared to 23 per cent of non-aboriginal Canadians.

The federal government can't afford to underfund aboriginal education in a global economy, Martin told The Canadian Press earlier in an interview.

Canada's 34 million residents are competing with juggernauts like China and India, whose populations top one billion, he noted.

But a spokeswoman for Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister John Duncan said in an email aboriginal education is a priority.

"Our government is committed to ensuring Aboriginal Peoples have access to the same educational opportunities as other Canadians," said Michele-Jamali Paquette.

The Harper government has reached six agreements with provinces and First Nations since it took office, she said.

"Paul Martin had the chance to help improve the lives of Aboriginal Canadians when he and his Liberal party were in office for 13 years," she said.

Martin said he remains disappointed the Harper government killed the Kelowna Accord his government signed with the provinces, territories and aboriginal leaders in 2005.

Lawyer Darrell Doxtdator of the Six Nations said he wasn't impressed by the speeches.

He was one of a handful in the audience allowed to ask a question before the crowd was hustled out so the next class could take their seats.

The former political adviser to Six Nations elected chief David General said it's time Canadians told their politicians to get moving.

Afterward, he said First Nations people are frustrated after years of unresolved land claims and funding shortfalls.

"Good governance requires good people and good money," he said.

"Unfortunately we have the people but the money we're provided is grossly inadequate and as long as it's given short shrift, problems will continue," he said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Public schools not inspiring confidence

By The Numbers by Rick EmberleyPublished: February 04, 2011 5:21 a.m. Last modified: February 03, 2011 10:48 p.m.

Our public school system appears to be failing us.

Based on research I’ve conducted, more than 50 per cent of people in HRM feel it is not delivering the outcomes that we need.

And furthermore, more than 80 per cent feel the provincial government does not invest enough in the system.

That’s a rather interesting finding given the current debate about funding to the province’s school boards.

By contrast, Haligonians have a very positive view of the post-secondary education system.

More than 90 per cent of respondents reported to me in recent polls that they rate our universities as good to excellent, and a resounding 95 per cent rate our community college system as good to excellent.

The difference in our views regarding P-12 versus post-secondary education all seems to boil down to our perception of the quality of the system and, of course, the outcomes.

Faith in our public school system has been deteriorating since the early 1990s.

The reasons for this drop in confidence in our schools boil down to perceptions of “poor quality of teaching” (46 per cent), “poor condition of our schools” (12 per cent) and “poor course selection” (16 per cent)

Almost 60 per cent of HRM residents believe the system is not delivering a sound basic education, the three R’s.

On the other hand, our universities and colleges are delivering great value for the money, and if asked, more than 85 per cent of us would recommend pursuing a post-secondary education.

A growing number of us, however, would suggest college over university.

Government preoccupation about the cost of education may be well founded, but when is someone going to start talking about quality, value for money?

Rick Emberley is senior counsel at Marketquest-Omnifacts, an Atlantic Canada research firm. He has conducted public opinion research in the region for over 25 years.

RESPONSE: This is a three tier responsibility model: 1) ineffective, uninspiring, stagnant, unqualified school boards/teachers 2) absentee parent/guardians-parents with little to no aspirations/education 3) govt failing to consider education a priority in policy and payment

~~~~~~~~~~~~

NS Family and Childrens Services Act link

http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/childfam.htm

~~~~~~~

Programs and resources

Child Care Information for Families
Help for Nova Scotians looking for quality child care.
Information for Child Care Providers
Information on operating a child care facility, with information on licensing, grants, staff training, etc.
Adoption
The different types of adoption, eligibility etc.
Foster Care
Information for prospective foster parents.
About Child Abuse
Information for people who suspect a child is being abused.
Youth Secretariat
We are helping involve young people in the essential tasks and processes of government and the community at large.
Community Child Welfare Boards
Community Child Welfare Boards serve as links between the community, the local child welfare services, and the Minister of Community Services.
National Child Day Art Submissions
This year, National Child Day celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Canada's signing of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
National Child Benefit in Nova Scotia
This is provided to all low-income families to help them with the cost of raising children under the age of 18.
Low Income Prescription Drug Coverage (Pharmacare) for Children
Prescription drug coverage is available to families who receive the Nova Scotia Child Benefit.
Children in Care
When children can't remain in the home.
Community Residential Services
This program provides placement services for children and youth in the care of the Minister of Community Services, who require more supervision and structure than is available in family foster care.
Secure Care at The Wood Street Centre
A safe place for children and youth in crisis.
Child and Youth Strategy
A key recomendation of the Nunn Commission.
Early Intervention Programs
These programs are designed for children who are at risk of poor developmental outcomes.
Community-based Organizations Supported by Family and Youth Services
Community-based programs supported by this department.
Kids Come First
This program places volunteers with children, youth and parents from across the Halifax Regional Municipality.

Related information

http://www.gov.ns.ca/coms/families/index.html

~~~~~~~~

Psychologist urges new approach

Enhanced foster system proposed for kids who have behavioural issues

By DENOJA KANKESAN Fri. Jul 16 - 4:53 AM

A leading clinical psychologist in Nova Scotia is asking the province to begin modernizing the residential-care system for kids with behaviour disorders.

"They have got to start closing down group homes and opening up facilities that offer robust fostering systems," said Dr. Charles Emmrys.

Emmrys spoke Thursday at a news conference held for the family of a 15-year-old Cole Harbour boy now in an Ontario treatment facility for children with conduct disorders.

He said that the boy fit the profile of children who would benefit from a multi-dimensional foster-care approach.

"It involves a period of foster care in a specialized foster home that is well supported by psychologists and social workers. During that time, the family is trained to be able to receive him and community resources are put in place that the child can then use to normalize his life.

"This is an approach that has the best results in research."

Roch Longueepee, founder and chief executive officer of Restoring Dignity, is working with the grandmother of the 15-year-old to persuade the Community Services Department to bring the boy back to Nova Scotia.

"They said to the courts that they didn’t have the facilities or the experts to execute the program that we are proposing," said Longueepee. "So what we did was went a step further and found the team."

Restoring Dignity, a non-government organization that helps survivors of institutional child abuse and their families, and Emmrys submitted their proposal to the Community Services Department on Thursday.

Last June, Justice Beryl MacDonald of the Halifax family court decided that the specialized services the boy needs, in a secure setting from which he cannot escape, are not available in Nova Scotia.

The boy has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and alcohol-related neural development disorder. He has severe behaviour problems and difficulty controlling his impulses.

( dkankesan@herald.ca)

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1192118.html

http://www.restoringdignity.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.nald.ca/library/research/takngoff/takngoff.pdf

Working together for better health literacy

Health literacy is a term we have used to talk about how our level of literacy affects our

ability to find and act on health information and services and, ultimately, take control of our

health. Both health and literacy are essential resources for our well-being and for making our

lives better.

Health literacy is an opportunity for practitioners and policy makers from the fields of health,

literacy, and other sectors to work together to address the health concerns of people limited in

literacy, and the literacy concerns of people experiencing poor health. Many things must and

can be done to reduce the barriers that limited literacy imposes on the health and well-being

of people in this region and beyond. con't in link

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daycares and Metro Bus Safety an issue so where is the concern in HRM?

http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/daycare.htm

As soon as the warm sun is out to play the metro public transit system is overwhelmed with the many little bodies from day cares throughout HRM. Day Cares in Nova Scotia are governed by the Dept of Community Services which is in turn governed by the Children and Family Services Act (1990) and yes, you should be very afraid.

WE brought a serious issue of daycare/child safety to the direct attention of CS and Metro who have done nothing to date to change the policies or hold the day care in Eastern Passage accountable for outrageous child endangerment. I boarded a local route to see many children sitting on the dirty floor squashed like sardines. Now even on a cushioned seat you feel every bump in the road and those children vocalized as they hit each one. I was so angry at the blatant disregard for child safety that I asked the 5 adults sitting in seats what the name of their day care was. I had to ask many times and they would not answer, instead they became belligerent and vulgar.

When I got home I posted this information on our community website and the reaction was best fit for a petri dish. Instead of being concerned for child safety adults not with the day care who did NOT give up their seats to these little ones became quite obnoxious as they deflected the blame to me for being outraged and not to the offending day care who had no respect for the children in their care.

Sadly, the purpose of our posting was lost on the LCD in Eastern Passage as our posting was to let parents know that their children may not be safe while in transit with day cares so to make sure, even put into writing, their wishes for their own child's bus safety. We assume no parent wants their child(ren) sitting on an unsafe and unclean floor?

WE contacted Child Services and because we had no day care name they said they would have to see which one it was on their own. That would mean those complying would be needlessly harassed to see who was the offending day care. One employee of the day care posted that they told me the name yet REFUSED to repost it on the community website to assist Child Services with their investigation.
This is the brief version of a complacent community and lax attitudes toward child transportation safety and hats off to the HRM Daycare staff for outstanding child safety practices.

Metro's official answer to us was that the bus driver assumes that the day care will use their own discretion for child safety.
Now with minor tweaking of the policies for Metro Transit...still no mention of children with daycares....where the ratio is still not 1 (adult):1(child). There is NO reason why Metro cannot put on extra buses for days that are predictably day care days so that others can get to work on time and not miss their buses due to overcrowding....

http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/passenger_safety.html

Strollers and Children

Strollers are permitted on Metro Transit vehicles. After boarding, a child may be left in the stroller if space permits; however, the stroller cannot block the aisle or impede the movement of other passengers. The brakes must be engaged and the stroller must be held at all times. Should the adult chose to remove the child from the stroller, it must be folded and stored in a safe position.

Young children should be accompanied by an adult when travelling on Metro Transit vehicles.

Please contact Daycare Services and Metro Transit to have your child's safety included in policies if you are a daycare user. Metro states that in the case of an accident the day care is SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for any injuries to YOUR child!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.resilienceproject.org/cmp_conference/?strCompname=theconference

http://www.michaelungar.ca/

Incredible work done here (DrMUngar) on the issue of resilience in children /families/communities.

Our children are safer now than at any other time in history. As a social worker and family therapist, I’ve become concerned that we may be keeping our children Too Safe for Their Own Good. If we adults think back to when we were young, didn’t the risks we take and the responsibilities we had help prepare us for the challenges we would face later in our lives? In What’s going on?y work with young people and their families I am seeing a disturbing trend: a connection between all the security we offer children and adolescents and troubling behaviors like drug abuse, early sexual activity, violence and truancy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://home.istar.ca/~cccns/NSCCA/home.html

The Nova Scotia Child Care Association is a non-profit association for child care practitioners in Nova Scotia. The NSCCA recognizes that child care practitioners are the main ingredient in high quality child care and provide a valuable service to society.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.buildchildcare.ca/BE_petition.php?submit=verify&p=23&c=72294&r=6V0EaONk

CODEBLUE CHILD CARE IN CANADA

please sign petition

shame shame double shame on Steve Harper...promises and promises but no delivery

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December 5 2006-PRESENTATION TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR CHILD WELFARE-COMMUNITY SERVICES:

Despite the trauma that had to be processed by RESPONSE team presenter RESPONSE presented at the Community Services office Spring Garden Road. The committee graciously extended our time to an hour as we discussed the generational abuses on families by Community Services who fail to enforce the Childrens and Families Services Act (1990) evenly and with due diligence to protect vulnerable families and children from harm.

Key points were the systemic negligence of CS on children and families in public housing and the violation of the Act committed by civil servants/child welfare workers who themselves cause further injury and trauma to endangered children, with impunity. Also mentionws was the lack of commitment from other named parties in the Act such as the police and schools who fail to report child abuse which is an ACT violation.

Several recommendations were given by RESPONSE, here is our framework:

Children and Family Services Act

Nova Scotia 1990

http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/childfam.htm

Submitted by RESPONSE: A THOUSAND VOICES

Contact:

RESPONSE: A THOUSAND VOICES

responsevoices@hotmail.com

http://www.responsevoices.blogspot.com/

Presenter Gayle McIntyre (BAADM, BSW)

December 5, 2006

Sections of the Act Chapter 5 for Discussion

Functions of the Agency 2-5

Duty to Report

Duty of Professionals and Officials to Report

Duty to report third-party abuse

Inspection of an Agency

Assistance by Peace officers

Comments/Discussion/Concerns and Outrage

-Submitted copies of written and verbal reports already submitted to Children’s

Aid Society (Donna Best) and Police Commission ( Nadine Cooper-Mont),

David Morse/Gary Porter/ Tracey Williams/Shirley Feltmate,

Ombudsman Office, Human Rights Commission, Maureen MacDonald

(NDP) and 2 Liberal critics ( Russell Mackinnon and Michel Sampson),

Dalhousie Legal Aid, IWK and Veith House. ( all should be charged under the ACT)

-Letter sent to Barry Barnett and Children’s Aid Society /

Community Services and several other HRM/ Recreation Departments on hiring violent offenders in the black community for vulnerable children

-Police Const. Legere and Police Commission

RESPONSE: A THOUSAND VOICES AND THE REALITY

(when the Act is Violated by the Department of Community Services

and Department of Justice.)

Autobiograhy of RESPONSE presenter who was permanently injured as were her siblings by unethical and incomptent child welfare staff over many years. These workers to this day are protected by their union NSGEU and the ministers who to this day have never been investigated despite reports submitted to various levels of governement in NS.

Functions of agency

9 The functions of an agency are to

(a) protect children from harm;

(b) work with other community and social services to prevent, alleviate and remedy the personal, social and economic conditions that might place children and families at risk;

(c) provide guidance, counselling and other services to families for the prevention of circumstances that might require intervention by an agency;

(d) investigate allegations or evidence that children may be in need of protective services;

(e) develop and provide services to families to promote the integrity of families, before and after intervention pursuant to this Act;

(i) provide services that respect and preserve the cultural, racial and linguistic heritage of children and their families;

(j) take reasonable measures to make known in the community the services the agency provides; and

(k) perform any other duties given to the agency by this Act or the regulations. 1990, c. 5, s. 9.

Inspection of agency

10 The Minister or a person authorized by the Minister may enter, inspect and evaluate an agency and examine the records, books and accounts of the agency. 1990, c. 5, s. 10.

Services to promote integrity of family

13 (1) Where it appears to the Minister or an agency that services are necessary to promote the principle of using the least intrusive means of intervention and, in particular, to enable a child to remain with the child's parent or guardian or be returned to the care of the child's parent or guardian, the Minister and the agency shall take reasonable measures to provide services to families and children that promote the integrity of the family.

(2) Services to promote the integrity of the family include, but are not limited to, services provided by the agency or provided by others with the assistance of the agency for the following purposes:

(a) improving the family's financial situation;

(b) improving the family's housing situation;

(d) improving child-care and child-rearing capabilities;

(e) improving homemaking skills;

(f) counselling and assessment;

(g) drug or alcohol treatment and rehabilitation;

(j) self-help and empowerment of parents whose children have been, are or may be in need of protective services;

Duty to report

23 (1) Every person who has information, whether or not it is confidential or privileged, indicating that a child is in need of protective services shall forthwith report that information to an agency.

(2) No action lies against a person by reason of that person reporting information pursuant to subsection (1), unless the reporting of that information is done falsely and maliciously.

(3) Every person who contravenes subsection (1) is guilty of an offence and upon summary conviction is liable to a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both.

(4) No proceedings shall be instituted pursuant to subsection (3) more than two years after the contravention occurred.

(5) Every person who falsely and maliciously reports information to an agency indicating that a child is in need of protective services is guilty of an offence and upon summary conviction is liable to a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both. 1990, c. 5, s. 23; 1996, c. 10, s. 2.

Duty of professionals and officials to report

24 (1) In this Section, "suffer abuse", when used in reference to a child, means be in need of protective services within the meaning of clause (a), (c), (e), (f), (h), (i) or (j) of subsection (2) of Section 22.

(2) Notwithstanding any other Act, every person who performs professional or official duties with respect to a child, including

(b) a teacher, school principal, social worker, family counsellor, member of the clergy, operator or employee of a day-care facility;

who, in the course of that person's professional or official duties, has reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is or may be suffering or may have suffered abuse shall forthwith report the suspicion and the information upon which it is based to an agency.

Duty to report third-party abuse

25 (1) In this Section, "abuse by a person other than a parent or guardian" means that a child

(a) has suffered physical harm, inflicted by a person other than a parent or guardian of the child or caused by the failure of a person other than a parent or guardian of the child to supervise and protect the child adequately;

(2) Every person who has information, whether or not it is confidential or privileged, indicating that a child is or may be suffering or may have suffered abuse by a person other than a parent or guardian shall forthwith report the information to an agency.

(3) Every person who contravenes subsection (2) is guilty of an offence and upon summary conviction is liable to a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both.

(5) No action lies against a person by reason of that person reporting information pursuant to subsection (2) unless the reporting of that information is done falsely and maliciously.

Assistance by peace officers

91 (1) It is the duty of all peace officers to assist agents in carrying out the provisions of this ACT

Recommendations

1) ENFORCE THE ACT

2) Incorporate the ‘no child left behind’ mentality

3) Provincial pressure to complete the pedophile map per postal code.

4) Stiffer penalties for those not co-operating/reporting….incentives and protection to report (ally building)

5) Investigations of those case workers that are not enforcing the ACT

6) Cultural/ family/trauma (BCS) education for all case workers

It certainly makes more sense to ask which institutions and traditions are harmful, and which are useful, to human beings, which make life happier, or more painful.(p66)

As with mental disorders the cure lies in a clear knowledge of one’s condition and its causes (p188)

( excerpts Ideas and Opinions, Albert Einstein, 1982)

Stanley Milgram (1963) http://home.swbell.net/revscat/perilsOfObedience.html

‘Thus there is a fragmentation of the total human act; no one is confronted with the consequences of his decision to carry out the evil act. The person who assumes responsibility has evaporated. Perhaps this is the most common characteristic of socially organized evil in modern society.’

Milgram: how much pain must the person/target/subject endure before the

staff challenges/ disobeys the AUTHORITY ?

Inverted relationship Community Services with Abused Children :

:how much trauma does a child in Nova Scotia have to endure before the worker /services/staff /police/schools START obeying the AUTHORITY (ACT)?

: how much trauma needs to occur to one individual/family before we disable ‘the least amount of efforts possible’ mentality

… ‘least intrusion’ does not mean least effort

…discretion does not mean some children are helped while other children are left behind, too many are being left behind- cyclical and generational

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Children's Aid Societies to Join Community Services

Department of Community Services

September 28, 2006 11:19

Children and families in three Nova Scotia communities will benefit when their children's aid societies join the Department of Community Services.The integration of Family and Children's Services of Lunenburg County, Shelburne Children's Aid Society and the Halifax Children's Aid Society will lead to operational efficiencies and consistent service delivery. "This is a big step for these three agencies and I want to congratulate them for their initiative," said Minister of Community Services Judy Streatch. "They are confident that integration is the best approach for children and families and for their staff and I'm confident that we're going to make a good thing even better."

"We entered into negotiations with the department with one priority in mind -- to provide the best possible care for children and families," said Pauline Himmelman, president of the board of directors for Family and Children Services of Lunenburg County. "In addition, we also believe this will be beneficial for staff in terms of career opportunities and benefits."Staff from Community Services and the children's aid societies worked together last year to examine existing services and recommended improvements in a report released in January 2006. This service delivery review triggered the dialogs around integration and the three agencies approached the department to explore service delivery options. Those discussions resulted in the agencies asking the minister to dissolve their societies and integrate services and staff with Community Services.

"This integration will allow staff to more effectively pool resources to continue to provide a high level of service to children and families, as well as consider new programming options," said Dr. William Hart, president of the board of directors for the Halifax Children's Aid Society. "I am pleased with the department's commitment to continue the calibre of services that we've provided over the years," said Kelli Wolfe-Enslow, president of the board of directors for Shelburne Children's Aid Society. "This integration will also provide a more consistent approach in working with children and families."

In 2005-06 the Department of Community Services invested about $61 million in the 13 board supervised children's aid societies. Ms. Streatch said any savings from operational efficiencies will be reinvested in services for children and families.In recognition of the importance of community involvement, community child welfare boards will be established in Lunenburg, Shelburne and Halifax. The boards will provide input and advice on the needs and priorities of local children and families.Both Lunenburg and Shelburne will integrate with Community Services on Nov. 1 and Halifax will merge on Dec. 1.

FOR BROADCAST USE:

Community Services Minister Judy Streatch announced today (September 28th) that Family and Children's Services of Lunenburg County, Shelburne Children's Aid Society and the Halifax Children's Aid Society will be integrating their services and staff with the Department of Community Services. The integration will create operational efficiencies and consistent service delivery to children and families. Ms. Streatch says the integration is a big step for the agencies, but she is confident they will be making a good thing even better. Pauline Himmelman, president of the board of directors for Family and Children Services of Lunenburg County says they entered into negotiations with the department with one priority in mind -- to provide the best possible care for children and families. Ms. Himmelman also believes this will be beneficial for staff in terms of career opportunities and benefits.-30-Media Contact: Krista Grant Community Services 902-424-4449 E-mail: grantkl@gov.ns.ca

http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20060928001

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AMBER ALERTS FOR MISSING CHILDREN in USA.

http://codeamber.org/batistafl/

AMBER ALERT FOR MISSING CHILDREN in CANADA

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1.

KAUFMAN REPORT ON ABUSE

http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/kaufmanreport/index.htm

Scope and Nature of the Review

PDF Format:- Click to view. Right-click to save.

Abuse is a terrible thing. It forever alters its victims, particularly when they are children. And even more so where the victims are in the care of their abusers.

It follows that those who abuse children while in their care should be rooted out.

But not at the expense of basic fairness to all concerned.

Reports of abuse at Nova Scotia's youth facilities caused the Government to adopt a response. Central to the response was a Compensation Program for those said to have been abused.

The program was seriously flawed. So flawed that it has left in its wake true victims of abuse who are now assumed by many to have defrauded the Government, innocent employees who have been branded as abusers, and a public confused and unenlightened about the extent to which young people were or were not abused while in the care of the Province of Nova Scotia. con't in link

OUR RESPONSE:

Please do not be fooled by the tendency once again to blame others. In this case the report wishes to blame those who defrauded the compensation program for their resistance now to any abuse claims. It was the sole responsibility of the Nova Scotia Department of Justice to set up a procedure to allocate the compensation funds to the alleged victim (AV). I am unaware of one AV having to proof in a court of law that they in fact had been abused prior to any compensation. Please correct this information if outdated. Also it has been confirmed by fraud squad Ross Denman, HRM police, that they did do 'investigations' into some of the alleged frauding that took place with the Shelburne mess and I am unaware of any criminal charges laid despite the evidence.

The NS government has this annoying habit, as any narcissists does, of deflecting responsibility when the entire onus for professional standards was theirs to begin with. They did not properly prepare to do this mass compensation pay-out and although those who have defrauded this program are chargeable not only for fraud but for filing false reports as well sadly it is always the real victims that pay the ultimate price for the ignorance and laziness of unionized government employees who could have avoided the entire mess in the first place.

To be wrongfully accused of a serious crime is devastating and traumatizing and we wish that those who have been wrongfully accused of any crime, find peace. It is not the defrauders that are solely responsible for this trauma of being falsely accused the government has the greatest responsibility in that and it is my understanding as of June 2006 8.7 million dollars was awarded to those employees who were victimized by faux victims.

What sickens me on this issue is that I was forced against my will in 1992 to testify against the man who raped me for 5 years as a child. The child welfare office of Dartmouth and the police and the crown simply 'forgot' to charge him when I w as a ward of the court and this disclosure was first public on May 25 1981, my 16 th birthday. The actual criminal investigation and trial at the Nova Scotia Supreme Court started in 1992 and ended in March of 1996-4 years of trauma and injury.

From 1994 to 2003 the Victims Services had me fight for monies already awarded to me in 1997 by Richard Weldon of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. They waited until he retired and had me fight again for scraps I was already legislatively entitled to by the Victim Services Act in Nova Scotia. They made me fight for every dollar having to bring in medical note after medical note, denying my claims, sending me to appeal after appeal all to prove I was traumatized.

I go into greater detail in my book however the point is that while the compensation for Shelburne was passing out $ 100, ooo to unsubstantiated claims of abuse, the same people had me fight for $30,000 over 9 years and the perp Paul Sueratan was already convicted and incarcerated ----6 months on weekends for 5 years for raping and terrorizing a child.( Judge Guchhi decision).

An independent medical evaluator, Dr.J Gold, held the Department Of Justice responsible for causing further trauma and injury to me first for forcing me to testify when I was not psychologically prepared and for then making me talk about my rapes for 9 more years for the sole purpose to tire me out and sicken me to the point that I would have to withdraw from compensation I was already awarded.

Minister of Justice Michael Baker sent a fabricated document to Premier Hamm about my request to have this investigated so that all involved were criminally and constitutionally charged and convicted. Baker stated to Hamm that I was trying to appeal a court decision which was false as the only court hearing was the one I won so why would I appeal it?

But that is how sneaky Baker is- he knew that by presenting me as a disgruntled public member Hamm would dismiss me without a thought.

All my worse government perpetrators pulled this trick.

The Ombudsman Office has hidden this disgrace by not doing the investigation either.

Please keep in mind they forced me to testify in the first place. I will post the news paper articles and Nova Scotia Court of Appeals decision against the Department of Justice for in it three humane judges found them responsible for acting ' dangerously.. inventing their own policies and laws as they went along...causing unnecessary stress......'

If I were to have every single one of my offenders, perpetrators in front of these three ethical judges ( names to follow ) and they would hear the same comments..dangerous....invented their own policies and laws as they went along.....causing injury and stress .....every single one of them...'dangerous' would be the politest thing said about them.

Where is my million dollars compensation? Where is my $100,000 compensation for institutional abuse?? Where are the damages for me and my injuries inflicted on me by the Department of Justice and Community Services for leaving me in a home to be abused? Where are the investigations to show how this all lead to a dominoe effect in my life resulting in my attempt to take my life in 2004 after being exposed to too many corrupt, uneducated, untrained, lazy unionized government employees and civl servants?? Where is the moral outrage for me and my son who paid the greatest price?

Who protects people like me from the unionized workers? If unions protect employees who protects their victims?

I am on permanent disability for the rest of my life as the direct and sole result of outrageous corruption, misconduct , violence, abuse and sociopathology of several unionized government employees who are still being emboldened by a very incestuous and diseased NS mentality.

The government raped my son and I of the life we worked hard for...where is the public outrage for that crime ?

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Attention News/Labour Editors:

Child welfare workers call '1-800 number' idea

"an accident waiting to happen"

HALIFAX, May 31 /CNW/ -

The union representing frontline workers in child welfare agencies across the province says a planned 1-800 number to replace on-call services is an accident waiting to happen.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the Department of Community Services plans to use its own employees to answer calls about cases from across the province - and then have them make crucial decisions about cases that may be hundreds of kilometers away.

CUPE spokesperson Barrie MacFarlane, who is employed by the Children's Aid Society of Halifax, says, "We see this as fraught with problems. How can somebody on the other end of a telephone be expected to make a decision about a child who could be in crisis in Cheticamp or Yarmouth?

They don't know the background and are not connected to these cases in any way.

"It looks like more and more decisions are being taken out of the hands of the professionals in agencies throughout the province and being handed over to officials in Halifax," says MacFarlane.

"This 1-800 number idea is of particular concern to our members. We see this as a back door attempt to centralize services out of Halifax/Dartmouth," he says. Says MacFarlane, "These planned changes to on-call duty also represent a dramatic shift on our work. CUPE will be exploring a possible policy grievance, on contracting out the work of union members.

CUPE says it has always supported changes that will ensure services are delivered in the best interests of children and families in need, but does not believe those needs are better met by centralizing all of those decisions in one location.

For further information: Barrie MacFarlane, President, jmccracken@cupe.ca

RESPONSE:
An accident waiting to happen? ...what....the 'accidents' have been happening for decades...this is not about a 1-800 number this is about having untrained, uneducated, ignorant, lazy unionized government child welfare workers not knowing how to address or assess any case in front of them let alone those on the other side of the province.

Implementation of the 1-800 number will give consent for those workers to continue to not do right by children and families.

This particular office has several social workers that were employed when I was a child/youth/ward of the court.
It is the very office responsible for leaving myself and my siblings in a violent home for years because they were too ignorant and unqualified to deal with the immigrant, bi-racial and middle class status of my family , for we all know only poor people abuse their children!
It is this office that 'forgot' to charge a child molester, forcing me to then have to go through the trials as a successful adult, stealing my life, my family, my future.

It is this office that was notorious for allowing Judge Bartlet to 'go off record' as he screamed at children and women through his abusive refrains quoted from the Bible. Many workers knew this judge sent women and children back into war zones as he used the Bible to justify his punishment of these 'wayward disobedient women and children'. Not one worker ever had him investigated and it was not until his own wife came forward to charge him with domestic abuse was she finally removed but not before leaving a legacy of causalities of his mysogyny and traumatized , revictimized children. All his victims including me and my siblings were hidden by the Family Courts and the Dartmouth Child Welfare Office. There is a compensation program waiting to happen for all those children and mothers sent back into their 'soul deaths'.

This is the same office that because they only removed me and not my siblings left me to have to find my brother on the streets in 1992 and begin the process of removing him and his sister although there was a confirmed open file for years on my siblings: NOTHING WAS DONE until I found my brother leaving on the streets.

This Dartmouth Office needs to be thoroughly investigated for outrageous misconduct, negligence, collusion and abuse of many children and families. It is their crimes against children and the Act that is responsible for leaving me in a home to be raped and beaten for years until I was finally removed at the late age of 15. It was their mess I had to clean up from 1992 until now and ongoing. They are the reason why I am on permanent disability yet not one worker has been investigated for the immeasurable harm to even just my siblings and me for gross incompetence in the Dartmouth Office. Mine is but one case of thousands that have been harmed over the decades by this office and now they wish to think an accident will happen with a 1-800 number?
Seems to me someone has been passing around free samples of crack!

I returned to this office years later while doing my field placement for the social work degree at the Maritime School of Social Work, a very substandard teaching environment. At that time the Preston office, run by Veronica Marsman, was still in the Dartmouth location. It was a very racially hostile environment to work in as Wanda Thomas Bernard my primary field officer, allowed two black social workers to disrespect me on a regular bias and did nothing. I was there long enough to sign up for a foster parent training program which I loved immensely. I went on to train newly recruited foster parents but the Dartmouth Office stopped that after my first successful group. There had been a veteran trainer, Helen who took great exception to my philosophies of empowering foster parents without a dependency on the Office.She had taken that as being anti-social worker. No, I am anti- anything lazy and incompetent. I never said anything about the actual workers in the Dartmouth Office but it was confirmed to me by those who were privy to a meeting that Helen had slandered my name and lied about my training philosophies which in fact she had be jealous that the groups was so empowered themselves to the point that some had told Helen she was an abusive foster parent.

I spoke on how the fosters parents needed to be good to themselves and I trained them with all that I had. I am so proud of this group as they were so empowered that they formed their own support group separate from the Dartmouth Office. That was then used against me in how I was promoting a segregated office although it had never been my idea to form a separate group! It never ceased to amaze me how sick the workers in that Office still were for if they truly were about protecting families and children they would never have been threatened by me and my work and a group of well trained foster parents that went on to govern themselves. Had they truly not been threatened by me I would still be training foster parents :as a ward of the court, community worker and social worker I know of no one else more qualified to trained those who are to work with the most vulnerable of any give society: our injured children.

The government was threatened by a group of people who would not allow themselves to be coerced or controlled by a government agency, the Dartmouth Office and for that I will forever remain proud to have initiated that responsible community action for children.

So this Dartmouth Office while now screaming 'victim' of a potential 1-800 number is the real perpetrator. They just know with the 1-800 they will not be able to hide their negligence any more with each case that goes 'wrong'. I can why they are panicked! It would be an accident if the public found out all the dirt hidden in that Dartmouth Office.

It is the victims of this Dartmouth Office who need the 1-800 number!
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http://www.gov.ns.ca/coms/department/documents/child_welfare_committee

June 24 2006.

I have not had a chance to peruse this document.

I did notice that not one former ward of the court was on the committee, in fact the committee is very limited in its scope for diversity and sincere discussion for change. It is always the easier and lazier way to surround yourself with a group of folks who agree with you. Until the government includes those that are the 'products' of any of its systems in any discussion for reform to same said oppressive system, then all reports should be suspect.

http://www.gov.ns.ca/coms/department/documents/our_kids_are_worth_it.pdf
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Although this is an American story the failings and gross and criminal incompetence of CPS or DFS is all too familiar throughout Canada as well. The interesting difference between our two countries is that the USA is far more litigious ( civilly sue) than we are which I find to be our disadvantage here in Nova Scotia. It is because of the incestuous relationship between NS and Dalhousie Legal Aid, the police, child welfare workers, governing agencies and to some degree, poverty, that promotes the ongoing corrupt practices that inevitably destroy families and futures of children.

It will only be when we start publicly and consistently suing our government employees will we witness a dramatic change or reform in delivery of services. It is a dangerous and self serving lie of government to blame weak and insufficient policies for the damages they do to families. It is the below standards, expectations, laziness and absence of proper qualifications of those who interact with the most intimate of communities, the family, that are causing the inevitable and permanent scars.

I can promise you that as soon as we start holding ministers, government employees and civil servants publicly and legally responsible for their gross negligence, laziness, ignorance and unethical conduct we will automatically witness the humane social reform we are begging and starving for.This fact alone destroys the myth that the problems of such services rests with the policies alone.

Never underestimate the power of a group of stupid people.(unknown)

Teen girl reunited with father after decade in foster care sues county for taking so long

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A teenage girl reunited with her father last year after a decade in foster care is suing Los Angeles County for taking so long to bring them together.

County supervisors had said in September that the reunion of Melinda Smith, now 17, and father Thomas Marion Smith was the result of a "groundbreaking effort," and congratulated county agencies for locating the father.

But the lawsuit alleges that the Department of Children and Family Services failed to use "due diligence" to locate Thomas Smith. It claims the agency never notified Smith, who had continued making child support payments, that his daughter was in foster care and never gave him a chance to claim her.

"He's a registered voter with a valid driver's license and an open child support case," said Smith's attorney, L. Wallace Pate. "All they had to do, at any time during those 10 years, was pick up the phone and ask the L.A. County Child Support Services Department: `Do you have a contact on this man?'"

Beginning in 1989, Thomas Smith made child support payments to Melinda's mother for his 1-year-old daughter, but when Melissa was 4 her mother moved and left no forwarding address.

Story continues

Two years later, Melinda was turned over to foster care officials after the county received complaints of abuse.

Smith's whereabouts were listed as unknown in court documents on the case, although records show that Melinda's caseworker knew Smith was paying child support and his address was on file with the agency that collected the payments.

Father and daughter were reunited in July 2005 after Melinda got help from a social worker assigned to find permanent placement for teens in foster care.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from the county, the social workers who handled the case and a private agency that provides attorneys for children in foster care.

County officials would not comment because of the pending litigation.

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I hope I live long enough to witness Nova Scotia Family Courts and case workers charged criminally for hiding abusive parents and guardians in Family Court proceedings.

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http://www.kidsfirstcanada.org/

Kids First Parent Association of Canada was started in 1987. Kids First has worked hard to provide data that exposes unfair discrimination against family-based care-giving of children and those (mostly mothers) who do it. Discrimination is widespread. It is found in legislation and policy concerning definitions of “child care”...con't in link.

RESPONSE TEAM fully supports the mandate and initiatives of KiDS FIRST

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http://www.universalchildcare.ca/en/home.shtml

Check your mailboxes - Universal Child Care Benefit cheques have been sent

July 20, 2006

OTTAWA, ONTARIO — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, today announced that the first Universal Child Care Benefit cheques have been mailed and that families across Canada should start receiving them this week.

[More on this announcement]

Child Care Spaces Initiative

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1-When and how will the Government create new child care spaces?

Canada's New Government is committed to supporting the creation of new child care spaces to help Canadian parents balance work and family.

The Government will put in place a substantial and flexible incentive to create spaces that meet the real needs and complex realities of Canadian families, regardless of where they live — in cities, small towns or rural areas — and regardless of their hours of work, which may not fit the nine-to-five model.

Q2-What good will it do to create new child care spaces if parents can't afford the fees?

Realizing that parents were not directly receiving any financial support for child care, Canada's New Government is providing financial assistance universally to all parents with children under the age of six — a $1,200 Universal Child Care Benefit.

Q3-How will the Government help small — and medium-sized employers who don't have enough employees to make a child care centre viable?

The key to success is to ensure flexibility that meets the needs of all families — regardless of where they live or work.

The Government will work with business, community and non-profit organizations, and with the provinces and territories to make the initiative work for all sizes and types of employers.

Q4-How will the Government help non-profit organizations create child care spaces?

Canada's New Government is committed to putting in place substantial and flexible incentives for employers to create new child care spaces. This includes incentives that will work for non-profit organizations.

The Government will be working closely with business, community and non-profit organizations to ensure that all families can benefit from this initiative.

Q5-How will creating new spaces help families living in rural areas or those who work non-standard hours?

Canada's New Government recognized that a one-size-fits-all approach to child care does not meet the diverse needs of Canadian families. We will ensure that the incentives are flexible enough to meet the needs of all families regardless of their hours of work of whether they live in cities, small towns or rural areas.

FOR MORE INFO CHECK WEBSITE.

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Work and Family: Supporting the Balancing Act

Canada’s Universal Child Care Plan is designed to put child care choice where it belongs — in the hands of parents. The plan has two components.First, the Universal Child Care Benefit provides financial assistance to Canadian families with children under the age of six. Parents will receive $100 a month for each eligible child, commencing July 1st, 2006. For example, a family with children aged 1, 3, and 5 will receive a benefit of $300 a month. Secondly, the Child Care Spaces Initiative will support the creation of up to 25,000 new child care spaces a year, beginning in 2007. Stay tuned to see how the new Initiative takes shape.

Cheques Go Cross Country

The Hon. Diane Finley and MP Joy Smith present a Universal Child Care Benefit cheque to a Winnipeg family.

Last week, five Canadian families were invited to participate in cheque presentation ceremonies that marked the Universal Child Care Benefit cheques coming off the presses. Minister Diane Finley presented the first cheque in Winnipeg, while similar events were held across the country. Also presenting cheques were Minister Lawrence Cannon in Ste-Foy, Quebec, Minister Peter MacKay in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Minister Bev Oda in Oakville, Ontario, and Minister Gary Lunn in Sidney, British Columbia. Cheques are now being printed and mailed to eligible parents across the country.

Since You Asked Is it true that the benefit will affect federal income-tested programs?No! The UCCB will be excluded from income for purposes of federal income-tested programs such as the Canada Education Savings Grant, the Canada Learning Bond and Insurance Family Supplement.

Do I need to apply?If you are currently receiving the Canada Child Tax Benefit, you will automatically receive the Universal Child Care Benefit as well. If you do not, however, you will need to apply.

Can I still register?Yes. You can apply anytime and receive payments retroactively up to 11 months from your date of application.

Tell a friend!Tell your family and friends about the choice, support and spaces provided by Canada's Universal Child Care Plan.

www.universalchildcare.ca or www.gardedenfants.ca ( French)

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Response: A Thousand Voices

7.1.09

CHILD/FAMILY WELFARE -HEALTH ISSUES

Key Determinants

Underlying Premises and Evidence Table

Welcome to the Gender and Poverty Module.

Objectives - The Child’s Experience of Poverty

Poverty as a Determinant of Health

Child welfare workers second-guess stressful jobs

Public schools not inspiring confidence

Programs and resources

Related information