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Early Childhood Development Issue 30 Source: Margo Greenwood, ABD. University of Northern British Columbia. Paediatric Child Health. 2005 November; 10(9): 553–555. Summary: If Aboriginal children are to become well and healthy adults who meaningfully contribute to their communities and broader society (in other words, if Aboriginal children are to become healthy citizens of their Nations and the world), it is imperative that they are well versed in the fundamental values of their histories and cultures. According to the author, one cannot examine the health and well-being of Aboriginal children without understanding and acknowledging their unique social, political and historical context. In Canada, Aboriginal children are born into a colonial legacy: low socioeconomic status, intergenerational trauma associated with residential schooling, high rates of substance abuse, increased incidents of interaction with the criminal justice system, and extensive loss of language and culture are but a few of the indicators suggesting the immediate need for health promotion in Indigenous communities. Aboriginal children’s growth and development, particularly growth and development that fosters and promotes cultural strength, congruency and citizenship, is at the forefront of addressing these health disparities. A sense of cultural continuity in Indigenous peoples and communities builds resiliency and results in demonstrated reductions of negative health outcomes, including youth suicide. Given the overwhelming need to improve Indigenous health in Canada, and given both the evidentiary foundation of improving their health through holistic health promotion strategies and the link between early childhood development and overall societal health, it is only logical to situate considerations of Indigenous health within discussions regarding the care and education of young Aboriginal children.
Issue 28 Source: OECD Directorate for Education in Canada Summary: The report is the outcome of an intensive review of early childhood policies and services in Canada by an OECD review team in September/October 2003. The review was initiated by an invitation to the OECD Directorate for Education from the Department of Social Development, Canada, and centred on the provinces of Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Chapter 1: the Introduction outlines the goals and framework of the OECD early childhood education and care (ECEC) reviews. A premise of the OECD approach is that the development of young children depends greatly on equitable social structures, on energetic public management and financing of the sector; and on the informed practice of qualified professionals who provide - in a caring environment - structured environments and programmes appropriate for young children. Chapter 2:Contextual issues shaping ECEC policies in Canada, is descriptive in emphasis, and describes Canadian demographic developments, women’s participation in the labour market, social and economic issues, and other factors related to the organisation of early childhood services. Chapter 3: Current ECEC policy and provision in Canada, outlines the key features of the current system. It describes the broad structure of the services, regulatory procedures, funding, access and provision, staffing and training, research and monitoring. It examines how these indicators compare with one another across different forms of provision and among different groups. It also describes recent policy initiatives at both federal and provincial levels, with a special section devoted to the four provinces reviewed. Chapter 4: Issues for ECEC in Canada explores the coherence of current policies from the point of view of quality, access and equity. It considers in particular the situation of Aboriginal children, and challenging organisational and financing issues. Chapter 5: Conclusions and recommendations. This final chapter puts forward for consideration by the Canadian authorities a number of suggestions and recommendations. They are based on first-hand observation of services and on discussions with the ministries and the major stakeholders in the early childhood field in Canada.
Issue 26 Source: Early Childhood Development - Intercultural Partnerships, Jessica Ball & Barbara Bernhardt, Principal Investigators Summary: Project Background Project Goal: This exploratory project has successfully stimulated broader interest within the fields of linguistics and education in the nature of Aboriginal English dialects, and has begun to raise awareness of the need to appreciate the language skills that Aboriginal children may possess although they may be using a variant of English not familiar to members of the dominant culture. The project has contributed a comprehensive review of the extant literature on Aboriginal English dialects, and has formulated some general principles and specific strategies for future researchers to engage this topic through language sampling and analysis.
Issue 24 Source: Julia O’Sullivan, Ph.D., Janet Goosney with the International Expert Panel Summary: Canada’s North is an immense region crossing six time zones, inhabited by a young, culturally and linguistically diverse population living in communities that differ immensely in size and economic base. For this paper we define the North as Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Labrador, and large northern areas of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. In Canada there are 1,980,605 young school-age children; 133,405 (or 6.7%) live in the North. Like five- to nine-year-olds in the rest of Canada, young northern children spend much of their time focused on learning to read. Today in Canada we expect all children to read well, usually by the end of Grade 3 and children’s reading at that time is a strong predictor of high school graduation. This report describes the learning opportunities young northern children need to get ready, get set, and get going on the road to reading success by:
Issue 22 Source: Australian Government: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Summary: Indigenous children and their families have a unique culture and the Australian Government is committed to improving access to integrated, inclusive services that are relevant to their lives. It is known that there are differences in life experiences and outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Closing these gaps is a priority for the Australian Government. International research indicates that investment in early childhood, particularly for disadvantaged children, can yield substantial benefits in the longer term through reduced expenditure on welfare, law and order and health, and increased participation and productivity. However, information surrounding the use of early childhood services indicates that Indigenous children and their families are less likely to access them because of service unavailability in some locations, service delivery fragmentation or an absence of cultural awareness and competence in services they could otherwise access. This web site contains information about key initiatives and services for Indigenous children and their families.
Issue 20 International research indicates that investment in early childhood, particularly for disadvantaged children, can yield substantial benefits in the longer term through reduced expenditure on welfare, law and order and health, and increased participation and productivity. However, information surrounding the use of early childhood services tells us that Indigenous children and their families are less likely to access them because of service unavailability in some locations, service delivery fragmentation or an absence of cultural awareness and competence in services they could otherwise access. This web site contains information about key initiatives and services for Indigenous children and their families.
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Issue 14 Source: Emily F. King. Lakehead University Focus: Early Childhood Educators, Special Education teachers and Administrators Summary: This report emphasizes the need for special needs training in Aboriginal communities and highlights the importance of developing a framework which is founded on Indigenous ways of knowing. Six Guiding Principles were established, emphasizing traditional elements that need to guide the process of curriculum creation. Traditional elements of particular importance to participants included the need to recognize the many important roles of Elders within the community, the need for experiential learning to be central to a developed curriculum, and the recognition and identification of Indigenous ways of knowing which should guide all curriculum implementation and programming.
Issue 12 Source: Public Health Agency of Canada Summary: Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) in Urban and Northern Communities is a Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) – a funded early childhood development program for First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and their families. The primary goal of the initiative is to demonstrate that locally controlled and designed early intervention strategies can provide Aboriginal children with a positive sense of themselves, a desire for learning, and opportunities to develop fully as successful young people. There are 125 AHS sites in urban and northern communities across Canada.
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