Poste - Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children

C A N A D I A N C O A L I T I O N F O R T H E R I G H T S O F C H I L D R E N
It is difficult to determine the extent to which
children’s fundamental freedoms are recognized and
promoted in Canada, for there is a critical lack of
accessible and reliable information. However, rights
education is not part of most schools’ core curricula
and children’s Convention rights have not been
widely promoted in Canada.
To some extent, Canada upholds the Convention’s
general principles of non-discrimination, best
interests of the child, maximum survival and
development, and respect for the
child’s views. School boards
across the country promote
multiculturalism, diversity and
anti-discrimination; however,
widespread homophobia
among students is a
recognized problem. In child
welfare cases, the child’s
best interests are weighed
against parent’s rights. In
other areas, children’s
“best interests” are
ignored or are interpreted
without considering the
views of the children at
all. The general
principle of maximum
survival and
development is not
assured for our most
vulnerable children, such as
children with disabilities, Aboriginal
children and children in the care of the state.
Jurisdictions
Canada is a federation of 10 provinces and three
territories. Where a child lives often determines the
degree to which his or her rights are met. There can
be significant differences in the programs and services
children receive in different parts of the country.
Home care services for families with children with
disabilities vary widely and there is no effort to create
standards or even to define basic services. Although
I was looking in a store.
The lady at the cashier
asked my age and my
sister’s, since we were
together at the time. I
was 14 or 15 and my
sister 12. The lady said,
“Go away and come back
with a parent.”
— Tricia, aged 16
4
there are no national standards for settlement services
for refugees, the federal government is transferring
authority for these services to the provinces and
territories. Child welfare services are often fragmented
and uncoordinated within jurisdictions, with resources
unevenly allocated across regions. For Aboriginal
children living on reserves, the delivery of services is
further complicated by jurisdictional disputes.
Research and Data
There is little national information about children in
areas under provincial and territorial authority,
as there are extensive
variations in the types of
data collected and the
manner in which they are
reported. For example,
there are no national
statistics on child abuse
and neglect in Canada and
insufficient information
about how to prevent
maltreatment. This lack of
information on children
constrains the development of
effective services. The federal
government, for instance, does
not collect statistics on the
number of child refugees who
are held in detention. The most
recent national study on children
with disabilities was conducted in
1991. Statistics and information on
Canadian foreign policy and programs for children are
unclear and unreliable. There are no statistics on the
number of children with disabilities who file
complaints with human rights commissions.
Resources
Resources for children’s programs and services are
often stretched or unstable. Canada’s financial
commitment to international aid has been dwindling.
Cutbacks to education funding and the closing of
schools have undermined access to and quality of