Social Determinants of Health
Dear ,
RE: IMPLEMENTING A CHILD CARE AND AN EARLY LEARNING STRATEGY WILL ADDRESS POVERTY IN CANANDA
Despite incredible wealth, approximately 3.5 million people in Canada live in poverty3. In fact, poverty is increasing among workers, youth, immigrants, people of color, and young families in the country. Although Canada is ranked 4th on the United Nations Human Development Index, the inherited poverty facing the Canadian youth is in the increase1. For instance, 1 out of 10 children in Canada struggle to access basic needs. Similarly, at the International communities and First Nations, 1 out of 4 children grow up in poverty while about 770, 000 people in Canada use food banks monthly. Moreover, more than 40% of those using food banks are children (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2006b). Considering that the predecessors passed a resolution more than 23 years ago to address poverty among Canadian children by 2000, there was no significant progress on the issue. Therefore, this letter is meant to offer your office the insight that implementing a child care and an early learning strategy will address poverty in Canada.
Ministers are better placed to ensure that, all Canadian children and young people received holistic health instead of merely surviving. Through the federal corporation, there is need to deploy both individual and collective effort to ensure that no Canadian child suffers devastating effects of poverty. There are various social determinants of health which can help eliminate poverty in Canada. These include early learning and a child care. Many people commend the all-party Standing Committee for recognizing various measures which are required to develop a community-based responsive child care system (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2006). Such recognition reflects a support for child care system to help address poverty in Canada. Therefore, Canada should have a nationally-coordinated child care plan to ensure that all children access quality care regardless of their race, family income, or region they live in.
Canada’s long-term productivity is linked to integrated and coordinated progress in all social development areas (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2006). For instance, accessible and affordable high quality child care for all children and families has economic and social impacts such as poverty reduction. Moreover, the mainstream of health is based on how a society organizes and distributes social and economic resources (Make Poverty History, 2010). Therefore, the federal government should ensure that families with young children have supports such as adequate parental leave and family-friendly workplace to help with their significant role in parenting. In addition, the federal government should direct its attention to social and economic policies to improve the citizen’s health (Raphael, 2009). For instance, the government should increase its investment in extended maternity and parental benefits as a collective approach to support the health of families with young children.
Both the child care and early learning programs will support learning and development of all children aged between 0 and 12 years. Canadian children who live in poor families often experience more incidences of accidental injuries, illness, mental health problems, early school dropout, and lower school achievement (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2006). However, the child care and early learning will promote women’s’ equality; enable them to study, work, care for other family members, and take part in their community health development (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2006). The programs will also provide resources and support to enable parents to take active part in their children’s health and development, thus eliminate incidences of poverty within the country.
Furthermore, social determinants of health regard the quality and quantity of various services which the society avails to its people (Make Poverty History, 2010). An effective child care program will provide various inclusive and high quality service options for families (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2006a). Such options should include but not limited regulated family, preschool or nursery school, center-based child care, drop-in, extended hours, and part-time programs. The programs (Child care and early learning) will also provide opportunities for children’s healthy development and growth to complement parenting (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2006). The federal government should also introduce other services such pre-school and part-time programs to provide parenting networking and support and additional social experience for all Canadian children.
Promoting child care will also enhance productivity growth in Canada and benefit all the people. For instance, public investments which the federal government will be use to develop a child care program will address a number of areas like physical and human capital (Raphael, 2009). From investment in human capital’s point of view, enhancing productivity growth in the country requires skilled labor force. Therefore, affordable, high quality, and accessible child care will support labor force skill training, placement/attachment, and lifelong learning (Raphael, 2009). Such learning activities will help young Canadians identify and achieve personal aspirations, satisfy individual needs, and cope with poverty in the country4. In other words, child care program will promote the development of skilled labor force in the future for self and productivity growth.
Approximately 3 million Canadian children under the age of 12 have their parents in the paid labor force within Canada. However, the patchwork of services in some parts of the country, outside Quebec, shows that there is the need for adequate regulated child care spaces for children in Canada (Raphael, 2009). Such spaces will reduce the work/life conflict cost that Canadian organizations incur annually due to absences.
In conclusion, based on the reasons given in this letter, I request that you follow all the measures offered thereof to enable you office to issue regulations to eliminate poverty within Canada by promoting child care and early learning.
Thank you in advance,
Respectfully submitted,
References
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. (2006a). Minority report: A report card on the 2004-05 minority governments: alternative federal budget 2006. Ottawa, Ont: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. (2006b). BC solutions budget 2006: Budgeting for women’s equality. Ottawa, Ont: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Make Poverty History. (2010). End poverty in Canada. Retrieved 10 March, 2014, from, http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/learn/issues/end-poverty-in-canada
Raphael, D. (2009). Social determinants of health: Canadian perspectives. Toronto: Canadian Scholar’s Press.
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