Our Children: Our Present and Our Future

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Our Children Our Present and Our Future
Helping Children to Realize Their Promise
Today, Tomorrow and Always

• Linda L. Nosbush
• Understanding the Early Years
• Prince Albert Site

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Child Development is a Global Concern As well as
a Local Concern
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Understanding the Early Years Study Area
Saskatchewan Rivers School Division No. 119
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The First Six Years are Pivotal to Childrens
Ability

• To Learn
• To Create
• To Love
• To Trust
• To Develop a Strong Sense of Themselves
• Invest in Kids

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The Virtuous Circle
Prosperous Society
Social Stability
Innovation and Competitive Workforce
Resources to Fund Programs that Foster Healthy
Child Development
Healthy Children and Adolescents
Healthy Child Development
Doherty Offord
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What is a Community Learning Framework?

• A way of understanding the dimensions of change
  in the community
• Building a data base to understand community
• Monitoring change over time
• Developing and disseminating expertise and
  information through the KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
  PROCESS
• Interactive process whereby the Wisdom of the
  Community and Knowledge gained from Research can
  be exchanged and woven together to build a strong
  fabric of trust which will serve as the basis for
  development of policy, programs, and subsequent
  research
• Developing and sharing learning resources and
  tools
• Building capacity to work together by
• Constructing common ground
• Developing policies, programs

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Knowledge

• Diffusion spread, non-linear, multifaceted,
  multidimensional
• Translation from one language or medium to
  another looking for a counterpart
• Exchange
• dialogue between research and lived experience
  (community wisdom)
• relationship is critical
• relevant to each group (professionals and
  citizens)
• common language
• trust
• at many levels
• many voices
• active engagement of the whole person
• learning to walk in one anothers worlds

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The Knowledge Exchange ProcessLiving Learning
in the Shelter of Each Other

• Data is interrelated so that it becomes
  information
• The Information is integrated with what the
  community knows (its wisdom) and is then
  internalized so it becomes part of their
  collective Knowledge Base
• Community uses this Knowledge to stimulate and
  generate action including program and policy
  development
• A Comprehensive Community Action Plan is
  generated to guide decisions

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Knowledge Exchange

• Is about causing a community to become
  reflective and consciously aware of who they are
  at various levels of aggregation
• The level of awareness equips a community to
  make informed decisions
• Is an active, evolving process that transforms
  the group at each stage
• A Transformational Process
• Metaphor The Metamorphosis of a Butterfly

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The Collaborative Synergy
Dialogue
Groups/Sectors
Individuals
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The Transactional Synergy
Process
Product
Transaction
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The Star of Hope, Resilience, Growth, and
Transformation
Dialogue
Process
Product
Transformation Resilience Hope
Change, Growth, Development Courage
Groups/Sectors
Individuals
Transaction
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What We Do or Fail to Do

• Will Shape childrens future
• Will Influence how their brains are wired
• Will set a Pattern for our nations future
• Will profoundly affect the quality of life we
  will have

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If we have only one start in life Let it be a
strong one!
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Strong Start The Heart and Soul of nurturing
children A path well worn from centuries of
use Transcends cultures and eras
Bogart Jacobson, 1997
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Doorways

• We are responsible for
• Opening doors
• Ensuring that these doors stay open
• Helping children to walk through these doors
• Being a role model for children
• Helping children to develop a sense of a
  brighter future

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Building a Framework for UnderstandingDoorwaysS
wing easily for some are heavy for others and
for yet others they are stuck shut. Adults and
systems need to turn the knob or push the door
open for children.
Opening Doors to positive developmental outcomes
Possibilities for our Children
Human Capital for the Nation
Assets in the Global Economy
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The Children Born This YearWill Begin
WiringTheir Brains For a Life-Time Who will
they be?
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A Web of Protection
Building and strengthening the protective systems
that ensure a strong start for all children
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The Future holds Possibility All our children
are Children of Promise
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Homeplace Life is brought forth

• Most vital social determinant of health and
  well-being, key to population health

• Heartland
• Social
• Place of Communion of family and friends
• Where communityis gathered
• Where the Spirit is nurtured

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Family Structure

• 3.7 of you will have a single male parent
• 8.5 of you will parents who live in a common law
  relationship
• 23.3 will have a single female parent
• 64.5 of you will have
• parents who are married

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Blended and Step FamiliesRepresented in Either
Married or Common Law Relationships
Blended Families Two adults raising children from
1. Each of their former unions 2. One or both
of their former unions and a child born of the
current union N 518
Step Families Biological Parent raising his or
her child (birth or adopted) with another parent
who is not biologically related to the child N
729
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Father Care
Father and Mothers have equally vital but
different roles in the care and nurturing of
their children.
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Grandparents
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Bridgeline Housing, Income, Workplace

• It creates conditions favorable for optimal
  outcomes
• First line of protection laid down
• Is the indicator of socio-economic health
• Directly linked to family health

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Urbanization is Happening

• 65 will live in urban areas
• 35 will live in rural areas

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Community Influences on Child Development
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Community Factors that Influence Child Development

• The community as a physical environment
• Quality of buildings homes -Traffic
• Land Use Green space - Residential Mobility
• The community as a social environment
• Average income education level - Diversity
• No. of Single Parents - No. of children per
  adult
• Positive social support Antisocial behavior
• Neighborhood safety - Drug Involvement
• Levels of Delinquency
• The community as a resource
• Quantity quality of services education,
  entertainment culture, special interest, health
  wellness, sports recreation, and societal
• Variation of use due to age
• Barriers to Access time, location,
  transportation cost

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• Barriers to Access
• Transportation Child Care
• Comfort Cost
• Literacy Levels
• Cultural Acceptability

Resource Distribution
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Community Factors that Influence Child Development

• The community as a collectivity
• Social cohesion
• Sense of neighborliness
• Extent to which they come together to deal with
  problems
• Willing to help and trust one another
• Share similar goals and values
• Childrens social networks, friends experiences
  in the neighborhood
• Residents may select communities that mirror
  their values
• Certain level of stability required for
  collectivity to develop
• Diverse neighborhoods may have subgroups

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Neighbourhood Types
1 Low adult employment, low income, low
education 2 Low youth employment, low education 3
High percentage single parents immigrants, low
income, low employment 4 High percentage single
parents immigrants 5 Lower middle class 6
Middle class 7 Upper middle class 8 Very high SES
Willms, Vulnerable Children, 2002
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Community Factors that Influence Child Development

• The community working for the common good
• Willing to make investments in their community
  because rewarded individually and as member of
  large society
• Community associations and community activities
• Collective responsibility for children
• Neighborhood Watch
• Programs providing services for children
• Collective efficacy
• Collective socialization

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Where the Children Live
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Mobility

• 81 of you will live in neighbourhoods where
• 10 60 of you or your neighbours have moved at
  least once in the past year.
• 19 of you will live in
• neighbourhoods where
• less than 1 in 10 will
• move at least once in
• the past year.

National Average 17.1
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Mobility
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Socio-Economic Status

• 65 of you will be low to very low SES
• 36 of you will be vulnerable
• 23 of you will be middle SES
• 27 of you will be vulnerable
• 12 of you will be high to very high SES
• 21 of you will be vulnerable

384 of you will be vulnerable
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Most vulnerable children live in middle income
families
(Percentage of Children in Canada)
NLSCY
Family Income adjusted for Family Size
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Vulnerability is not a permanent statefor most
children

• While the prevalence of vulnerability did not
  change between 1994 (28.9) and 1996 (28.1),
  these are not the same children at both time
  points.
• Many children are no longer vulnerable (15.7)
  two years later and others become vulnerable
  (14.9).
• Only 13.2 remain vulnerable over the two years
  period and 56 of children have positive
  development.

28.1
28.9
Newly Vulnerable
NLSCY
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Income

• 44 will live in households where the income
  exceeds the national average of 45,739
• 56 will live in households where the income is
  less than the national average of 45, 739
• 25 of you will live in households where the
  income is less than 21,000 (the National
  Poverty Cut Off)

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Safe Start Protection From Harm and Neglect

• Environment free from
• Neglect
• Physical Abuse
• Violence
• Substance Abuse
• Smoke
• Alcohol
• Drugs
• Other Substances

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Together we can Prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Saskatchewan Institute on the Prevention of
Handicaps
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Safe Start
The entire environment impacts the childs
safety.
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Safety Net Community Services
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Healthy Start The Breast Start

• 1. Increased protection against
• Acute and chronic illness including respiratory,
  ear, and gastrointestinal disease
• More serious conditions like meningitis
• Life-threatening occurrences such as Sudden
  Infant Death Syndrome
• Preventative measure for eczema, asthma, and
  food allergies
• 2. Positive Stimulation, Bonding, Trust, and
  Relationship Building

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Healthy Start
Well Baby Clinics Early identification and
monitoring
Immunization Most cost effective health
intervention
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Prenatal Care

• 21 will have less than 6 prenatal visits and
  therefore will be at high risk of developing
  complications due to lack of prenatal care
• 79 of you will have adequate prenatal care

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Exercise

• Active living is a way of lifethat makes you
  feel
• Vibrant
• Energetic
• Confident

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Your feet can take you many places.

• An active life will help to prevent
• Obesity
• Heart disease
• Stroke

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Sensitive StartActs as a buffer to cushion the
child against risk
Relationships Positive Enduring Reciprocal
Trust
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Teen Pregnancy

• 17.4 of you will be born to mothers who are
  between 10 and 19 years of age
• Saskatchewan has the 3rd highest teen pregnancy
  rate in Canada
• Prince Albert has a 46.6 higher teen pregnancy
  rate than the provincial average

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Sensitive Start
Learning how to be and how to care

• Blended Support
• Child Care
• High Quality
• Accessible
• Affordable
• Parents
• Maternal Depression

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Smart Start

• Stimulation
• Growing the Brain
• Windows of Opportunity
• Unhurried time, early stimulation and sensitive,
  responsive care-giving
• Education and Interventions programs

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Readiness To Learn

• Children are born ready to learn
• The Neurosystem is pre-programmed to develop
  various skills and neuropathways (Nature)
• Depending on the experience it receives (Nurture)

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Readiness To Learn
Whenever and Wherever people Congregate, Then and
there shall Be the Time, Place, And means Of
their education -OLeary, HRDC, 2000
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Smart Start
Learning about the World
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Smart Start
Learning to Question Is that really where milk
comes from?
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Learning to Imagine and Create
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Learning about cause and effect
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Learning about Properties
Can glue really do this?
I wonder what would happen if I poured this over
my hand?
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Readiness to Learn
Three times the expected
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Examining Readiness to Learn ScoresAcross the
Distribution Our goal is to have all children
ready to learn when they enter school but alas
that is not so..
Children who will readily adapt to school the
transition will be negotiated with little or no
support.
Children who will have problems adapting to
school.
Children who are at-risk for adapting to school.
Children who are above average in their ability
to adapt to school there will be a transition
but they will make it easily.
Children who are below average in their ability
to adapt to school but with support will be able
to do so.
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Readiness to Learn
2000

• 196 of you will lack the Physical Health and
  Well-being
• 133 of you will lack Emotional Maturity
• 162 of you will lack Social Competence
• 215 of you will lack the Language
• and Cognitive abilities necessary
• 90 of you will lack Communication and
• General Knowledge Skills

341 of you will lack readiness to learn in one or
more domains
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Percentage of Children with Low Scores Early
Development Instrument Prince Albert
Vulnerability Cut-off
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Mean Scores on EDI Early Development Instrument
Prince Albert
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Early Development Instrument Percentage of
Children Who Lack Readiness to LearnIn the
Prince Albert Area
2000
These neighbourhoods have many children who lack
readiness to learn at school.
These neighbourhoods have most children ready to
learn at school.
Vulnerability Cut-Off - All things being equal
10 of the children would fall into the bottom
10 for the study area as a whole.
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Socioeconomic Gradients
problematic
desired
Literacy Level
The pattern wherein risk increases in a stepwise
fashion as one descends the socioeconomic ladder
is known as a gradient.
Parents Level of Education
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Socioeconomic Gradients

• The pattern wherein risk increases in a stepwise
  fashion as one descends the socioeconomic ladder
  is known as a gradient and once established it
  tracks across the life course (Hertzman, 2002)
• Steep gradients give important clues as to
  whether a society is supporting or undermining
  the development of its populationsteep gradients
  are associated with overall poor outcomes in
  comparisons among countries or regions (Keating
  Hertzman, 1999)

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Socioeconomic Gradients

• Indicate causal relationships
• Are influenced at various levels of social
  aggregation
• Are evident for all major diseases and
  competencies that affect health and well-being
• Even when major diseases change, the gradient
  replicates itself
• Point to fundamental biological processes
  connecting Socioeconomic Progress to human
  resilience and vulnerability, to disease, and
  strongly suggest a role for early childhood
  development
• Are expressed over the entire life course but
  they appear early in life
• - Hertzman 2000

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Socioeconomic Gradients

• Early Childhood Development initiates gradients
  in health, well-being, and competence throughout
  the life course according to three processes
• Latent Effects
• Pathway Effects
• Cumulative Effects
• Social Exclusion has many forms and sometimes it
  can occur when there are no distinguishing
  features features evident one of the most subtle
  forms emerges early in life when the child is in
  the process of becoming and it shapes
  childrens readiness to learn at school
• If our physical and social environments, and the
  institutions that govern them, systematically
  limit the chances of some groups of children to
  develop as fully as others, then this too is a
  form of social exclusion (Hertzman 2002).

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Early Development Instrument Percentage of
Children Who Lack Readiness to LearnIn the
Prince Albert Area
2003
These neighbourhoods have many children who lack
readiness to learn at school.
9 schools have more than 30 of children who lack
readiness to learn
These neighbourhoods have most children ready to
learn
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Smart Start
Meeting all our needs
Education and Intervention
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Education Levels

• 185 of you will have less than a Grade 9
  education
• 126 of you will have less than a Grade 12
  education
• 367 of you will have a Grade 12 Diploma
• 311 of you will have post-secondary training
• 121 will have some university
• education
• 90 will hold a university degree

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Connected Start
Learning who we are as a community
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What is vulnerability?

• Children are considered vulnerable when they have
  one or more serious
• behavioral or
• emotional problems
• that could lead to even greater difficulties as
  they grow up.

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BehaviourThe Actual Prince Albert Statistics
Show Us

• 157 of you will be Hyperactive
• 175 of you will experience Emotional Disturbance
  or Anxiety
• 228 of you will be
• Aggressive or have
• a Conduct Disorder
• 190 of you will be
• Indirectly Aggressive

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Youth CrimeAges 12 - 17Canadian Centre for
Justice Statistic, 2001 Gullickson, SK Justice,
2002

• 11 of children in this age groups will be
  charged withcriminal code offences (SK) Canadian
  statistics suggest the type of crimes committed
• 13 for Violent Crimes (physical assault,
  sexual assault, homicide)
• 44 for Property Crimes (shoplifting, theft,
  break and enter)
• 43 for Other Criminal Code Offenses
  (disturbing the peace, mischief, vandalism,
  weapons, administration of justice)
• 79 will offend only once in any given year
  (1999-2000)
• 21 will be repeat offenders in any given year
  (1999-2000)

• Figures exclude traffic violations

Saskatchewan has the 2nd highest rate of
participation in Alternative Measures in Canada
(1998-1999).
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Connected Start
Celebrating our milestones together
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Connected Start
Celebrating our Culture
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Culture

• Aboriginal - 442
• First Nations - 293
• Métis 149
• Other 758
• Immigrants Refugees
• All Other Cultures

In 2002 36.8 of our population is AboriginalBy
2010 50 of our population will be Aboriginal
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Connected Start
Discovering our Common Ground Supporting One
Another
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Generosity Learning to be with one another during
the difficult times
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Outside of home care
Care Giver Roulette
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Family Enabling Society






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man Capital based on
Program Evaluation, Monitoring,
Social Inclusion
long learning
Collaboration
And Research
-
life
Hu
Four Corner Posts

Doug Willms, NLSCY 2002
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Watch over us. Wrap us up against the cold and
the rain, and give us shade from the hot sun.
Make sure we have enough to eat and drink and if
we are sick, nurse and comfort us.

- Castle, C. Lynch, P. J. For Every Child
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For Every Child Whoever we are, Wherever we
live, These are the rights Of every Child Under
the sun And the moon And the stars These are the
rights of the child.
- Castle, C. Kitamura, S. For Every
Child
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Our Children Our Future

• These children are our nieces, nephews,
  neighborhood children, the care takers of
  tomorrow our very own
• The next step is up to us . . . . .
• How will we help our young build their future?

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I wonder what the future will bring
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KidsFirst Values and PrinciplesConsistent with
Integrative Wraparound (IWRAP)

• Strength-based
• Individualized family centered
• Single, common plan
• Blend of formal informal resources
• Unconditional support
• Integrated holistic
• Empowering
• Preventative

Kids First believes that services must be
accessible, acceptable and put in place with the
full participation of our families.
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SchoolPLUS
Ensuring the Wellbeing and Educational Success of
Saskatchewans Children and Youth
Government of Saskatchewan

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SchoolPLUS
Ensuring the Wellbeing and Educational Success
of Saskatchewans Children and Youth
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Department of Community Resources and Employment
Building Independence A strategy for breaking
the cycle of poverty and building capacity by
enabling full participation
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Health, Well-being, and Competence

• Are communal responsibilities
• Are determined in the same way
• But, we all have a role to play in how the
  future unfolds . . . .

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We live, love, learn, and develop our human-being
in the shelter of each other.
Can we each go forth to make Saskatchewan a place
where all can, not only survive, but thrive?